Nuclear Waste Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Argonne National Laboratory seeks aWaste and Transportation Sr. Specialist to provide senior-level, independent technical leadership, governance, and assurance for the Laboratory's Waste Management Program (WMP) and associated on-site and off-site waste transportation activities.

Operating from the Worker Safety and Environment Division within the ESH Directorate, this position leads oversight regulatory compliance, and performance of the full lifecycle of hazardous, radioactive, mixed, Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), and Transuranic (TRU) wastes-from planning, generation, processing, storage, characterization, packaging, on-site transportation, and final disposition. The Sr. Specialist reviews regulations, waste acceptance criteria, procedures and directives to develop clear oversight priorities, while serving as a mentor.

This position works in concert with the ESH, Radiological Operations, Facilities, the Transportation Safety Program Manager, Nuclear, Waste, Site Services (NWS) Division and external stakeholders (e.g., Department of Energy-Argonne Site Office (DOE-ASO), Illinois Environmental Protection Act (IEPA/EPA), Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Carlsbad Field Office (WIPP-CBFO), and commercial treatment, storage and disposal facilities (TSDFs) to strengthen technical rigor, identify program weaknesses and collaboratively develop improvements that drive continuous improvement, and ensure safe, compliant, and efficient, full service waste operations.

Key Responsibilities

Program Governance and Technical Leadership

• Lead independent oversight of the Waste Management Program and related transfer and transportation activities to ensure compliance with DOE Orders, federal and state regulations, contractual requirements, and Laboratory policies.
• Set technical expectations and priorities for waste, transfer and transportation oversight, coordinate oversight scopes and schedules.
• Lead periodic reviews of waste and transportation program documents ensuring required review cadences and provide recommended changes for compliance with changes to regulations and DOE requirements.

Independent Assurance

• Lead the planning and execution of independent assessments, surveillances, and readiness reviews of:
  • Waste characterization, accepted knowledge/process knowledge (AK/PK), sampling and analysis, data quality and validation.
  • Waste processing, treatment, and packaging.
  • Waste storage, inventory control, and data integrity in waste management systems.
  • Waste shipping compliance, carrier qualification, and transportation operations.
• Ensure issues are properly documented, coordinate, perform, assess causal analyses, and verify effectiveness and completion of corrective actions to closure in institutional corrective action programs, including effectiveness reviews.
• Champion application of Nuclear Quality Assurance Requirements for Nuclear Facility applications (NQA1) and DOE O 414.1D quality assurance principles, as applicable, in oversight activities; mentor other staff in Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) rigor and assessment techniques.

Facility and Transportation Compliance

• Provide lead oversight of waste-related activities in nuclear and radiological facilities for compliance with safety basis requirements (e.g., Documented Safety Analysis (DSA), Technical Safety Requirements (TSRs), Specific Administrative Controls (SACs), Limiting Condition for Operation (LCOs)) and movement controls.
• Perform oversight activities to ensure compliance to DOE transportation requirements (e.g., DOE O 460.1D/460.2A, transportation safety documents and TSRs) for on-site transfers and off-site shipments.
• Lead technical oversight of compliance with DOT/Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regulations (49 CFR) related to hazardous materials classification, packaging, marking, labeling, placarding, shipping papers, emergency response information, and hazmat security planning.
• Oversee and guide reviews of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)/TSCA shipping requirements (manifests, eManifest, Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR) notifications, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) shipments) and applicable federal and state disposition and transportation requirements.
• Exercise stop-work authority when conditions jeopardize nuclear safety, worker safety, or regulatory compliance.

Regulatory Compliance, Waste Certification, and Disposition

• Provide senior-level assessment of program conformance with applicable DOE Orders; 10 CFR (e.g., 830,835, 850, 851); 40 CFR (RCRA, TSCA, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and related environmental rules); 49 CFR; 29 CFR 1910; and Illinois Administrative Code Title 35.
• Oversee monitoring of accumulation limits, container storage conditions, inspection findings, and housekeeping standards in waste storage areas; ensure timely and effective resolution of nonconformance's.
• Lead technical oversight for waste certification activities to ensure compliance with applicable waste acceptance criteria (e.g., NNSS Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC), commercial TSDF WACs).
• Provide oversight of complex or high-risk waste profiles, technical basis documents, isotopic distributions, hazardous constituents, and WAC conformance prior to certification or shipment to ensure compliance with applicable requirements.
• Provide strategic input, as requested, on disposition pathways and exemptions/variances to optimize safety, compliance, and life-cycle cost.

