Sr Staff Engineer

Classification Title:

Sr Staff Eng-Sr Pricnipal Eng (Lead Welding Engineer)

Grade:

27 – 29 (Depending on Experience)

Requisition No.:

2658

Number of Positions:

1

Location:

Oak Ridge, TN

Organization:

TES

Department:

Engr Core Services

Project Assignment:

ORNL, Y-12, Heritage, TWPC

Posting Date:

1/28/2026

Closing Date:

2/4/2026

Duties:

Position Purpose

The Lead Weld Engineer (LWE) is the single accountable engineering authority for welding technical adequacy at UCOR. The LWE governs welding-related engineering decisions, preserves Design Authority accountability, and ensures welding activities comply with applicable codes, standards, and the approved engineering design basis. The role explicitly separates engineering acceptance authority from execution and inspection, and serves as the institutional owner of welding engineering governance under the Conduct of Engineering.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Engineering Authority & Technical Adequacy

• Serve as the single point of engineering acceptance authority for welding-related technical adequacy decisions.
• Approve or reject welding dispositions that affect:
  • Code compliance
  • Design basis integrity
  • Safety-significant or pressure-boundary SSCs
• Ensure welding decisions are traceable, documented, and technically defensible.

2. Welding Engineering Governance

• Implement and enforce Tier 2 Welding Engineering Governance requirements.
• Prevent authority drift by ensuring:
  • Project Weld Engineers (PWEs) do not become de facto acceptance authorities
  • Inspectors are not treated as engineering approvers
  • External SMEs remain advisory only
• Escalate governance conflicts through formal engineering channels.

3. Interface Management (Critical)

• Interface with:
  • Operations and Maintenance (execution ownership)
  • Quality Assurance
  • ASME Owner’s Inspector (OI) program
  • External Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
• Ensure clear separation of roles:
  • Engineering defines and accepts
  • Operations execute
  • QA and OI verify

4. Welding Procedures & Deviations

• Review and approve technical adequacy of:
  • Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS)
  • Welding-related procedure changes
  • Deviations, nonconformances, repairs, and use-as-is dispositions
• Confirm correct code of record and acceptance criteria are applied.

5. Design Authority Support

• Act as a delegated Design Authority (or Design Authority support role) for welding scope, consistent with UCOR delegation.
• Ensure welding decisions that affect the design basis receive appropriate Design Authority approval.

6. Engineering Change Control Interface

• Support and participate in Engineering Change Control (e.g., DCNs) where welding-related issues require modification of the approved engineering baseline.
• Provide technical input to evaluations that determine whether baseline changes are required.
• Ensure welding-related changes are implemented through revised baseline documents under formal design control.

7. Records, Traceability, and Defensibility

• Ensure welding engineering records:
  • Capture why decisions were made
  • Reference applicable codes and criteria
  • Are preserved per Engineering Records requirements
• Protect UCOR during audits, DOE reviews, and readiness assessments.

8. Leadership & Mentorship

• Provide technical leadership to:
  • Project Weld Engineers (PWEs)
  • Early-career engineers
• Set expectations for professional judgment, escalation, and documentation discipline.

Job-Related Qualifications Required:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Welding Engineering, or related engineering discipline.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in welding engineering, pressure-boundary systems, or code-governed fabrication.
• Demonstrated experience with ASME codes, including at least one of:
  • ASME Section IX
  • ASME B31.1 / B31.3
  • ASME BPVC Sections I, VIII, or X (as applicable)

Technical Competence

• Proven ability to:
  • Interpret welding codes and standards
  • Evaluate deviations and nonconformances
  • Render defensible technical acceptance decisions
• Strong understanding of:
  • Welding procedure qualification (WPS/PQR)
  • Welder qualification and continuity
  • Inspection and examination requirements

Governance & Judgment

• Demonstrated experience operating in environments with:
  • Formal Design Authority
  • Quality assurance programs (e.g., NQA-1)
  • Regulatory or DOE oversight
• Ability to resist execution pressure and preserve independent engineering judgment.

Preferred Job Requirements (Highly Desirable)

Credentials

• Professional Engineer (PE) license
• AWS Certified Welding Engineer (CWE)
• ASME Section IX or B31 committee participation (past or present)
• Ability to obtain a Q clearance

Nuclear / DOE Experience

• Experience supporting:
  • DOE nuclear facilities
  • Safety-significant SSCs
  • Readiness assessments or operational turnover
• Familiarity with:
  • DOE O 414.1
  • DOE O 420.1
  • ASME NQA-1

Leadership Experience

• Prior experience as:
  • Lead discipline engineer
  • Technical authority
  • Program-level engineering owner
• Demonstrated success resolving cross-organizational authority conflicts.

Relocation:

☒ YES

☐ NO

UCOR prohibits smoking in enclosed areas, including company vehicles.

NOTE 1:        Candidates eligible for 3161 status must so indicate on their résumé or cover sheet and provide a copy of their 3161 Preference-In-Hiring Eligibility form with their résumé. Section 3161 of the National Defense Authorization Act requires UCOR to give preference-in-hiring to qualified 3161 eligible displaced Department of Energy (DOE) contractor employees before other external hiring on DOE-funded work is considered. To be 3161 eligible, you must have worked for a DOE contractor on or before September 27, 1991.

NOTE 2:        Only web applications will be considered.

TO APPLY:

External Applicants (i.e. non-employees): go to the UCOR Employment external web site: https://ucor.com/employment to submit your cover letter and résumé for a job posting:

For Internal Applicants, go to the UCOR internal web site: http://intranet.ettp.gov and click on “J” for Job Postings.

For best results, you may need to use Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome as your Internet browser.

UCOR is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran