Description
Conduct research and apply nuclear engineering principles to the safe design, operation, and optimization of nuclear energy systems and radioactive waste management.
- • Perform experiments on nuclear material use, fuel reclamation, and waste disposal methods.
- • Design and oversee reactors, power plants, and fuel reprocessing systems.
- • Design nuclear equipment, including cores, shielding, instrumentation, and controls.
- • Initiate corrective actions or order shutdowns during emergencies.
- • Recommend preventive measures for handling nuclear technology based on monitoring and test data.
- • Write operating procedures for plant operations, fuel handling, and waste disposal.
- • Test fuel behavior, cycles, and equipment performance to optimize plant output.
- • Direct plant operations and maintenance to ensure efficiency and safety compliance.
- • Conduct environmental studies on nuclear power generation, waste disposal, or weapons impacts.
- • Design fuel-cycle models and processes to minimize radioactive waste.
- • Develop remediation plans for environments affected by radiation, including disposal sites.
- • Lead environmental compliance activities for plant operations and maintenance.
- • Prepare environmental impact statements, reports, and presentations for regulators.
- • Prepare technical reports and recommendations based on test analyses.
- • Design and lead nuclear research to develop, test, or refine models and applications.
- • Collaborate with scientists to define experiment parameters and assess models.
- • Review and discuss construction proposals with vendors, contractors, and review boards.
- • Investigate incidents to collect data for preventive design improvements.
- • Monitor facility operations for practices that violate regulations or compromise safety.
- • Stay current with advances in the nuclear field through journals, study, and research.
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Energy & Natural Resources
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
