Codes & Methods Engineer

Role description

The Codes and Methods engineer will contribute to R&D initiatives for next-generation nuclear reactors, focusing on advanced neutron transport calculations in newcleo's Lead-Cooled Fast Reactors (LFRs). In this role, the engineer will develop deterministic calculation schemes to support reactor design and US licensing. Key responsibilities include benchmarking and optimizing these schemes for speed and accuracy, contributing to code development, and deploying tools across the team through training.

The engineer will collaborate closely with newcleo’s European teams and US national laboratories to ensure access to state-of-the-art, qualified codes for US operations. A central aspect of this work is contributing to Verification and Validation (V&V) for neutron transport codes, a critical prerequisite for US licensing. This involves analyzing multiple experimental reactor physics benchmarks and transposing these results to newcleo’s reactor design. Results will be presented to regulatory safety authorities and, where appropriate, the broader scientific community.

Main activities

Software benchmarking and LFR scheme adaption:

• Benchmark scientific computing tools used in US operations against high-fidelity calculations and tools currently in use at newcleo.
• Evaluate and optimize calculation schemes for speed and accuracy; adapt tailored schemes to LFR applications.
• Resolve discrepancies by identifying underlying approximations, modeling assumptions, and LFR-specific physics.
• Contribute to code development to ensure that codes reproduce behavior unique to LFRs.
• Partner with US National Laboratories to benchmark and enhance neutron transport code suites.

Verification and Validation (V&V):

• Execute full V&V workflows for scientific computing software under US regulatory frameworks.
• Model experimental benchmarks to evaluate best estimates and quantify nuclear data uncertainties.
• Resolve discrepancies with experimental results in terms of modelling assumptions, experimental methods and underlying physics.
• Transpose validation results to newcleo’s reactors to support licensing and safety demonstrations.
• Author core technical sections of regulatory safety submissions.

Software integration and communication:

• Support scientific IT network setup, software installation, testing, and documentation in office locations.
• Use the GitLab facilities available at Newcleo and at the NEA DataBank (OECD) to track development on computer codes and calculation schemes.
• Disseminate knowledge of key scientific computing tools.
• Publish research in science journals and represent the company at industry conferences.

Desired qualifications

Education

• Master's or PhD degree in nuclear engineering (preferred), physics or a related discipline.

Experience

• Experience with deterministic neutron transport calculations. Knowledge of the ARC code system is a big advantage.
• Programming experience with the Python language.
• Experience with reactor physics and advanced mathematical modelling in an R&D context.
• Experience with software verification and validation (V&V) is preferred.
• Track record of scientific communication.

Language Proficiency

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• French and/or Italian are a plus.