When pioneering a viable solution to a global challenge, it takes experts with different perspectives and backgrounds to work together on a unified purpose. Whether you are an expert in nuclear energy, experienced in driving government policy and legislation, or active in working with community engagement, a career with Deep Isolation offers a unique opportunity to pave the way in protecting all our communities with safe nuclear waste storage and disposal.
Our goal is to build a team of passionate, diverse, driven, smart individuals who don’t see problems; they see exciting opportunities to influence changes, even when faced with a challenge.
Deep Isolation is a leading innovator in nuclear waste disposal, providing a safe and cost-effective solution to the world’s unresolved problem of how to dispose of spent fuel and high-level waste safely, using deep boreholes. Deep Isolation was founded in Berkeley, California in 2016, and expanded in 2020 with the opening of our UK-based wholly owned subsidiary to cover sales and delivery in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. We have government customers and prospects in the US, the UK, EU, Asia and the Middle East. Our growing team of employees and associates work remotely, with regular virtual meetings and quarterly in-person joint planning and team building events.
SENIOR TECHNICAL EXPERT
Job Overview
Deep Isolation is a leading innovator in nuclear waste disposal, providing a safe and cost-effective solution to the world’s unresolved problem of how to dispose of spent fuel and high-level waste safely, using deep boreholes. Deep Isolation was founded in Berkeley, California in 2016, and expanded in 2020 with the opening of our UK-based wholly owned subsidiary to cover sales and delivery in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. We expanded again in 2021 with the acquisition of Freestone Environmental Services that provides environmental services to the DOE Hanford site and other clients. We have government customers and prospects in the US, the UK, EU, Asia and the Middle East. Our team of employees and associates work remotely, with regular virtual meetings and in-person joint planning and team building events.
We are seeking one or more Senior Technical Experts to assist in the development of our borehole disposal system for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW) – the pace of hire linked to the pace of conversion in our current pipeline of new projects. The position is fully remote, based in the United States, in time zones capable of holding working-hours meetings with colleagues and clients ranging from Central European Time to Pacific Time (such as Eastern Time and Central Time). One exception to this is a location near Carlsbad, New Mexico which is a plus.
Our borehole disposal system draws on standard technologies from both the nuclear sector and the oil and gas sector. The successful candidate(s) will have experience gained in either sector, together with a strong academic track record in one or more of the disciplines (e.g., nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, geoscience, etc.) that support them.
This role includes:
- Working as technical lead on client-facing consultancy projects and grant-funded R&D projects, interfacing with our wider technical team as required.
- Contributing as part of the wider engineering team to progress the company’s longer term technology roadmap: developing and documenting conceptual design studies for disposal products, increasing the technology readiness levels of various components by supporting the design of a borehole demonstration program, increasing the level of detail of our operations documentation, and then implementing the solution in the field.
- Providing technical support to progress new sales opportunities that are prioritized by the business. This is a challenging, highly visible role that requires collaboration with others throughout the company, as well as coordination with external partners. The role will provide ample opportunities to learn, be challenged, and to grow professionally in a fast-paced environment. This position is full-time, generally working from home, and reporting to the Head of Engineering. We also have part-time consulting opportunities available in the same field.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Assist in the management of technical projects with collaborations between universities, government organizations, national labs, and private companies.
- Apply project management principles to multiple complex technical projects at any given time and in a graded manner to achieve technical and business objectives.
- Develop operational concepts required for the deployment of our solution while meeting safety standards and regulatory requirements.
- Incorporate manufacturing and technology readiness factors into the design of various components and processes of our solution.
- Assist with business development endeavors, including contributing technical content for proposals, statements of work, project plans, and project risk assessments.
- Maintain and ensure quality and engineering design standards for deliverables.
- Establish and maintain cost models for the deployment of deep borehole disposal technology.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Experience in the management of complex, technical projects including organizing, tracking scope, schedules, and budgets.
- Experience in the designing, licensing, building, fielding, and commissioning of:
- Complex civil or nuclear engineering systems; and/or
- Deep boreholes within the oil and gas or carbon storage sectors.
- Detailed understanding of repository performance assessments, nuclear fuel cycle analysis, and nuclear waste treatment, reprocessing, transportation, or storage technologies.
- Familiarity with cost modeling approaches for large, complex, first-of-a-kind technologies.
- Experience developing and implementing creative solutions to a diverse range of complex problems while balancing uncertainties, objectives, and resource constraints.
- Experience with probabilistic risk assessment, safety analysis, and licensing of nuclear systems is a plus.
- Advanced knowledge of the processes involved in hardware design, fabrication, testing, qualification, and deployment is a plus.
- Expert communication skills (both verbal and written).
Education & Experience
- Master’s degree, or the equivalent combination of education and previous relevant experience, in:
- Mechanical, Civil, or Nuclear Engineering
- Geosciences or drilling and well engineering
- Experience of applying these technical skills in the geological disposal of nuclear waste is preferred but not essential.
- Five or more years of experience in a relevant field.
- Three or more years of experience with managing large projects.
Other
- Mission driven, self-motivated, and having a strong work ethic and ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Advanced verbal and written communication skills necessary to effectively collaborate in a team environment and present and explain complex technical information.
- Strong computer skills, including use of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel or similar office software and Zoom or Microsoft Teams video conferencing.
- Strong analytical and problem resolution skills, including the ability to research and simplify complex situations.
- Must be able to effectively manage and prioritize critical deadlines.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced startup environment.
- Ability to travel to client sites and team events. Most travel will be US domestic.
Deep Isolation is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy or any other protected characteristic as outline by federal, state, or local laws.