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LLNL

Associate Criticality Safety Engineer

Livermore, CA · On-site

$9.6K/wk

We have an opening for an Associate Criticality Safety Engineer within the Environment, Safety, and Health (ES&H) Directorate. You will contribute to the design, development, and testing of nuclear ...

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How much do criticality safety engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for criticality safety engineer in the United States is $104,622.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $71,500.00 and $135,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Criticality Safety Engineers?

Criticality Safety Engineers are professionals who assess, analyze, and implement safety controls to prevent accidental nuclear chain reactions, known as criticality accidents, in facilities that use fissile materials. They develop procedures, perform risk assessments, and ensure compliance with nuclear safety regulations. Their work is crucial in environments like nuclear power plants, research reactors, and fuel processing facilities to protect workers, the public, and the environment from radiation hazards. These engineers also provide training and guidance to other personnel on criticality safety practices.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Criticality Safety Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Criticality Safety Engineer, you need a strong background in nuclear engineering, physics, or a related field, often supported by a relevant degree and specialized training in nuclear safety. Familiarity with nuclear criticality safety codes (e.g., SCALE, MCNP), regulatory standards, and risk assessment tools is typically required. Attention to detail, analytical thinking, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for evaluating safety concerns and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. These abilities are essential to ensure the safe handling, storage, and transport of fissile materials while maintaining regulatory compliance and preventing criticality accidents.

What are some common challenges faced by Criticality Safety Engineers in their daily work?

Criticality Safety Engineers often encounter the challenge of balancing rigorous safety protocols with operational demands in nuclear facilities. They must stay current with evolving regulatory requirements and ensure all processes comply with strict safety margins, which can be complex when dealing with varying material types and configurations. Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams—including operations, health physics, and engineering—is essential to develop practical solutions that maintain safety without hindering productivity. Attention to detail and effective communication are crucial, as even minor oversights can have significant consequences.

What is the difference between Criticality Safety Engineer vs Nuclear Safety Engineer?

AspectCriticality Safety EngineerNuclear Safety Engineer
Required CredentialsEngineering degree, certifications like CSE or NEEngineering or science degree, nuclear certifications
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, nuclear facilities, manufacturing plantsNuclear power plants, regulatory agencies, research institutions
Industry UsageFocuses on preventing nuclear chain reactionsFocuses on overall nuclear safety and regulation compliance

Criticality Safety Engineers specialize in preventing nuclear chain reactions, ensuring safe handling of fissile materials. Nuclear Safety Engineers have a broader role, overseeing overall safety protocols in nuclear facilities. Both roles require similar credentials and work in related environments, but their focus areas differ within the nuclear industry.

More about Criticality Safety Engineer jobs
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What states have the most Criticality Safety Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Criticality Safety Engineer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Criticality Safety Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Criticality Safety Engineer jobs are:
Criticality Safety Engineer jobs near you

Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer

Edgewater Technical Associates

Metropolis, IL • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 4 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Develop, revise, and review Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) documentation such as Criticality Safety Evaluations and other technical basis documents.

  • Perform nuclear criticality safety evaluations and analyses to ensure safe handling, storage, processing, and transportation of fissile materials.

  • Define, evaluate, and maintain criticality safety controls, limits, parameters, and requirements for fissile material processes, equipment, and facility layouts.

Job description

Edgewater Technical Associates is seeking qualified candidates for Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer opportunities at various locations across the United States Department of Energy (DOE) complex in support of traditional environmental clean-up missions and in support of the advancement of first-in-kind commercial fuel capabilities at select sites across the United States.
Work Location: Varies from on-site full-time; hybrid with 1-2 weeks on-site at a time with business travel for on-site trips; and Edgewater regional office locations (i.e., remote).
Clearance Requirement: Ability to obtain DOE L or Q level clearance.
Citizenship: United States Citizenship required.
Edgewater Technical Associates, LLC (Edgewater) is a New Mexico-based small business headquartered in Los Alamos, NM, with five (5) regional offices across the United States to locally support their growing presence at project sites. Edgewater has a proven track record and is a trusted provider of fixed-price construction projects, engineering, and technical services for the DOE, DOD, National Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Canadian Commercial Nuclear Industry, and private sector commercial contractors involved in nuclear, high-hazard, or complex operations. Edgewater's experience and guidance ensure that its customers perform hazardous operations, comply with regulatory requirements, and maintain the highest quality and safety standards.
Candidate(s) will independently perform Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) analysis and design activities in support of DOE nuclear and commercial fuel cycle facilities, engineering programs, and projects. Utilizing basic and advanced engineering and NCS fundamentals, as assigned, perform criticality safety analyses to support new and existing design and licensing functions. Perform other engineering activities required to support facility design, configuration control, and operation. Candidate(s) will work in design safety basis organizations and depending on area of expertise will focus on criticality safety analyses, chemical dose consequence analyses, or shielding analyses.
Requirements:
  • Have a Bachelors, Masters, or PhD in nuclear engineering, chemical engineering, or chemistry.
  • Have knowledge of nuclear science, physics of criticality, and chemistry.
  • Have knowledge of ANSI/ANS-8 series national standards.
  • Have familiarity with critical experiments and their purpose.
  • Have expertise in using MCNP and SCALE code systems (KENO, TSUNAMI, etc.) in performing sensitivity, uncertainty, and criticality safety calculations.
  • Have experience in performing criticality safety evaluations as a part of a nuclear facility safety basis.
  • Have knowledge of nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear fuel cycle facility accident scenarios.
  • Have knowledge of nuclear criticality safety codes, standards, regulatory requirements, and industry practices for DOE nuclear facilities and nuclear fuel cycle facilities.
  • Have experience with Documented Safety Analyses (10 CFR Part 830) or Integrated Safety Analysis (10 CFR Part 70).

