Senior Research Fellow

Job Posting Title:

Senior Research Fellow – Molten Salt Reactor Chemistry Modeling

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Hiring Department:

Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Aug 31, 2027

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

As a top-10 engineering school, the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century. 

The Nuclear and Radiation Engineering (NRE) area within the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering includes six faculty, along with researchers and students, in the study and application of nuclear and radiation engineering, including imaging, robotics, high-performance computing, reactor design and materials development.  The groups provide a supportive community striving to solve the most pressing challenges of the 21st century through world class research, unsurpassed student education, and dedicated service to the community.

The Digital Molten Salt Reactor Initiative (D’MSRI) is a program funded by the state of Texas to develop a long-term research program at UT that centers on the use of digital twins to enable the licensing of innovations for advanced reactors in Texas.  This project includes a suite of initiatives that include the development of digital twins for physical systems at many institutions, development of high-fidelity, multiphysics software that models advanced reactors, economic and policy drivers that may be implemented at the state and national level to encourage innovation in advanced reactors, and business development to engage with the nuclear industry to enable them to recognize the value of digital twins. 

Purpose

This position will focus on building a research program at the University of Texas at Austin that is focused on the development and application of multiphysics software associated with chemistry and chemical engineering of molten salt reactors. The position will initially be funded through the Digital Molten Salt Reactor Initiative (DMSRI), funded by the State of Texas through August 2027, but the applicant is expected to build a sustainable research program that can include funding from the commercial nuclear and thermal storage industries, US Department of Energy, and direct funding from US National Laboratories.  There will also be opportunity to collaborate with the Natura Resources on the development of the Molten Salt Research Reactor that is being built at Abilene Christian University. 

The near-term research program, funded through DMSRI, will collaborate with software developers to build the chemistry and chemical engineering capability within high-fidelity and engineering-scale models to model: molten salt reactor operations, irradiated salt flow loops, and static-salt irradiation experiments.  The successful applicant will assist with mentoring of undergraduate researchers, graduate students, and post-doctoral researchers and work within a collaborative software development environment.

This position is based on currently available funding that will continue through August 31, 2027.  Extensions beyond this time are possible, based on the availability of funding.

Responsibilities

• Research molten salt nuclear modeling

• Mentoring students focused on molten salt nuclear chemistry

• Program development to create a sustainable research program

• Publications demonstrating quality work

Required Qualifications

• PhD in nuclear engineering, chemical engineering, or equivalent.

• 7 + years of post PhD experience working on nuclear modeling of molten salt chemistry and/or chemical engineering as demonstrated through a record of publications

• Experience mentoring graduate students 

Salary Range

• $160,000+

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions.

• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

• Use of manual dexterity.

• Climbing of stairs.

Work Shift

• Working with multiple groups means the work may take place in multiple locations on the Main and Pickle Research Campus.

• This position may be eligible for a hybrid (on-campus and off-campus) work based on business needs and at the discretion of the supervisor.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume in the first step of the online job application process. Then, any additional Required Materials will be uploaded in the My Experience section; you can multi-select the additional files or click the Upload button for each file. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find Jobs. Before you apply though, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left-hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile. This information will be pulled into your application. The application is one page, and you will need to click the Upload button multiple times in order to attach your Resume, References and any additional Required Materials noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.