Molten Salt Research Reactor Director

Job title: Molten Salt Research Reactor Director

About the Role

Join ACU's NEXT Lab as the Molten Salt Research Reactor (MSRR) Director. This is a leadership role responsible for the safe, secure, and efficient operation of the MSRR, coordinating technical operations, regulatory compliance, and research activities. The candidate may also qualify for a dual faculty appointment to contribute to education and mission.

What You'll Do

• Lead the MSRR Operations & Control to ensure compliance with NRC/DOE licensing and approved procedures.
• Oversee reactor operations, monitoring systems, and perform start-up/shutdown evolutions safely.
• Maintain active NRC Senior Reactor Operator license and supervise licensing compliance.
• Train and mentor Reactor Operators and student operators; evaluate performance.
• Support experimental activities; integrate experiments within reactor operations.
• Participate in safety drills, emergency preparedness, and serve as shift lead during abnormal situations.
• Ensure thorough documentation, logs, reports, and training records; maintain QA/QC requirements.
• Identify issues affecting reliability or efficiency; coordinate maintenance and continuous improvement.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field. For dual faculty appointment, master's or doctoral degree required.
• NRC Senior Reactor Operator license (or eligibility to obtain).
• 3–5 years of reactor operations experience in a research or commercial environment.
• Proven experience leading multi-disciplinary teams, managing external contractors, mentoring reactor operators; experience in academic or research institutions preferred.
• Strong technical knowledge of reactor systems and operations; ability to lead under normal and emergency conditions; attention to detail; effective communication and mentoring.
• Personal attributes: calm under pressure, commitment to nuclear safety and compliance, strong teamwork and leadership, integrity, accountability, reliability; dedication to NEXT Lab’s mission; willingness to live in Abilene.

Nice to Have

• Eligibility for dual faculty appointment and willingness to contribute to teaching at Onstead College of Science and Engineering.

Compensation & Benefits

• Not specified in posting.