DOE-Environmental Management (EM) Graduate Fellowship Program Post Master Fellow - Chemical Separations (9555)

Overview

 

At a time when complex environmental problems are emerging on every front, the Nuclear Sciences Division's staff, capabilities, and facilities are delivering science and technology innovations for the environment, as well as for energy and national security needs. Our diverse work addresses a wide range of national and international challenges, from providing solutions that protect the health of people who must work in hazardous environments, to developing durable new materials, streamlining industrial processes for improved productivity and effectiveness, and delivering new approaches for environmental cleanup. Nuclear Sciences Division capabilities and efforts are focused in three key areas including Environmental Health and Remediation, Nuclear Regulatory, and Nuclear Energy.

Responsibilities

 

DOE’s Office of Environmental Management Graduate Fellowship Program is seeking graduate fellows to work on some of the nation’s greatest cleanup efforts. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a world-class research institution powered by a highly educated, diverse workforce committed to collaboration and work–life balance. Every year, scores of dynamic, driven interns come to PNNL to work with renowned researchers on meaningful science, innovations and outcomes for the U.S. Department of Energy and other sponsors; here is your chance to be one of them! 

PNNL’s Nuclear Chemistry & Engineering Group supports Hanford Site cleanup, river corridor protection, nuclear materials stewardship, non-proliferation missions, the nuclear fuel life cycle, national security missions, and beneficial use of nuclear materials and radionuclides. Through cutting edge fundamental science and strong academic collaborations, we are fostering a renewed focus on radiochemistry and irradiated materials research for providing solutions in environmental cleanup and protection, advanced nuclear energy, establishing sustainable critical mineral supply, and for use in medicine and industry.

We are seeking highly motivated researchers with a strong ethic of service to the scientific community and a commitment to scientific excellence and solving critical scientific and technical problems in the following areas:

• Processing and disposition of legacy nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel. The work will span from fundamental chemistry to understand separation systems to flowsheet development and testing. At PNNL we are currently examining paradigm shifting methods for used nuclear fuel reprocessing with the goal of
  increasing atom efficiency which consequently reduces the environmental toxicity and amount of secondary waste generated. The strategy currently being explored is based on the alkaline dissolution of the used nuclear fuel using environmentally friendly carbonate matrices contrasting with traditional processing which operates via dissolution in hot concentrated mineral acid.
• Developing of novel separation technologies for remediation of radioactive and hazardous contaminants and their sequestration in various waste forms for safe long-term disposal.
• Critical minerals (CM) recovery and separations. Growing demand of rare earth elements (REEs) and their limited US recourses have encouraged efforts to establish resilient domestic supply of REE from secondary feedstocks and reduce environmental impact of such waste streams as coal byproducts, phosphogypsum, mineral/metal acidic mine drainage, tailings, and others. Developing of new technologies is needed to reduce environmental impacts on under privileged communities and economically utilize these resources and to address the CM challenge.

The successful candidate will join other postdocs and graduate fellows as part of the Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP). MSIPP is funded by the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM). DOE-EM is working to cleanup legacy radioactive waste found in soil, groundwater, and underground storage tanks. All research aligns with DOE-EM’s mission to safely immobilize and cleanup environmental legacy waste, focusing on cleanup of the Hanford Site which is one of the most complex DOE sites due to hazardous comingled contaminates. For more information, go to https://www.pnnl.gov/environmental-management-internship. To qualify you must attend a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) (for your undergraduate or graduate degree). MSIs are institutions of higher education enrolling populations with significant percentages of undergraduate minority students. Don’t know if your school qualifies? Ask us! Please email em.internships@pnnl.gov to find out more.

Qualifications

 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Candidates must have received a Master’s degree within the past 24 months or within the next 8 months from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum overall GPA of 3.0 required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Degree in Chemistry (analytical, inorganic, nuclear radiochemistry or related), Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related fields.
• To qualify for this MSIPP position the candidate need to have graduated from a minority serving institution (MSI).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong leadership abilities to work as part of an interdisciplinary team of scientists.
• A demonstrated ability to work individually and as a team member.
• A highly motivated, well-organized, self-starter, with a high capacity for attention to detail.
• Time management skills are essential to balance activities among several concurrently operating projects.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, as evidenced by scientific publications and conference presentations.
• Willingness to work with radiological materials. While prior experience with radiological materials is preferred it is not required and training will be available to
  selected candidates.

