"Associate Director of Reactor Utilization"

Hiring Department

MRR Reactor Operations

A life-saving operation in the middle of America — the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) — needs you to help guide its future. MURR is expanding its critical cancer-fighting and medical isotope production.

MURR’s reactor is the highest-power university research reactor in the United States, operating at 10 megawatts, 6.5 days a week and 52 weeks a year. The MURR facility enables research across many disciplines – From investigating ancient cultures and how plants respond to their environment, to analyzing industrial materials and developing radiopharmaceuticals that have lifesaving clinical applications. The MURR facility is a reliable resource for researchers, scientists, engineers and students across the country.

Be a part of the future of fighting cancer and saving lives.

Be a part of MURR

Job Description

The Associate Director of Reactor Utilization (ADRU) plays a key leadership role in advancing the mission of the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) by ensuring alignment between scientific objectives, operational capacity, and strategic priorities to maximize the effective and safe utilization of the reactor. The ADRU manages a wide range of competing priorities and resources, balancing programmatic goals with operational realities while advocating for the personnel, funding, and infrastructure necessary to sustain and expand MURR’s mission. This position is responsible for strategic growth of reactor utilization across academic, medical, and commercial domains, fostering collaboration between researchers, industry partners, and regulatory agencies to ensure safe, efficient, and innovative use of the reactor.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Coordination

• Lead the Reactor Physics, Reactor Services Coordinator, and Hot Cell and Irradiations teams.
• Serve as the primary liaison between MURR’s business office, isotope production, product development, reactor safety, and research functions to ensure cohesive planning and execution.
• Translate research and production needs into actionable operational plans, maintaining close communication with technical, financial, and compliance teams.
• Oversee and prioritize reactor utilization requests, balancing research, commercial, and production needs with reactor availability and safety requirements.
• Facilitate timely resolution of conflicts or constraints related to reactor utilization, scheduling, or resource allocation.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with faculty, industry sponsors, and government agencies to enhance reactor utilization.
• Support decision-making processes by integrating technical, safety, and financial perspectives into reactor utilization planning.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align reactor utilization priorities with MURR’s strategic objectives and the University’s mission.

Regulatory and Technical Oversight

• Ensure compliance with 10CFR73 and 10CFR74 requirements related to security and material control.
• Ensure MURR meets all license requirements for core design, reactivity limits, and fuel management.
• Oversee the Type B Quality Assurance (QA) program as it relates to fuel.
• Ensure compliance with DOE and DOT requirements governing nuclear fuel contracts and shipments.
• Engage directly with external agencies (NNSA, DOE, DOT, NRC, etc.) to support MURR’s regulatory obligations and strategic initiatives.
• Support the Senior Director of Reactor Operations in maintaining operational excellence and compliance with NRC regulations, safety standards, and quality assurance programs.
• Work closely with the Reactor Physics group to perform safety analyses to ensure reactor modifications and utilization activities meet all safety and regulatory standards.
• Coordinate day-to-day operations related to research and isotope production activities, ensuring optimal reactor scheduling and resource allocation.
• Oversee planning and scheduling of reactor utilization, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and institutional objectives.
• Supervise technical and administrative staff involved in reactor utilization projects, providing technical guidance and performance management.

Program and Partnership Development

• Support internal and external users in developing and executing projects involving reactor-based experiments or isotope production.
• Collaborate with researchers, faculty, and industry partners to identify new utilization opportunities.
• Partner with the business office to evaluate project feasibility, resource requirements, and cost-recovery models.
• Contribute to strategic initiatives that enhance MURR’s visibility, impact, and long-term sustainability.
• Represent MURR at conferences, national laboratories, and professional organizations to promote utilization capabilities and partnerships.
• Contribute to education and workforce development initiatives in nuclear science and engineering.

Must be available for reliable and consistent onsite work.

Shift

Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. with work outside normal business hours as needed for operational effectiveness.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 5 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary. Additional licensures are necessary as required by regulatory authorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in scheduling, resource allocation, throughput optimization, and user/customer services in a technical facility.
• Strong understanding of reactor operations, irradiation processes, isotope production, beamport usage, user services and regulatory environment for research reactors.
• Proven leadership and team management skills; ability to collaborate across disciplines and levels.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), ability to interface with academic researchers, industry clients, regulatory agencies and senior leadership.
• Ability to analyze metrics, lead process and design improvements, develop strategy and manage competing priorities.

Anticipated Hiring Range

Salary Range: $140,000.00 - $180,000.00 per year

Grade: GGS-MKT

University Title: Assistant Reactor Manager