Containment Systems Engineer(P4)

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE: Please note that the closing date for submission of applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.

MULTIPLE POSITIONS IN THE SECURITY AND CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS TEAM MAY BE FILLED THROUGH THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

This is a re-opening of the vacancy. Candidates who already applied do not need to re-submit another application.

Organizational Setting

The Department of Safeguards carries out the IAEA’s duties and responsibilities as the world’s nuclear inspectorate, supporting global efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. The primary role of the Department is to develop and implement IAEA safeguards to ensure that there is no diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful activities and no indications of undeclared nuclear material or activities in a State as a whole.

The Department comprises nuclear safeguards inspectors, responsible for carrying out inspections and verifications of all-safeguards relevant information for nuclear facilities in over 180 States; and technical staff responsible for a wide range of activities including: developing concepts and approaches for implementing safeguards; developing and maintaining safeguards equipment; providing analytical and laboratory services for sample analysis; collecting, evaluating and analysing safeguards-relevant information; providing information and communication technology infrastructure and services; and providing programme coordination support.

The Division of Technical and Scientific Services ensures the provision of state-of-the-art equipment and related expertise for the accomplishment of the Department of Safeguards activities. Within this mandate, the Division is responsible for procurement, testing, provision, inventory control, performance monitoring and maintenance of safeguards equipment and supplies required by SGO Divisions; management of equipment development and engineering activities to meet quality and safeguards requirements; development and provision of documentation, procedures, instrumentation methods and techniques; provision of specialized technical and scientific support to inspectors and inspection activities in the field and at headquarters; and, radiation contamination monitoring of returned equipment and timely write-off of obsolete or contaminated equipment. The Division also coordinates departmental health and safety activities.

Main Purpose

As a team member reporting to the Security and Containment Systems (SCS) Team Leader, the Containment Systems Engineer will provide expert guidance in the development of passive and active IAEA safeguard containment and sealing systems. The Containment Systems Engineer oversees specific test and evaluation activities of these systems, and assists both in initial field trials and in the roll-out for implementation. He/She assesses potential attacks on safeguards instrumentation systems and determines how best to mitigate the impact of these attacks. The incumbent performs these duties by working with the team’s Security System Engineers, defining security envelope specifications for all new instruments, leading the development team in design reviews to reveal and resolve vulnerabilities as early as possible in the development cycle, and ensures that all the equipment undergo an adequate test regime in order to ensure its robustness for safeguards use.

Role

The Containment Systems Engineer is:
(1) An engineer responsible for the design, development, and/or construction of containment solutions whose goal is the protection of nuclear materials and security critical components;
(2) An expert in the application and knowledge of: a) physical tamper indication and related practices, b) design of complex mechanical components for various hostile conditions, and c) the final fabrication and design of mechanical (passive) systems and the application of electronic (active) systems to detect intrusion into or tampering of containments.
(3) A leader, planning and managing vulnerability reviews of sealing systems and enclosures.;
(4) A team player who ensures that safeguards containment systems, currently in service or under development, meet stringent security requirements and standards for economy of effort, confidentiality of results, authenticity of data, and availability of service.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Plan, develop, and prepare for authorization new containment systems, developed to support the needs of the SG Operations Divisions;
• Manage the full life cycle of current and new containment systems including the procurement, implementation, documentation and support;
• Organize and lead containment systems R&D projects;
• Organize and lead vulnerability reviews of the IAEA equipment systems, and elaborate solutions for mitigation of newly identified vulnerabilities and coordinate vulnerability assessments/reviews with 3rd party experts and equipment manufacturers;
• Provide expert support and technical guidance/advice to members of all SGTS teams and Safeguards Operations Divisions.

The incumbent may perform his/her work in areas involving exposure to radioactive materials. Therefore, as an Occupationally Exposed Worker, he/she must be medically cleared by VIC Medical Service and is subject to an appropriate radiation and health monitoring programme, in accordance with the IAEA’s Radiation Safety Regulations.

