Regulatory Affairs Lead

The Regulatory Affairs Lead will lead the development of the reactor and facility safety basis strategy, interact with regulatory agencies, coordinate safety and environmental compliance activities, and provide strategic guidance on regulatory issues. The Lead will supervise a direct report and matrixed staff in regulatory strategy, safety basis documentation, requirements management, probabilistic risk assessment, environment management, hazards analysis, and other relevant fields.

Additionally, this position interacts directly with regulatory bodies, the safety and compliance documentation, and enforces meticulous quality control measures.

This position demands strong expertise in nuclear licensing processes and the ability to efficiently navigate complex regulatory frameworks. The incumbent will be responsible for developing regulatory strategies to ensure compliance with DOE and applicable regulations. Additionally, this role requires a thorough understanding of the safety basis development of a nuclear reactor. The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring regulatory engagement is proactive, not reactive.

• Develop and implement risk-informed, performance-based regulatory strategies to ensure compliance DOE, NRC, and other applicable nuclear reactor and nuclear facility regulations.
• Ensure adherence to Facility Safety under DOE O 420.1C, Safety in Design under DOE-STD-, and General Design Criteria under NRC 10 CFR 50 Appendix A, as well as other applicable codes and standards.
• Maintain awareness of evolving nuclear reactor regulatory requirements and guidance documents, especially for advanced reactor risk-informed, performance-based approaches, and integrate updates into project processes as appropriate.
• Coordinate safety analysis and probabilistic risk assessment with the Nuclear Reactor Analysis Team.
• Coordinate regulatory reviews, approvals, and project milestones.
• Lead hazards analysis and mitigation activities.
• Coordinate safety strategy with the Nuclear Facility Safety Division.
• Lead environmental compliance activities.

• Serve as the primary project regulatory liaison with DOE, NRC, state, and other agencies.
• Facilitate meetings, inspections, and audits with regulatory bodies.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting to oversight agencies.

• Work collaboratively with nuclear safety staff, researchers, and support personnel from across ORNL in the development, review, submission, and maintenance of safety basis documents, including an amended safety basis for HFIR.
• Oversee the preparation and submission of regulatory documentation.
• Maintain accurate records in accordance with regulatory requirements.
• Identify regulatory risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Respond to regulatory inquiries and ensure corrective actions are implemented.

• Develop and lead a team of direct reports as well as matrixed staff.
• Promote a team approach where individual expertise is recognized and employed.
• Provide mentoring, training, and oversight to regulatory affairs personnel.
• Foster a culture of compliance and continuous improvement.
• Facilitate and sustain a strong nuclear safety culture and take positive actions to address nuclear safety concerns.

• Provide clear and accurate communication to all levels of management, staff, and stakeholders.
• Develop clear and concise presentation materials that assist in the timely delivery of project messaging.
• Participate and present project information at reviews, conferences, and workshops.
• Deliver ORNL's mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace—how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

A BS degree in nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field with 12+ years of experience; an MS with 10+ years; or a PhD with 8+ years of relevant experience.

Experience in nuclear reactor regulatory compliance and alignment with nuclear reactor safety analysis with a…