The preferred candidate will have experience in at least one of the following areas:

• Chemical or radiochemical separations;
• Solution chemistry and thermodynamics;
• Liquid-liquid and solid-liquid separations including ion exchange, liquid chromatography, solvent extraction, and other methods typical in separation science;
• Transition and f-element coordination chemistry;
• XANEX and EXAFS spectroscopy;
• Solution and Solid state characterization techniques;
• Analytical methods such as ICP, IC;
• Inorganic synthesis.

Hazardous Working Conditions/Environment

 

• The group and team reside in the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL). The RPL is a Hazard Category II Nuclear Facility with capability for performing work on high-level radioactive and hazardous materials.
• The candidate must be able to achieve DOE Radiological Worker II qualification.
• The candidate must be able to access the Personnel Contamination Monitors (PCMs) when exiting Radiological Buffer Areas and must be able to expeditiously exit the facility in the event of a criticality alarm or other alarm in the facility

Additional Information

 

Due to business needs and client space, US Citizenship is required.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is subject to the Department of Energy Unclassified Foreign Visits & Assignments Program site, information, technologies, and equipment access requirements.

Testing Designated Position

 

This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). The candidate selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing for illegal drugs, including marijuana, consistent with the Controlled Substances Act and the PNNL Workplace Substance Abuse Program. 

About PNNL

 

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a world-class research institution powered by a highly educated, diverse workforce committed to the values of Integrity, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Courage. Every year, scores of dynamic, driven people come to PNNL to work with renowned researchers on meaningful science, innovations and outcomes for the U.S. Department of Energy and other sponsors; here is your chance to be one of them!
 

At PNNL, you will find an exciting research environment and excellent benefits including health insurance, flexible work schedules and telework options. PNNL is located in eastern Washington State—the dry side of Washington known for its stellar outdoor recreation and affordable cost of living. The Lab’s campus is only a 45-minute flight (or ~3-hour drive) from Seattle or Portland, and is serviced by the convenient PSC airport, connected to 8 major hubs.

Commitment to Excellence, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Equal Employment Opportunity

 

Our laboratory is committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment dedicated to solving critical challenges in fundamental sciences, national security, and energy resiliency. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. In support of this commitment, we encourage people of all racial/ethnic identities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities to apply for employment.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), protected veteran status, and any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local laws.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures and in employment. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, contact us at careers@pnnl.gov.

Drug Free Workplace

 

PNNL is committed to a drug-free workplace supported by Workplace Substance Abuse Program (WSAP) and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs.

If you are offered employment at PNNL, you must pass a drug test prior to commencing employment. PNNL complies with federal law regarding illegal drug use. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.  If you test positive for any illegal controlled substance, including marijuana, your offer of employment will be withdrawn. 

HSPD-12 PIV Credential Requirement

 

In accordance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, new employees are required to obtain and maintain a HSPD-12 Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credential.  To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete and pass a Federal Tier 1 background check investigation.  This investigation includes a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last year.  This includes marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws.

Mandatory Requirements

 

Please be aware that the Department of Energy (DOE) prohibits DOE employees and contractors from having any affiliation with the foreign government of a country DOE has identified as a “country of risk” without explicit approval by DOE and Battelle. If you are offered a position at PNNL and currently have any affiliation with the government of one of these countries, you will be required to disclose this information and recuse yourself of that affiliation or receive approval from DOE and Battelle prior to your first day of employment.

Rockstar Rewards

 

Employees and their families are offered medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, disability insurance*, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, tuition assistance, supplemental parental bonding leave**, surrogacy and adoption assistance, and fertility support. Employees are automatically enrolled in our company funded pension plan* and may enroll in our 401k savings plan. Employees may accrue up to 120 vacation hours per year and may receive ten paid holidays per year.

* Research Associates excluded.

**Once eligibility requirements are met.

Click Here For Rockstar Rewards

Notice to Applicants

 

PNNL lists the full pay range for the position in the job posting. Starting pay is calculated from the minimum of the pay range and actual placement in the range is determined based on an individual’s relevant job-related skills, qualifications, and experience. This approach is applicable to all positions, with the exception of positions governed by collective bargaining agreements and certain limited-term positions which have specific pay rules.

As part of our commitment to fair compensation practices, we do not ask for or consider current or past salaries in making compensation offers at hire. Instead, our compensation offers are determined by the specific requirements of the position, prevailing market trends, applicable collective bargaining agreements, pay equity for the position type, and individual qualifications and skills relevant to the performance of the position.