Competencies and Expertise

Core Competencies(Competency Framework)

Name
Definition
 
Communication
Communicates orally and in writing in a clear, concise and impartial manner. Takes time to listen to and understand the perspectives of others and proposes solutions.
 
Achieving Results
Takes initiative in defining realistic outputs and clarifying roles, responsibilities and expected results in the context of the Department/Division’s programme. Evaluates his/her results realistically, drawing conclusions from lessons learned.
 
Teamwork
Actively contributes to achieving team results. Supports team decisions.
 
Planning and Organizing
Plans and organizes his/her own work in support of achieving the team or Section’s priorities. Takes into account potential changes and proposes contingency plans.

Functional Competencies

Name
Definition
 
Judgement/decision making
Consults with supervisor/manager and takes decisions in full compliance with the Agency’s regulations and rules. Makes decisions reflecting best practice and professional theories and standards.
 
Partnership building
Identifies and builds partnerships. Develops and maintains long lasting partnerships to strengthen relationships. Delivers programmatic outputs and acquires resources in support of Agency goals.
 
Technical/scientific credibility
Ensures that work is in compliance with internationally accepted professional standards and scientific methods. Provides scientifically/technically accepted information that is credible and reliable.

Required Expertise

Function
Name
Expertise Description
 
 
 
Safeguards
Containment and Surveillance
Experience in the design, development and implementation of containment systems, or systems implementing security-related practices, similar to those used in IAEA Safeguards application.
 
 
 
Other Technical Engineering
Engineering and Technology
Experience in the design and fabrication of electronic and mechanical systems for implementation in hostile environmental conditions.
 
 
 
Information Technology
Information Security
Experience in evaluating system designs in order to ensure that they meet specific standards for physical security and/or data confidentiality, authenticity, integrity and availability.
 
 
 
Safeguards
Quality Management
Experience in producing technical documentation necessary to support the implementation of new engineering solutions and to support end-users in the use of new systems.

Asset Expertise

Function
Name
Expertise Description
 
 
 
Other Technical Engineering
Materials Engineering
Experience in the use of software tools for the design of mechanical components.

Qualifications, Experience and Language skills

• Advanced University degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical) or related field. A first university degree with two years of additional experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree.
• Cumulatively, a minimum of seven years of working experience in one or more of the required expertise areas listed above. Five of these years must be in areas directly associated with the design, development, evaluation, and/or implementation of systems requiring security-related considerations. A minimum of four years’ experience is required in the production of technical documentation.
• Excellent oral and written command of English. Knowledge of other official IAEA languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.

Remuneration

The IAEA offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free annual net base salary starting at US $77326 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), a variable post adjustment which currently amounts to US $ 43998, dependency benefits, rental subsidy, education grant, relocation and repatriation expenses; Other benefits include 6 weeks’ annual leave, home leave travel, pension plan and health insurance. More information on the conditions of employment can be found at: https://www.iaea.org/about/employment/professional-staff/conditions

General Information

• The IAEA’s paramount consideration in the recruitment of staff member is to secure employees of the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
• Staff Members shall be selected without any unfair treatment or arbitrary distinction based on a person’s race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, age, language, social origin or other similar shared characteristic or trait.
• The IAEA is committed to gender equality and to promoting a diverse workforce. Applications from qualified women and candidates from developing countries are strongly encouraged.
• Applicants should be aware that IAEA staff members are international civil servants and may not accept instructions from any other authority. The IAEA is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. As part of the United Nations common system, the IAEA subscribes to the following core ethical standards (or values): Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for diversity.
• The IAEA has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and the IAEA, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.

Evaluation process

• The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the selection criteria stated in the vacancy announcement. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information. Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise, which may be followed by a competency-based interview.
• Candidates under serious consideration for selection may be subject to reference and background checks as part of the recruitment process.

Appointment information

• Appointment is subject to a satisfactory medical report.
• Staff members may be assigned to any location.
• Candidates appointed to posts in the Professional and higher categories are subject to IAEA rotation policy and their maximum tour of service shall normally be seven years.
• The IAEA retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade or with a different contract type, or to make an appointment with a modified job description or for shorter duration than indicated above.