Nuclear Energy Agency

THE OECD – Who we are, what we do

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation comprised of 38 member countries, whose mission is to build better policies for better lives. We promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, we work to establish evidence-based international standards, and finding solutions to a broad range of social, economic and environmental challenges, from the improvement of economic performance and creating jobs to fostering strong education and fighting international tax evasion. We provide a unique forum and knowledge hub for data and analysis, exchange of experiences, best-practice sharing, and advice on public policies and international standard-setting.

THE NUCLEAR ENERGY AGENCY

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is an intergovernmental agency which operates under the framework of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It facilitates co-operation among countries with advanced nuclear technology infrastructures to seek excellence in nuclear safety, technology, science, related environmental and economic matters and law. The mission of the NEA is to assist its 34 member countries in maintaining and further developing, through international cooperation, the scientific, technological and legal bases required for a safe, environmentally sound and economical use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. It strives to provide authoritative assessments and to forge common understandings on key issues as input to government decisions on nuclear technology policies.

The goals of the NEA Division of Nuclear Science and Education and the NEA Data Bank are to help member countries identify, collate, develop and disseminate basic scientific and technical knowledge required to ensure the safe, reliable and economic operation of current nuclear systems and to develop next-generation technologies. Under the guidance of the NEA Nuclear Science Committee (NSC), multiple Working Parties bring together experts in criticality safety and nuclear data to advance the state of the art and work on collaborative projects, including the internationally-recognised International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation project (ICSBEP) and the Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion (JEFF) project.

THE POSITION

The NEA is seeking to recruit one or more Nuclear Scientists to provide technical and secretariat support to Nuclear Science Committee and Data Bank activities in the area of criticality safety and nuclear data. The selected candidate will work within the Division of Nuclear Science and Education or Data Bank, under the supervision of Head of the Division of Nuclear Science and Education or Head of the Data Bank.

Job Description

Main Responsibilities

Technical secretariat support and co-ordination

• Provide secretariat support to the Working Party on Nuclear Criticality Safety (WPNCS), Working Party on International Nuclear Data Evaluation Co-operation (WPEC), and/or Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion (JEFF) project, their expert groups and/or subgroups, including the preparation of meetings, drafting/editing of technical/scientific reports and maintaining relevant websites.
• Support the maintenance, continued development and/or communication/training on relevant international databases, handbooks and/or applications, such as the ICSBEP Handbook, Database for ICSBEP (DICE), Java-based Nuclear Information System (JANIS), and/or Nuclear Data Sensitivity Tool (NDaST). Work with the expert community to test the current version of the tools and integrate them into workflows for the international community.
• Advance the Nuclear Science Committee and Data Bank programme of work related to criticality safety and nuclear data.
• Organise international scientific workshops and conferences, including the preparation of proceedings. Draft and present reports both to NEA committees and working groups, as well as at international workshops and conferences.

Liaison and outreach

• Develop good working relationships and close contacts with national experts. Maintain necessary co-ordination and close co-operation with other international organisations active in the field of criticality safety and/or nuclear data.
• Ensure close co-ordination with other activities within the NEA, as required. Assist in developing transversal activities with the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC), Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) and Nuclear Development Committee (NDC).

Other

• Carry out other related duties assigned by the Head of the Division of Nuclear Science and Education and/or Head of the Data Bank.

Qualifications

Academic and Professional Background

• Advanced university degree in nuclear physics or nuclear engineering or a related subject.
• A minimum of three, preferably five years' research experience in the nulcear sector (research laboratories, industry, technical support organisations or similar) with specific experience in nuclear criticality safety and/or nuclear data.
• Demonstrated experience in preparing research materials for publication and dissemination (e.g. peer-reviewed scientific publications, scientific/engineering reports, working papers or other technical material).
• Excellent knowledge of nuclear criticality analysis, nuclear data evaluation/processing/testing, and/or use of data and benchmarks for verification and validation exercises.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a solid understanding of nuclear physics principles. Proficiency in computer modelling and simulation tools used in criticality safety and/or nuclear data analyses.
• Experience working collaboratively on the definition of data schema and development and/or use of modern application programming interfaces would be an advantage.

Additional Information

Core Competencies

• For this role, the following competencies would be particularly important: Vision and Strategy (Level 2); Enable People (Level 1); Ethics and Integrity (Level 2); Collaboration and Horizontality (Level 2); Achieve Results (Level 2); Innovate and Embrace Change (Level 2).
• There are three possible levels for each competency. The level for each competency is determined according to the specific needs of each job role and its associated grade.
• To learn more about the definitions for each competency for levels 1-3, please refer to OECD Core Competencies OECD Core Competencies.

Communication and Languages

• Fluency in one of the two OECD official languages (English and French) and knowledge of, or a willingness to learn, the other.

Contract Duration

• Two-year fixed term appointment, with the possibility of renewal.

Please note that our Rules and Regulations stipulate that the mandatory retirement age is 65.

What the OECD offers

• Depending on level of experience, monthly salary starts at EUR, plus allowances based on eligibility, exempt of French income tax.

Process

The application will close on 10 June 2024 at 23:59 Paris time

The OECD is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates who are nationals of who are nationals of NEA or OECD member countries, irrespective of their racial or ethnic origin, opinions or beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, health or disabilities. Our selection processes are merit-based; we strive to enhance diversity both from national and gender perspectives while running fair, transparent and competitive selection processes.

The OECD promotes an optimal use of resources to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Staff members are encouraged to actively contribute to this goal.

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