Uranium Production Specialist (P4)
Uranium Production Specialist (P4)
IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency
Vienna, Austria
Organizational Setting
The Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology (NEFW) comprises the Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section, the Waste Technology Section, the Decommissioning & Environmental Remediation Section and the Research Reactor Section. The Division seeks to support Member States in building their capacity to access technologies, to share good practices and to develop safe and effective approaches across all aspects of research reactors, nuclear fuel cycle, decommissioning, radioactive waste management and environmental remediation.
The Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section (NFCMS) assists interested Member States in the development of safe, environmentally friendly, economically viable, proliferation-resistant and sustainable fuel cycle options and it encourages information exchange on the exploration, mining and processing of uranium and thorium, on the design, manufacturing and performance of nuclear fuels, on the management of spent fuel, and on the development of advanced and innovative nuclear fuels and fuel cycles.
Main Purpose
As a member of a team reporting directly to the Section Head, the Uranium Production Specialist implements the activities related to the recovery of uranium (and thorium) from the standpoint of resources estimation and availability, economics and sustainability in current and future reactor fuel cycle systems, and operational aspects of the current uranium production cycle, and provides technical advice to the IAEA LEU Bank Project Manager on operational aspects of the Bank in Kazakhstan.
Role
The Uranium Production Specialist is: (1) a programme developer and implementer, contributing specialized knowledge and experience to the planning and development of IAEA's programmes on uranium (and thorium) production; (2) a scientific secretary/technical expert, planning and leading Consultancy and Technical Meetings; (3) a mission technical lead, planning and leading moderately complex review missions; (4) a technical and project officer evaluating TC projects in the area of uranium (and thorium) production; and (5) a technical expert contributing to the oversight of the IAEA LEU Bank.
Functions/Key Results Expected
- Contribute specialized knowledge and experience to the planning, development and implementation of the IAEA's programme on uranium (and thorium) mining and processing, including management of technical information about facilities of the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle and related environmental protection issues.
- Assist less prepared Member States in uranium production by defining a pathway to preparedness for sustainable uranium mining and processing, through the support to technical cooperation (TC) projects by organizing training programmes, expert missions and workshops to develop technical aspects of capacity building programmes.
- Plan and technically lead moderately complex Technical Meetings and Workshops on uranium (and thorium) production to prepare state-of-the-art and best practice reports in the areas of uranium mining and milling, processing of ores to ore concentrate and related environmental protection issues. This includes proposing meetings’ subject, preparing their scope, selecting participants, coordinating the drafting of technical reports and documents, as well as preparing e-tools and maintaining data bases.
- Plan and technically lead moderately complex or sensitive review missions requested by Member States to assess their uranium production programmes. This includes technical input to mission reports to develop international recommendations and guidance on uranium production with a view to addressing Member States' specific needs.
- Participate in peer reviews of facilities involved in the uranium production cycle, such as mine sites and uranium extraction facilities.
- Provide technical advice to the IAEA LEU Bank Project Manager on operational aspects of the Bank in Kazakhstan, by planning, preparing and implementing technical tasks related to the project, such as the management of LEU filled cylinders and the safe operation of the IAEA LEU Bank Storage Facility. Obtain inputs, negotiate activities and schedule with contributing Divisions, contractors and counterparts, and prepare regular reports for the project governance focusing on the project results, outputs and deliverables.
Competencies and Expertise
Core Competencies (Competency Framework)
- Planning and Organizing: Plans and organizes his/her own work in support of achieving the team or Section’s priorities. Takes into account potential changes and proposes contingency plans.
- Communication: Communicates orally and in writing in a clear, concise and impartial manner. Takes time to listen to and understand the perspectives of others and proposes solutions.
- Achieving Results: Takes initiative in defining realistic outputs and clarifying roles, responsibilities and expected results in the context of the Department/Division’s programme. Evaluates his/her results realistically, drawing conclusions from lessons learned.
- Teamwork: Actively contributes to achieving team results. Supports team decisions.
Functional Competencies
- Analytical thinking: Analyses information to identify cause and effect relationships and correlations. Identifies critical elements and assesses consequences of different courses of action and proposes solutions.
- Judgement/decision making: Consults with supervisor/manager and takes decisions in full compliance with the Agency’s regulations and rules. Makes decisions reflecting best practice and professional theories and standards.
- Knowledge sharing and learning: Actively seeks learning opportunities and actively shares knowledge and information with others; shares specialized knowledge, skills and learning from experience across different situations and contexts effectively.
- Partnership building: Identifies and builds partnerships. Develops and maintains long lasting partnerships to strengthen relationships. Delivers programmatic outputs and acquires resources in support of Agency goals.
- Technical/scientific credibility: Ensures that work is in compliance with internationally accepted professional standards and scientific methods. Provides scientifically/technically accepted information that is credible and reliable.
Required Expertise
- Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities: Facilities involved in the uranium production cycle, such as mine sites and uranium extraction facilities.
- Project Management: Developing, implementing programmes, evaluating projects and promoting, coordinating and evaluating coordinated research projects.
Qualifications, Experience and Language skills
- Master's Degree - Advanced university degree in chemical, metallurgical or mining engineering, uranium science and technology, environmental science, or other relevant field.
- Bachelor's Degree - A university degree in chemical, metallurgical or mining engineering, uranium science and technology, environmental science, or other relevant field with two years of additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of advanced university degree.
- Minimum of seven years of hands-on experience in the uranium production cycle.
- Experience/involvement in the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle activities at the international level.
- Experience in managing small teams and projects.
- Excellent oral and written command of English. Knowledge of other official IAEA languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.
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