Job Description

Senior Associate Director, Operations and Research

Agency

Texas A&M Engineering

Department

Nuclear Engineering and Science Center

Commensurate

College Station, Texas

Staff

Why work for Texas A&M Engineering?

Engineering has been part of Texas A&M University since its opening in 1876 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. Today, the College of Engineering is the largest college on the College Station campus with more than 25,000 engineering students enrolled in 15 departments. Its mission is to serve Texas, the nation and the global community by providing engineering graduates who are well-founded in engineering fundamentals, instilled with the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior, and prepared to meet the complex technical challenges of society.

As the research arm of Engineering, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) is a state agency within the Texas A&M University System with a mission to improve lives through basic and applied engineering research, workforce development and technology transition. Our collaborations with industry, academia and government provide cutting-edge solutions to global technical challenges.

We are deeply committed to recruiting and retaining a talented workforce that embraces our core values of Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Service, by offering competitive salaries, an array of benefits, an extensive support network, and above all, an enriching and highly collaborative working community that is deeply passionate about our vision for higher education, research, and public service.

Purpose:

The Nuclear Engineering & Science Center’s (NESC) Reactor Facilities play an important role in the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station’s (TEES) mission of performing research and leveraging expertise from universities, national laboratories, and state and federal agencies to improve lives through basic and applied engineering research. The Reactor Facilities provide support to instructional and research programs for all TAMUS colleges and departments as well as other organizations state-wide, nationally, and internationally. The two reactors are the foundation of the NESC, consisting of a 1-Megawatt TRIGA (NSCR) and a 5-Watt AGN along with associated research and service facilities and infrastructure.

The Senior Associate Director is a vital executive role, reporting to the Director, and assisting in the overall direction and management of the NESC. As such, they oversee the facility's daily operations, ensure rigorous regulatory compliance, and manage the integration of experimental research and educational activities with reactor capabilities.

Responsibilities:

1. Reactor Operations & Safety Management

• Ensure the safe, secure, and compliant operation of the reactor in accordance with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licenses , regulations, and technical specifications.
• Prepare materials and otherwise support the Reactor Safety Board activities.
• Assist the Director in coordination with the NRC, including regulatory communications, licensing actions, and other routine interactions.
• Collaborate with A&M System engineering and safety personnel on projects to improve the facility’s capabilities and safety.
• Other duties as assigned.

2. Research & Education Coordination

• Assist the Director, faculty, scientists, commercial partners, and or individually to develop new business opportunities for the utilization of the NESC facilities, and develop plans to integrate these activities into reactor operations.
• Oversee the allocation of experimental space and reactor use time among multidisciplinary teams.
• Establish integration activities for research programs considering scientific impact, budget, and operational constraints.

3. Compliance & Regulatory Affairs

• Manage and maintain all necessary and license-related documents, including Safety Analysis Reports, Technical Specifications, Emergency Plan, Quality Assurance Plan, Physical Security Plan, Training and Requalification Plan, and Corrective Action Plans.
• Engage with the licensing engineer or consultant to prepare, and review technical specifications revisions, license amendment requests, standard operating procedures, facility operations authorizations, and experiment authorizations.

4. Leadership & Budgeting

• Supervise the NESC staff, the reactor supervisor, engineers, machinists, maintenance, radiation-safety personnel.
• Develop and monitor annual divisional expense and revenue budgets, including sourcing grant and contract funding.

What we need:

• Bachelor's degree or any equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Nine years of related experience.

Work Location:

• Main Campus – College Station, TX.

About Nuclear Engineering and Science Center

The Nuclear Engineering and Science Center seeks to improve the health, wellbeing and environment of mankind through the application of nuclear technology. The center provides services to researchers and/or faculty from Texas A&M University, other colleges and universities, government agencies and private industry. The center is recognized primarily for providing radioisotopes and other nuclear irradiation services for research, academic, medical and industrial applications and as a teaching and nuclear training facility.

Texas A&M Engineering provides an outstanding benefits package including but not limited to:

• Competitive medical insurance benefits through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and Prescription coverage by Express Scripts.
• Options for Vision, Dental, Life, and Long-Term Disability insurance.
• A defined benefit retirement plan with the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) with 8.25% employer contribution.
• Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Deferred Account 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation Program 457(b).
• Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
• Generous paid time off with holidays, vacation and sick leave
• Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional development opportunities.
• Tuition assistance and Educational release time to further your academic pursuits.
• Access to Engineer Your Wellness programs that provide opportunities for employees to engage in health and fitness.
• Wellness release time offered to employees to promote work/life balance.

Helpful Applicant Information

Required Materials for Application:

• Resume/CV
• Three work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor/former supervisor.
• Letter of interest

Applications received by Texas A&M Engineering must have all required job application data entered.

Failure to provide all job application data could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application.

Compensation Philosophy:

• Recruit and retain a high-performing workforce through competitive compensation and career development including career pathing, coaching and skills development.
• Recognize and reward exceptional performance based on individual and team contributions to the growth and success of Texas A&M Engineering.
• Offer total rewards through flexible benefits, professional development, and work-life balance. Maintain an equitable and transparent process for compensation decisions.
• Support, reinforce, and align compensation decisions with budgetary and financial strategies to ensure growth and sustainability.

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 delay of start date.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.