Responsibilities:
  • Develop, revise, and review Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) documentation such as Criticality Safety Evaluations (CSEs), Criticality Safety Determinations (CSDs), Technical Deviations (TDs), and other NCS technical basis documentation.
  • Perform chemical dose consequence calculations.
  • Demonstrate compliance with the double-contingency principle.
  • Define, evaluate, and maintain criticality safety controls, limits, parameters, and requirements for fissile material processes, equipment, and facility layouts.
  • Develop criticality accident alarm systems and inadvertent criticality emergency response plans.
  • Develop criticality code validation reports.
  • Support radiation shielding analysis to demonstrate adequate radiation mitigation.
  • Support preparation and defense of Documented Safety Analysis (DSA) and Technical Safety Requirement (TSR) content related to criticality safety.
  • Support preparation and defense of Integrated Safety Analysis (ISA) and Technical Specification (TS) content related to criticality safety.
  • Conduct surveillances, inspections, walkthroughs, appraisals, or audits of fissile material operations to ensure compliance with approvals.
  • Identify and evaluate NCS hazards for DOE nuclear facilities and commercial fuel cycle facilities.
  • Support hazard analyses, control decision meetings, risk assessments, safety reviews for nuclear facilities and activities.
  • Perform nuclear criticality safety evaluations to ensure safe handling, storage, processing, and transportation of fissile materials.
  • Administer the NCS program, methodologies, policies, and management measures.
  • Ensure compliance with DOE, NRC, and ANSI/ANS criticality safety-standards and regulations.
  • Support preparation and submittal of criticality safety-related licensing documentation.
  • Support interactions with regulators, including technical reviews, licensing reviews, and readiness reviews.
  • Maintain accurate documentation and records to support regulatory audits and reviews.
  • Respond to findings, identify and implement corrective actions, and ensure continued compliance with applicable regulations.
  • Work with engineering, operations, quality assurance, and regulatory teams to integrate criticality safety early in facility design and modification processes.
  • Ensure effective safety measures are incorporated throughout the design process and facility lifecycle.
  • Provide technical guidance and training to personnel on criticality safety principles and procedures.

Qualifications (Preferred):
  • Previously qualified as a Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer (e.g., ANSI/ANS-8.26).
  • Professional Engineering (PE) License obtained by accredited examination.
  • 3+ years of experience performing criticality safety evaluations for a DOE nuclear facility and/or an NRC licensed fuel cycle facility.
  • Have 8 or more years of related work experience: of which 2 years' experience in a nuclear facility.
  • Have experience with commercial nuclear fuel cycle processes, including HALEU fuel manufacturing.
  • Have 2-3 Years of experience in supporting CFR Part 70 licensing functions.
  • Have familiarity with NUREG-1513, NUREG-1520, NUREG/CR-6410, NUREG/CR-6698, and NRC RG 3.71
  • Have knowledge of other modeling tools (e.g., Serpent) and proficiency in Python to improve workflow.

Other Job Requirements:
  • United States Citizenship

If you are interested in being considered for this position and your resume clearly outlines your relevant experience for this position, please follow the application steps via our website: www.edgewatertech.net/careers
Edgewater will not submit your resume without first having detailed discussions with you and obtaining your permission to do so.
We look forward to hearing from you!
WORKING WITH EDGEWATER
Founded in 2003, Edgewater is a professional and technical services firm supporting the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S., U.K., and Canadian Commercial Nuclear Industry, Department of Defense, and private sector businesses involved in high-hazard or complex operations. Edgewater proudly offers expertise in numerous technical disciplines necessary to support operational environments where Integrated Safety Management and formal, disciplined operations are essential to ensure safety, quality, security, and regulatory compliance.
Edgewater is committed to recruiting and maintaining a staff of highly skilled professionals to support our customers. In keeping with this objective, we offer highly competitive salaries and employee benefit packages structured to best suit your needs. We offer multiple individual and family benefit options including paid time off, medical, dental, life, vision, and disability insurance, and a pre-tax 401 (k) retirement account with Company matching contributions and 100% vesting for eligible participants beginning DAY 1.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Edgewater is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veterans, or individuals with disabilities in accordance with EO 14173.
View all Edgewater opportunities at www.edgewatertech.net/careers

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