Remote Nuclear Design Engineer Jobs in Reston, VA

Remote Sensing & Nuclear Activity Detection Engineer

Pay range: $185 – $195,000 annually

Who We Are:

TechSource, a Salas O'Brien company and a previous DOE Small Business of the Year recipient and ten-time Inc. 5000 winner, is a nationally recognized engineering and scientific company specializing in the management and technical delivery of large-scale nuclear and high-technology projects with numerous federal agencies, helping to advance missions of national importance for government programs, national laboratories, national security facilities, nuclear operations, and complex projects nationwide. We provide direct access to hundreds of experts and industry leaders in the nuclear sciences, non-proliferation technologies, accelerator physics, and systems engineering arenas with offices in Washington DC, SC, TX, TN, and NM. Our outstanding technical service has earned the company a client retention rate of over 95 percent. As part of Salas O'Brien, we work to attract and retain the best talent because the best talent delivers the best results for our clients.

Job Summary:

As a full-time Remote Sensing & Nuclear Activity Detection Engineer, you will support program reviews and conferences on mission-critical efforts to prevent, detect, and deter nuclear proliferation worldwide. You will conduct technical analysis, perform program and conference reviews, and advise on detecting nuclear-related activities from stand‑off ranges greater than 100 meters from a facility, including airborne, orbital, deep‑space, and planetary-based sensing platforms, using your technical expertise in nuclear signatures—radiological, spectral, thermal, seismic, neutron, gamma, and other modalities—and the integration of remote systems capable of identifying, characterizing, and assessing nuclear-related operations. This is a full-time, onsite role supporting Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA), located in Washington, DC.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Active Q or Top Secret clearance.
• 20 or more years of direct nuclear detection, remote sensing, or non-proliferation work experience. DOE SRS tritium operations work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.

• Deep knowledge of nuclear signatures and relevant sensing modalities (e.g., gamma/neutron detection, hyperspectral imaging, thermal infrared analysis, RF anomaly detection).
• Understanding of satellite or airborne sensing systems, or high‑altitude/space-based detection platforms.
• Strong modeling, analysis, and technical writing skills.
• Willingness to assist the program team with any task assigned, ranging from hanging posters at program reviews/conferences to taking meeting minutes in assigned mission critical meetings as well as performing your own work scope on complex-wide program proposals reviews and assessments.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master’s or PhD in nuclear engineering, physics, remote sensing, radiological science, space systems engineering, or related field.

• Experience working with DOE/NNSA, DoD, NASA, or the Intelligence Community.
• Familiarity with nuclear fuel cycle processes, facility operations, and proliferation pathways.
• Hands‑on experience with:
• Synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
• Hyperspectral/multispectral payloads
• Radiation detection instrumentation
• AI/ML anomaly detection for overhead imagery or sensor data
• Knowledge of orbital mechanics, space mission design, or planetary remote sensing.

Compensation & Benefits:

The expected base salary range for this role is $185 – $195,000 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors including skills, experience, qualifications, and location.

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement

TechSource provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, or local laws. TechSource will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants as required by law.

Third-Party Agency Notice
TechSource does not accept unsolicited resumes from external recruiters or agencies. We only work with approved partners engaged directly by our Talent Acquisition team for specific searches. Unsolicited submissions will not be eligible for placement fees.