Chief/Principal Engineer (Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards CapDev Dept)

[What the role is]

The Radiation Protection and Nuclear Science Group in the National Environment Agency (NEA) is the national authority for radiation protection in Singapore and serves to protect the public, radiation workers and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation. Its Nuclear Safety Division is responsible for developing capabilities, plans and ecosystems to support national nuclear safety & security assessment, radiological emergency response, and nuclear regulatory development efforts. The division is also responsible for ensuring that Singapore fulfils its obligations to international conventions and agreements with respect to the safe and peaceful use of nuclear material and technology.

Singapore is studying the potential deployment of nuclear energy as part of its long-term energy strategy. Singapore will also need to prepare for the possibility of nuclear power deployment by other countries in the region. These endeavours involve conducting comprehensive studies and developing technical capabilities with respect to nuclear safety, security and safeguards (3S).

You will be a key member of the team that will play a pivotal role in developing core capabilities necessary to assess the safety of advanced nuclear energy technologies and develop drawer plans for safety requirements, standards and acceptance criteria for a potential nuclear power programme.

This is a rare opportunity to be at the forefront of Singapore’s nuclear energy journey.

[What you will be working on]

Nuclear is a complex and emotive topic, and requires a diverse range of expertise to fully assess its implications for Singapore.

By joining this team, you will have the opportunity to shape Singapore’s nuclear regulatory landscape, collaborate with international experts, and contribute to nuclear safety, security, safeguards and radiation protection capability building efforts domestically and regionally.

We are looking to fill 2 vacancies for this role – 1 focusing on Deterministic Safety Analysis (DSA) and 1 focusing on Probabilistic Safety Assessments (PSA).

In either capacity, you will lead knowledge and capability building in safety assessment and to contribute to the wider regulatory safety review of nuclear technologies of interest. This will involve:

• Developing expert understanding and proficiency in DSA/PSA
• Leading the institutionalization of knowledge on DSA/PSA, including the foundational understanding of its concept, principles and methodology, and development of procedures or protocols for review/evaluation of DSA/PSA
• Leading the development of capabilities required to review a safety analysis report and its compliance with applicable standards and criteria, including mapping out specialised expertise required for reviewing of DSA/PSA to be developed in-house or engaged externally
• (DSA) Advising the development of key DSA parameter criteria and adaptation of such criteria into licensing requirements or (PSA) Advising the development of risk goals (associated with a nuclear power plant) and relevant PSA parameter criteria for the adaptation into licensing requirements
• Working with local institutes to establish the external technical expertise to support safety review, particularly in DSA/PSA, and to identify foreign entities which may augment capacity in performing validations/reviews
• Collaboration with international organisations such as IAEA and OECD-NEA to gain insights and recommendations on safety assessment and contribute to regional efforts to build capability in safety assessment
• Keeping up to date with current good practices, experiences, and new developments around safety assessments and review of safety analysis
• Acting as a subject matter expert, mentoring junior engineers and performing independent technical reviews of safety-critical calculations
• Representing Singapore at international forums discussing nuclear safety and safety standards; possibly take on key positions within international committee and events

Please indicate your preference for either the DSA or PSA role in job application under the Application Questions - “Description of how you have demonstrated that you possess these competencies”.

[What we are looking for]

The job might be for you if you possess:

• Experience and/or qualifications in nuclear, mechanical, chemical, aerospace, electrical or systems engineering or related fields.
• Applicants should have at least 10 years of relevant working experience – (DSA) Deep expertise in areas such as safety engineering, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, reactor physics, power plant systems, modelling and simulation tools, or knowledge in nuclear regulatory or similar frameworks would be advantageous or (PSA) Deep expertise in areas such as probabilistic risk assessment, reliability engineering, statistics and uncertainty analysis, human reliability analysis, external hazards and integrated risk, modelling and simulation tools, or knowledge in nuclear regulatory or similar frameworks would be advantageous
• Excellent analytical, coordination and communication (written and verbal) skills are critical for this position
• The candidate must be able to represent NEA in communicating with internal and external stakeholders in a clear and concise manner
• The candidate must be able to build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Able to adapt to changes and a positive work attitude
• Able to travel overseas for official trips and training attachments
• We are looking for a committed team player, with a strong interest to shape Singapore’s nuclear regulatory landscape

As part of the shortlisting process for this role, you may be required to complete a medical declaration and/or undergo further assessment.

Applicants will be updated on the status of their applications within 4 weeks of the closing date of this job posting.