Nuclear Transport and Packaging Expert

About newcleo

Privately funded and headquartered in London, newcleo was launched in 2021 – and since raised a total of EUR 400m – to be an innovator in the field of nuclear energy. Its mission is to generate safe, clean, economic and practically inexhaustible energy for the world, through a radically innovative combination of existing, accessible technologies.

With visionary co-founders, newcleo capitalises on thirty years of R&D activity in metal-cooled fast reactors and liquid-lead cooling systems, and our senior management and advisory team can boast hundreds of years in cumulative hands-on experience.

newcleo’s technology, mostly comprising a novel approach to already qualified solutions, addresses equally well the three challenges affecting the nuclear industry to date: waste, safety and cost.

• Waste: fast reactors are capable of efficient use of depleted uranium, plutonium and Minor Actinides. When operated with MOX fuel generated from reprocessed nuclear waste, newcleo’s reactors not only ensure sustainability by closing the fuel cycle, but can also boost energy independence.
• Safety: lead-cooled reactors operate at atmospheric pressure. The properties of lead (thermal capacity and conductivity, boiling point, chemically inert, low neutron activation, shielding properties) together with newcleo’s passive safety systems ensure very high levels of safety.
• Cost: newcleo’s reactor design has been optimised over the last 20 years leading to the concept of an ultra-compact and transportable 200MWe module with improvements in energy density compared to other technologies. Costs are kept low by means of simplicity, compactness, modularity, atmospheric pressure operation and elevated output temperature.

newcleo is also working to significantly invest in MOX fuel manufacturing in developed countries, extracting energy from the current nuclear industry by-products.

newcleo is ready to develop a new, sustainable, and completely safe way of generating nuclear energy that will help humanity reach zero emissions, and mitigate of global warming.

Overview of the role:

This role will be part of the UK Fuel Cycle team, which has the responsibility for establishing the MOX fuel route for newcleo’s 200MWe reactor fleet in the UK. The team also has responsibility for providing programme management leadership for the global newcleo Fuel Cycle programme.

You will work closely with the French Fuel Cycle team leveraging the talents and capabilities of our people across Europe to ensure alignment of activities and approach.

The role will be focused on developing the strategy for newcleo packaging and transport for the nuclear materials, including plutonium, MOX fuel and pins, MOX powders and spent fuel. Newcleo need to understand the requirements for packaging and transport, including the security arrangements for Cat I and II shipments, and determine the best approach for implementing the movement of nuclear materials. We anticipate newcleo owning a fleet of packages that will need to be designed, licenced and manufactured to meet MOX fuel production and reactor fuelling demand. These packages will need to be licenced initially in the UK and France, with potential additional countries in the future.

Main duties/role and responsibilities:

• Develop and lead the strategy for newcleo’s radioactive material transport and packaging for nuclear materials required for MOX manufacture fuel.
• Develop appropriate transport solutions including all packaging and security arrangements for the physical protection of Cat I and II materials in the jurisdictions of operations and transit.
• Lead the Transport and Packaging workstream identified on the Global Fuel Cycle Programme WBS and support its ongoing development and overall delivery to ensure the success of the newcleo vision.
• Develop, maintain and execute a stakeholder management plan for engaging regulators, nuclear material owners and sites to ensure successful acceptance and deployment of packages.
• Manage the Packaging and Transport budget and grow the team to deliver the strategy.
• Support the newcleo annual business planning process to ensure Transport and Packaging team has the appropriate budget and resources to deliver the strategy
• Work closely with our newcleo French Fuel Cycle colleagues to ensure a holistic approach to Transport and Packaging is achieved.
• Represent newcleo at national and international radioactive material transport forums

Attributes/Experience Required:

• Internationally recognised industry expert in the field of nuclear material transport, packaging, licencing and compliance with experience influencing regulation via appropriate industry bodies.
• Track record of dangerous goods transport compliance including regulator interface for radioactive material transport and security.
• Experience of package design process, licencing, manufacturing and testing for radioactive material packaging of fuel cycle products.
• Successful implementation of new package design concepts into operational facilities including all receipt, handling, loading/offloading and dispatch to meet requirements of modal regulations
• Experience in establishing and leading stakeholder engagement with key nuclear industry players with proven effective communication with government, regulators and other key stakeholders.
• A strong working understanding of the nuclear fuel cycle with experience of nuclear site operations under a nuclear site licence.
• Experience of working within a highly regulated environment, with a robust safety and quality management system.
• A strong commitment to, and understanding of, nuclear safety principles and behaviours.
• High levels of motivation and commitment; Attention to detail; Team working and a collaborative approach.
• Ability to build strong collaborative relationships with colleagues, across multiple cultures, whist providing strong constructive challenge.
• Degree in a relevant engineering or science subject or demonstrated relevant equivalent experience.