Worker Safety, Special Hazards, and Training

• Lead oversight of High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter procurement and replacement activities in accordance with applicable DOE standards and Laboratory processes.
• As requested, provide or contribute to development of targeted training, lessons learned, required reading, and guidance materials to elevate technical rigor and compliance culture across generator and waste organizations.

Reporting, Stakeholder Engagement, and Continuous Improvement

• Provide or direct technical review and concurrence for waste- and transportation-related regulatory reports and submittals (e.g., Site Treatment Plan, hazardous waste reports, PCB logs, Tier II and Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) submissions, and air permit-related inputs).
• Lead or support Laboratory preparation for external assessments, inspections, and audits (DOE, IEPA/EPA, NNSS, CBFO, etc.), and oversee development and implementation of responses and sustained improvements.
• Guide the development and use of metrics and dashboards (e.g., training compliance, inspection findings, inventory accuracy, shipment timeliness, as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) performance) to monitor program health and drive continuous improvement.
• Benchmark against DOE complex and industry best practices; recommend and champion process improvements, risk reductions, and life-cycle cost efficiencies without compromising safety or compliance.

Functional Leadership

• Provide functional leadership, technical coaching, and mentoring to other waste and transportation and assessment staff within WSE.
• Develop and set team priorities and activity scopes, review and provide concurrence on complex technical products, and ensure consistency and independence in oversight activities.
• Collaborate with operational line management to avoid conflicts of interest between oversight and execution while maintaining strong partnerships and communication.

Position Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in nuclear, chemical, environmental engineering, health physics, or a related technical field, or equivalent; advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ yearsof relevant experience in waste management, nuclear facility operations, or related regulatory/compliance roles, including significant experience with hazardous and radioactive waste management and transportation.
• Demonstrated expert-level knowledge of:
  • Waste management, safety, and quality regulatory requirements
  • 40 CFR (RCRA/TSCA), 49 CFR (hazmat transportation), 29 CFR (OSHA), and relevant state requirements (e.g., IAC Title 35).
• Extensive hands-on experience with waste characterization, waste acceptance criteria, and waste storage/packaging practices.
• Strong quality assurance familiarity with NQA1 or equivalent, including leading audits, surveillances, or readiness reviews and managing corrective actions and trends to closure.
• Demonstrated ability to lead or provide functional direction in a matrixed environment.
• Proficiency with waste management and/or inventory systems or equivalent tools is desireable.
• Excellent technical writing, analytical, and communication skills including presentations and training; proven ability to influence decisions and build consensus across organizations.
• Ability to model Argonne's core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in DOE-site waste management environment
• Demonstrated expert-level knowledge of:
  • DOE Orders related to waste management, safety, and quality (e.g., 435.1, 414.1D, 422.1, 420.1C, 426.2).
  • 10 CFR (830, 850, 851), 40 CFR (RCRA/TSCA), 49 CFR (hazmat transportation), 29 CFR (OSHA), and relevant state requirements (e.g., IAC Title 35).
• Professional certification such as CHMM, CIH, CHP, CDGP, CSP or PE.
• Lead Auditor training or certification.
• DOT Hazmat Shipper and 40hour HAZWOPER (29 CFR 1910.120) training.
• RCRA Large Quantity Generator and TSCA (PCB/ACM) compliance training.
• Familiarity with NNSSWAC, DOE complex waste practices, TRU waste certification processes.

Work Conditions and Other Requirements

• To perform the essential functions of this position successful applicants must provide proof of U.S. citizenship, which is required to comply with federal regulations and contract
• Ability to access radiological and nuclear facilities and wear required PPE; respirator qualification may be required for field oversight activities.
• Occasional travel (approx.10%) to disposal facilities, vendor locations, and DOE complex meetings.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE security clearance may be requested based on assignment needs.

Job Family

Job Profile

Worker Type

Time Type

Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as, but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, business considerations, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable jobs. Additionally, comprehensive benefits are part of the total rewards package.

Click here to view Argonne employee benefits!

As an equal employment opportunity employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a safe and welcoming workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. Argonne encourages everyone to apply for employment. Argonne is committed to nondiscrimination and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law.