Senior Safeguards Analyst Statistical Data

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 Information Management (SGIM) implements state of the art methodologies and techniques for the collection, processing and analysis of a range of safeguards-relevant information, including declarations submitted by States, evaluations resulting from the analysis of samples or measurements collected during infield activities, and information from open sources, including nuclear trade-related data and satellite imagery. Staff perform data validation and complex information analysis and evaluation to support infield activities and provide key input to the State evaluation process.

Main Purpose:

Reporting to the Team Leader (Statistical Data), the Senior Safeguards Analyst (Statistical Data) develops and implements statistical methodologies for the analysis of State declared data and verification results on a facility and State level, together with associated information management systems. This provides the basis for verification approaches and the analysis of safeguards data in the drawing of conclusions on States’ compliance with their safeguards obligations.

Role:

The Senior Safeguards Analyst (Statistical Data) is: 1) a specialist, providing expert advice on statistical and probabilistic methodologies and analytical tools; 2) a subject matter expert leading statistical and probabilistic studies, as well as non-statistical mathematical studies, and the implementation of analytical methods for the evaluation of safeguards data to ensure the highest standard of quality; 3) a technical adviser to senior management on probabilistic verification approaches, material balance evaluations as well as analytical methods and measurement techniques for safeguards verification; and 4) a mentor providing guidance and training to staff within the Section.

Functions / Key Results Expected:

• Lead and participate in the development of statistical and probabilistic methodologies (e.g. uncertainty quantification, sampling plans, random inspection schemes) and non-statistical mathematical methods.
• Lead the review and continuous improvement of applied statistical approaches and the development and implementation of state-of-the-art methodologies.
• Oversee and contribute to the timely production of high quality material balance evaluation reports, and flow and trend analyses for the detection of diversion of nuclear material from declared facilities.
• Contribute to State Evaluation Groups (SEGs) and provide input to State Evaluation Reports (SERs).
• Lead reviews of the mathematical and probabilistic aspects of safeguards concepts and approaches.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of Near Real Time Accountancy (NRTA) systems for large plutonium Bulk Handling Facilities (BHF) as well as the statistical evaluation of their results.
• Liaise with SSACs, RSACs, and facility operators regarding their accountancy and measurement systems to monitor the quality thereof and to resolve any arising issues.
• Subject to the approval by the Board of Governors, participate in safeguards inspections and complementary accesses and provide support to infield verification activities.
• Participate as a lecturer in conferences and training courses for safeguards inspectors and State representatives.
• 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.

Qualifications, Experience and Language skills:

• Master’s Degree – Advanced university degree in statistics, physics, chemistry or nuclear engineering or a related field.
• Bachelor’s Degree – University degree in statistics, physics, chemistry or nuclear engineering or a related field and an additional two years of relevant professional experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in nuclear fuel cycle analysis and statistical methodologies applied to safeguards.
• In-depth experience in statistical analysis, in particular related to material balance evaluation, sampling methodologies, measurement error propagation, NRTA systems, the determination of the detection probabilities of verification schemes, and the design of random verification approaches.
• Experience in supporting inspection activities such as physical inventory verifications (PIV) and Design Information Verification (DIV), stratification and sampling plans, DA sample taking and NDA measurements.
• Excellent oral and written command of English. Knowledge of other official IAEA languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.

Source: https://iaea.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=2024/0228%20(018702)