NETL - Undergraduate Research Assistant

About this role

Job Posting Title: NETL - Undergraduate Research Assistant ---- Hiring Department: Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering ---- Position Open To: All Applicants ---- Weekly Scheduled Hours: 10 ---- FLSA Status: Non-Exempt ---- Earliest Start Date: Immediately ---- Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until Dec 31, 2025 ---- Location: PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS ---- Job Details: General Notes As a top-10 engineering school, the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century.  The Nuclear and Radiation Engineering (NRE) area within the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering includes six faculty, along with researchers and students, in the study and application of nuclear and radiation engineering, including imaging, robotics, high-performance computing, reactor design and materials development.  The groups provide a supportive community striving to solve the most pressing challenges of the 21st century through world class research, unsurpassed student education, and dedicated service to the community. The Digital Molten Salt Reactor Initiative (D’MSRI) is a program funded by the state of Texas to develop a long-term research program at UT that centers on the use of digital twins to enable the licensing of innovations for advanced reactors in Texas.

Purpose The undergraduate research assistant (URA) will support ongoing research in data acquisition for the TRIGA reactor. The URA will develop, build, and test, and install equipment for the Digital Twin project. The URA will be responsible for equipment that will be used to install neutron detectors. The URA will work closely with faculty, senior researchers, and other students from the University of Texas (UT), providing an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge research and develop valuable skills for both academic and professional advancement. The ideal candidate will be a student at UT who has experience in design for manufacturing using SolidWorks and has previously worked with heavy machinery. The ideal candidate will also have experience implementing their designs for industrial use. Finally, the ideal candidate is a self-starter, a good communicator, and drives their work to completion.

Why is this important? We will be using your design to install neutron detectors such as mini fission chambers. Mini fission chambers are used to collect data on neutron flux within the TRIGA reactor, which is essential for the success of the Digital Twin project.  

What you will learn: • TRIGA operations at NETL

• Applied research and design work

• Testing and troubleshooting designs

• Iterative design process

Responsibilities • Designing mechanical components to support installation of miniature fission detectors.

• Selecting and working with vendors and contractors.

• Building, testing, and installing mechanical and electrical hardware

• Machining simple components as needed.

• Collaborating with faculty, senior researchers, and other students to ensure the successful completion of the project.

Required Qualifications • Undergraduate student with 3+ semester completion

• Experience using SolidWorks

• Comfortable working with minor oversight

• B+ or higher GPA

• Able to regularly travel to and work at the NETL facility located at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in North Austin

• Comfortable working with heavy machinery and power tools

• Comfortable lifting heavy equipment, possibly up to 40 lbs at times. 

• Comfortable working in a controlled facility as a radiation worker

Preferred Qualifications • Experience working with metal such as steel and aluminum. 

• Experience selecting materials and designing metallic components.

• Design for manufacturing experience

Hourly Rate $18 + based on experience

Working Conditions • Research lab environment

• Industrial environment (machine rooms)

• Use of manual dexterity

• Work with energized equipment and heavy machinery

• Work is performed in radiation areas

Work Shift 10-20hrs per week, self-scheduled

Required Materials • Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

• Letter of interest

Important   for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers:  You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers:  As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

---- Employment Eligibility: Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation. ---- Retirement Plan Eligibility: Students in this position may choose to enroll in the UTSaver voluntary retirement programs. ---- Background Checks: A criminal history background check will be required fo

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