Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Nuclear Safety Coordinator

💰 $110,000 - $175,000

EnergySafety & ComplianceEngineeringNuclearRegulatory Affairs

🎯 Role Definition

As a Nuclear Safety Coordinator, you are the cornerstone of our facility's safety culture, dedicated to ensuring operational integrity and strict adherence to all nuclear regulatory standards. You will be a proactive force in identifying, analyzing, and mitigating potential hazards, developing and maintaining critical safety documentation, and serving as a subject matter expert on all matters of nuclear safety, compliance, and licensing. This role requires an individual with meticulous attention to detail, a deep understanding of nuclear principles, and the ability to effectively collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to uphold the highest standards of safety.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Nuclear Operator / Senior Reactor Operator (SRO)
  • Health Physics Technician / Radiation Protection Specialist
  • Junior Safety Engineer or Analyst
  • Systems or Design Engineer (Nuclear)

Advancement To:

  • Senior Nuclear Safety Engineer / Analyst
  • Nuclear Safety Manager or Director
  • Licensing Manager
  • Regulatory Affairs Manager
  • Operations or Engineering Management

Lateral Moves:

  • Quality Assurance Manager
  • Nuclear Licensing Engineer
  • Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
  • Performance Improvement Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, review, and maintain the facility's safety basis documentation, including the Documented Safety Analysis (DSA), Technical Safety Requirements (TSRs), and Safety Analysis Reports (SAR), ensuring full compliance with DOE Orders or NRC regulations (e.g., 10 CFR 830, 10 CFR 50).
  • Perform and lead comprehensive hazard and accident analyses, including identifying potential accident scenarios, evaluating consequences, and establishing preventive and mitigative features.
  • Conduct Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) screenings and determinations for proposed changes, tests, or experiments to ensure they remain within the approved safety envelope.
  • Act as a primary interface with regulatory agencies (e.g., DOE, NRC) during inspections, audits, and information requests, preparing formal responses and ensuring timely closure of findings.
  • Champion the site's corrective action program for safety-related issues, leading root cause analyses for events and ensuring effective, sustainable corrective actions are implemented.
  • Review and approve facility modifications, new procedures, and work packages to ensure the integration and maintenance of the safety basis and licensing requirements.
  • Provide expert nuclear safety oversight and guidance to Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and project teams to foster a strong, questioning safety culture.
  • Develop, implement, and maintain nuclear safety programs and procedures, such as configuration management, criticality safety, and emergency preparedness.
  • Prepare and submit required regulatory reports, license amendment requests, and other compliance-related documentation accurately and on schedule.
  • Lead and participate in internal safety assessments, readiness reviews, and management self-assessments to proactively identify vulnerabilities and drive continuous improvement.
  • Develop and deliver nuclear safety and safety basis training to facility personnel to ensure a high level of understanding and compliance across the organization.
  • Interpret complex regulatory requirements and translate them into clear, actionable guidance and facility-specific procedures for staff implementation.
  • Evaluate the nuclear safety impact of proposed changes to facility design, operations, or procedures, providing formal written evaluations and recommendations.
  • Maintain a deep, current knowledge of evolving industry standards, regulatory changes, and best practices in nuclear safety analysis and management.
  • Serve as a key member of the Emergency Response Organization, providing technical expertise on safety systems and accident progression during drills and actual events.
  • Facilitate and document safety committee meetings, ensuring that safety issues are thoroughly discussed, tracked, and resolved.
  • Perform shielding and dose assessment calculations to ensure that radiological consequences of normal operations and potential accidents meet regulatory limits and ALARA principles.
  • Manage the criticality safety program, including performing criticality safety evaluations (CSEs) for fissile material operations.
  • Support the development and maintenance of probabilistic risk assessments (PRA) or probabilistic safety assessments (PSA) and use their insights to inform safety decisions.
  • Oversee the implementation of the facility's safety-related controls, ensuring they are properly identified, maintained, and functionally tested as required.
  • Provide mentorship and technical direction to junior safety professionals and engineers, fostering their professional development.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc safety data requests and perform exploratory analysis on operational events and performance indicators to identify safety trends.
  • Contribute to the site's safety culture and continuous improvement initiatives by providing data-driven insights and recommendations.
  • Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering departments to translate safety requirements into practical, implementable procedures and work controls.
  • Participate in project planning and review meetings to ensure nuclear safety and licensing basis requirements are integrated into facility modifications and new projects from conception to completion.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Regulatory Knowledge: Deep understanding of nuclear regulations and standards, such as 10 CFR 830, 10 CFR 50, and associated DOE Orders and NRC Regulatory Guides.
  • Safety Basis Development: Proven ability to develop, write, and maintain Safety Analysis Reports (SAR), Documented Safety Analyses (DSA), and Technical Safety Requirements (TSRs).
  • Hazard & Accident Analysis: Expertise in methodologies like Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOP), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and event tree/fault tree analysis.
  • Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) Process: Proficiency in performing USQ screenings and determinations for facility and procedural changes.
  • Root Cause Analysis (RCA): Formal training and experience in conducting rigorous root cause analyses for significant events.
  • Technical Writing: Exceptional ability to produce clear, concise, and defensible technical documentation for both internal and regulatory audiences.
  • Nuclear Systems & Operations: Strong familiarity with the design and operation of nuclear reactors, processing facilities, or other radiological facilities.
  • Configuration Management: Understanding of and experience with processes for maintaining the consistency of a facility's design and documentation with its safety basis.
  • Criticality Safety Analysis: Knowledge of the principles and practices for preventing inadvertent criticality in fissile material operations.
  • Radiation Protection Principles: Solid understanding of health physics, dose assessment, and As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) concepts.
  • Licensing & Compliance: Experience preparing license amendment requests and interfacing directly with regulatory bodies.

Soft Skills

  • Critical Thinking & Analytical Problem-Solving: Ability to dissect complex technical problems and develop logical, well-supported solutions.
  • Meticulous Attention to Detail: An uncompromising eye for accuracy and completeness in all documentation and analysis.
  • Strong Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Capable of clearly articulating complex safety concepts to diverse audiences, from technicians to senior management and regulators.
  • Integrity and Professional Ethics: Unwavering commitment to safety and ethical conduct, even when facing pressure.
  • Influence and Collaboration: Ability to work effectively across departments and influence others toward a common goal of safety excellence without direct authority.
  • Judgment and Decision-Making: Sound judgment in high-stakes situations, with the ability to make timely, risk-informed decisions.
  • Project Management: Strong organizational skills to manage multiple complex projects, track deliverables, and meet deadlines.
  • Resilience and Composure: The ability to remain calm, focused, and effective under pressure or during emergency situations.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from an accredited university or college.

Preferred Education:

  • Master of Science (M.S.) or other advanced degree in a relevant technical field.
  • Professional Engineer (P.E.) license.
  • Previous Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) certification.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Nuclear Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Physics or Health Physics
  • Other related engineering or science disciplines

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • A minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in the nuclear industry, with a significant focus on nuclear safety, operations, engineering, or regulatory affairs.

Preferred:

  • Direct experience in a DOE or NRC-regulated environment is highly preferred. Demonstrable experience authoring or significantly contributing to safety basis documents (DSA/SAR) and interacting with regulators is a key differentiator. Experience at a commercial nuclear power plant, national laboratory, or government nuclear facility is ideal.
Explore More Careers