Senior Safeguards Analyst (Environmental Sampling)(P5)
JOB DETAIL
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE: Please note that the closing date for submission of applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.
Organizational Setting
The Department of Safeguards carries out the IAEA’s duties and responsibilities as the world’s nuclear inspectorate, supporting global efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. The primary role of the Department is to develop and implement IAEA safeguards to ensure that there is no diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful activities and no indications of undeclared nuclear material or activities in a State as a whole.
The Department comprises nuclear safeguards inspectors, responsible for carrying out inspections and verifications of all-safeguards relevant information for nuclear facilities in over 180 States; and technical staff responsible for a wide range of activities including: developing concepts and approaches for implementing safeguards; developing and maintaining safeguards equipment; providing analytical and laboratory services for sample analysis; collecting, evaluating and analysing safeguards-relevant information; providing information and communication technology infrastructure and services; and providing programme coordination support.
The Division of Information Management (SGIM) implements state of the art methodologies and techniques for the collection, processing and analysis of a range of safeguards-relevant information, including declarations submitted by States, evaluations resulting from the analysis of samples or measurements collected during infield activities, and information from open sources, including nuclear trade-related data and satellite imagery. Staff perform data validation and complex information analysis and evaluation to support infield activities and provide key input to the State evaluation process.
Main Purpose
Reporting to the Team Leader (Environmental Sampling), the Senior Safeguards Analyst (Environmental Sampling) plays a key role in preparing environmental sampling evaluations and State evaluations, and developing and implementing environmental sampling evaluation methodologies, together with associated information management and process modelling systems, which support the analysis of safeguards data in the drawing of conclusions on States’ compliance with their safeguards obligations.
Role
The Senior Safeguards Analyst (Environmental Sampling) is: 1) a specialist providing expert advice on environmental sampling and evaluation tools; 2) a subject matter expert preparing and peer reviewing environmental sampling reports, leading environmental sampling evaluations, and implementing evaluation methods to ensure the highest standards of quality; 3) a technical adviser to safeguards inspectors on sampling approaches and to senior management and analytical laboratories on evaluation methodologies and measurement techniques for safeguards verification; and 4) a mentor providing guidance and training to staff within the Section.
Functions / Key Results Expected
- Lead and participate in the development of environmental sample evaluations, data quality checking and evaluation and modelling method implementation.
- Lead the review and continuous improvement of applied evaluation approaches and the development and implementation of state-of-the-art methodologies.
- Oversee and contribute to the timely production of high quality environmental sampling evaluation reports.
- Contribute to State Evaluation Groups (SEGs) and provide input to State Evaluation Reports (SERs).
- Lead the development, selection, testing and implementation of new evaluation concepts for environmental sampling.
- Subject to approval by the Board of Governors, participate in safeguards inspections and complementary accesses and provide support to infield verification activities.
- Train, guide and mentor staff in environmental sample evaluations.
- Participate as a lecturer in conferences and on training courses for safeguards inspectors and State representatives.
Competencies and Expertise
Core Competencies(Competency Framework)
| Name | Definition |
|---|---|
| Planning and Organizing | Plans and organizes his/her own work in support of achieving the team or Section’s priorities. Takes into account potential changes and proposes contingency plans. |
| Communication | Communicates orally and in writing in a clear, concise and impartial manner. Takes time to listen to and understand the perspectives of others and proposes solutions. |
| Achieving Results | Takes initiative in defining realistic outputs and clarifying roles, responsibilities and expected results in the context of the Department/Division’s programme. Evaluates his/her results realistically, drawing conclusions from lessons learned. |
| Teamwork | Actively contributes to achieving team results. Supports team decisions. |
Functional Competencies
| Name | Definition |
|---|---|
| Analytical thinking | Analyses information to identify cause and effect relationships and correlations. Identifies critical elements and assesses consequences of different courses of action and proposes solutions. |
| Commitment to continuous process improvement | Plans and executes activities in the context of quality and risk management and identifies opportunities for process, system and structural improvement, as well as improving current practices. Analyses processes and procedures, and proposes improvements. |
| Judgement/decision making | Consults with supervisor/manager and takes decisions in full compliance with the Agency’s regulations and rules. Makes decisions reflecting best practice and professional theories and standards. |
| Resilience | Maintains a high level of performance when facing pressure and uncertainty. Able to remain calm and self-controlled, and to respond logically and decisively in difficult situations. |
| Technical/scientific credibility | Ensures that work is in compliance with internationally accepted professional standards and scientific methods. Provides scientifically/technically accepted information that is credible and reliable. |
Required Expertise
| Function | Name | Expertise Description |
|---|---|---|
| Safeguards | Environmental Samples Results Evaluation | In-depth practial knowledge of data evaluation methodologies applied to safeguards environmental samples. |
| Safeguards | Nuclear Fuel Cycle/Nuclear Facilities | Comprehensive experience of the nuclear fuel cycle and related processes and nuclear materials with particular emphasis on potential pathways relevant to nuclear proliferation. |
| Safeguards | Quality Management of Analytical Measurement | In-depth practical knowledge of environment sampling measurement systems and analytical methodologies used to determine nuclear material characteristics. |
| Safeguards | Safeguards Inspecting | Good understanding of inspection activities, including verification, sampling and meteorology. |
Qualifications, Experience and Language skills
- Master’s Degree – Advanced university degree in physics, chemistry or a related scientific or technical discipline.
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in environmental sampling evaluation methodologies applied to safeguards.
- Extensive experience of evaluating analytical results from multiple laboratories in order to corroborate observations and follow up on identified issues.
- Experience of advising on environmental sampling approaches in nuclear fuel cycle facilities and sites.
- Excellent oral and written command of English. Knowledge of other official IAEA languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.
Remuneration
The IAEA offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free annual net base salary starting at US $92731 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), a variable post adjustment which currently amounts to US $ 47571*, dependency benefits, rental subsidy, education grant, relocation and repatriation expenses; Other benefits include 6 weeks’ annual leave, home leave travel, pension plan and health insurance. More information on the conditions of employment can be found at: https://www.iaea.org/about/employment/professional-staff/conditions
General Information
- The IAEA’s paramount consideration in the recruitment of staff member is to secure employees of the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
- Staff Members shall be selected without any unfair treatment or arbitrary distinction based on a person’s race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, age, language, social origin or other similar shared characteristic or trait.
- The IAEA is committed to gender equality and to promoting a diverse workforce. Applications from qualified women and candidates from developing countries are strongly encouraged.
- Applicants should be aware that IAEA staff members are international civil servants and may not accept instructions from any other authority. The IAEA is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. As part of the United Nations common system, the IAEA subscribes to the following core ethical standards (or values): Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for diversity.
- The IAEA has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and the IAEA, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.
Evaluation process
- The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the selection criteria stated in the vacancy announcement. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information. Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise, which may be followed by a competency-based interview.
- Candidates under serious consideration for selection may be subject to reference and background checks as part of the recruitment process.
Appointment information
- Appointment is subject to a satisfactory medical report.
- Staff members may be assigned to any location.
- Candidates appointed to posts in the Professional and higher categories are subject to IAEA rotation policy and their maximum tour of service shall normally be seven years.
- The IAEA retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade or with a different contract type, or to make an appointment with a modified job description or for shorter duration than indicated above.
