Organizational Setting

The Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology (NEFW) comprises the Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section, the Waste Technology Section, the Decommissioning & Environmental Remediation Section and the Research Reactor Section. The Division seeks to support Member States in building their capacity to access technologies, to share good practices and to develop safe and effective approaches across all aspects of research reactors, nuclear fuel cycle, decommissioning, radioactive waste management and environmental remediation.

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section (NFCMS) assists interested Member States in the development of safe, environmentally friendly, economically viable, proliferation-resistant and sustainable fuel cycle options and it encourages information exchange on the exploration, mining and processing of uranium and thorium, on the design, manufacturing and performance of nuclear fuels, on the management of spent fuel, and on the development of advanced and innovative nuclear fuels and fuel cycles.

Main Purpose

As a member of a team reporting directly to the Section Head, the Uranium Production Specialist implements the activities related to the recovery of uranium (and thorium) from the standpoint of resources estimation and availability, economics and sustainability in current and future reactor fuel cycle systems, and operational aspects of the current uranium production cycle, and provides technical advice to the IAEA LEU Bank Project Manager on operational aspects of the Bank in Kazakhstan.

Role

The Uranium Production Specialist is: (1) a programme developer and implementer, contributing specialized knowledge and experience to the planning and development of IAEA’s programmes on uranium (and thorium) production; (2) a scientific secretary/technical expert, planning and leading Consultancy and Technical Meetings; (3) a mission technical lead, planning and leading moderately complex review missions; (4) a technical and project officer evaluating TC projects in the area of uranium (and thorium) production; and (5) a technical expert contributing to the oversight of the IAEA LEU Bank.

Functions / Key Results Expected

Contribute specialized knowledge and experience to the planning, development and implementation of the IAEA’s programme on uranium (and thorium) mining and processing, including management of technical information about facilities of the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle and related environmental protection issues.
Assist less prepared Member States in uranium production by defining a pathway to preparedness for sustainable uranium mining and processing, through the support to technical cooperation (TC) projects by organizing training programmes, expert missions and workshops to develop technical aspects of capacity building programmes,
Plan and technically lead moderately complex Technical Meetings and Workshops on uranium (and thorium) production to prepare state-of-the-art and best practice reports in the areas of uranium mining and milling, processing of ores to ore concentrate and related environmental protection issues. This includes proposing meetings’ subject, preparing their scope, selecting participants, coordinating the drafting of technical reports and documents, as well as preparing e-tools and maintaining data bases.
Plan and technically lead moderately complex or sensitive review missions requested by Member States to assess their uranium production programmes. This includes technical input to mission reports to develop international recommendations and guidance on uranium production with a view to addressing Member States’ specific needs.
Participate in peer reviews of facilities involved in the uranium production cycle, such as mine sites and uranium extraction facilities.
Provide technical advice to the IAEA LEU Bank Project Manager on operational aspects of the Bank in Kazakhstan, by planning, preparing and implementing technical tasks related to the project, such as the management of LEU filled cylinders and the safe operation of the IAEA LEU Bank Storage Facility. Obtain inputs, negotiate activities and schedule with contributing Divisions, contractors and counterparts, and prepare regular reports for the project governance focusing on the project results, outputs and deliverables.

Competencies and Expertise

Core Competencies(Competency Framework)

Name	Definition
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.
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.

Functional Competencies

Name	Definition
Analytical thinking	Analyses information to identify cause and effect relationships and correlations. Identifies critical elements and assesses consequences of different courses of action and proposes solutions.
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.
Knowledge sharing and learning	Actively seeks learning opportunities and actively shares knowledge and information with others; shares specialized knowledge, skills and learning from experience across different situations and contexts effectively.
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
Nuclear Engineering	Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities	Facilities involved in the uranium production cycle, such as mine sites and uranium extraction facilities.
Nuclear Engineering	Project Management	Developing, implementing programmes, evaluating projects and promoting, coordinating and evaluating coordinated research projects.

Qualifications, Experience and Language skills

Master’s Degree – Advanced university degree in chemical, metallurgical or mining engineering, uranium science and technology, environmental science, or other relevant field.

Bachelor’s Degree – A university degree in chemical, metallurgical or mining engineering, uranium science and technology, environmental science, or other relevant field with two years of additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of advanced university degree.

Minimum of seven years of hands-on experience in the uranium production cycle.
Experience/involvement in the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle activities at the international level.
Experience in managing small teams and projects.
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 $ 44076*, 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.