Nuclear Fuels Research Engineer

“Nuclear Fuels Research Engineer” is probably one of the few job titles that can trump “Nuclear Physicist” in terms of impressing people at cocktail parties. Not that you should get into a career just for the respect you’ll garner, but still, it’s a nice perk.

When not wowing people with your Nuclear Fuels Research Engineer title, you can expect to spend your time studying and testing nuclear fuels. Nuclear fuels are things like uranium and plutonium — anything that creates nuclear energy. The purpose of your job as a Nuclear Fuels Research Engineer, is to find out everything you can about nuclear fuel. That might include looking for a new type, testing a theory, or creating an experiment to see how it can be used safely.

Like any type of Engineer, you do a lot of tests, research, and data recording. You create experiments that let you see how different fuels work in a reactor, the goal being to figure out if they can replace the option currently in use. Your tests determine how efficient a fuel is, and how safe it is for both people and the surrounding environment.

Though much of this job is spent in a research lab, it’s not always a solitary task. You connect with other Engineers and researchers to share information, create tests, and collaborate on tasks. You might also publish your findings or present your information at conferences.

When not working with fuels, you do things like preparing environmental studies reports for regulatory agencies, examining reactors and facilities to make sure they’re working as they should, and designing new equipment. As an expert on the way nuclear fuel works, you can find yourself doing pretty much any necessary task at a nuclear plant or reactor.