Sr. Safety Verification and Validation Engineer

Talascend is seeking a Sr. Safety Verification and Validation Engineer for a long-term (12 month) contract-to-direct role with our Nuclear Energy client based in Bellevue, WA.

Fully remote is possible, but preference will be given to local candidates, willing to work in the office (hybrid schedule). No relocation support available.

Overview:
The Safety Verification and Validation Engineer will support the design and licensing of the Natrium Demonstration reactor, focusing on software and evaluation model verification and validation. The role involves nuclear safety analysis, code assessment, and collaboration with engineering teams working on the Sodium Fast Reactor Program.

Responsibilities:

• Perform safety verification and validation, including assessment of evaluation models and benchmarking based on NRC guidance.
• Coordinate safety computer code verification and validation programs, including Separate Effect Tests (SETs) and Integral Effect Tests (IETs).
• Support scaling analysis and prepare code benchmark documentation.
• Develop and implement analytical and computational models for system transient analysis.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to establish core and reactor safety requirements.
• Conduct engineering reviews of analyses and other design media.

Requirements:

• M.S. or Ph.D. in nuclear engineering or relevant field, with at least five years of experience.
• Extensive experience in nuclear safety software verification and validation as well as system transient analysis code development.
• Understanding of nuclear design, regulatory requirements, and risk-informed performance-based guidance for Non-Light Water Reactors.
• Familiarity with EMDAP and NRC Regulatory Guide 1.203.
• Knowledge of nuclear systems thermal-hydraulic fundamentals, reactor dynamics, and transient phenomena.
• Experience with safety analysis software such as RELAP5-3D, TRACE, MELCOR, SAS4A/SASSYS-1, or SAM.
• Familiarity with scaling methodology and analysis.
• Strong quantitative, analytical, modeling, and software engineering skills (Fortran, C++, Python).
• Experience with Sodium Fast Reactor safety methods preferred; other reactor designs considered.
• Knowledge of NQA-1 requirements and quality assurance programs.
• <5% travel is expected.