Radioactive waste characterization engineer

Context

Nuclear medicine has evolved considerably over recent years with the emergence of radiotheranostics, a modality which combines targeted diagnosis and therapy with radio-isotopes. It offers an important and promising alternative in the treatment of many cancers. Radiotheranostics is based on the use of radioisotopes which, when they decay, emit radiation that enables cancer cells to be precisely located and/or destroyed. Among these radioisotopes, the alpha-emitting Actinium-225 is one of the most promising for therapeutic purposes.

One of the main challenges to making this therapeutic solution accessible for the greatest number of patients is ensuring the availability of high-quality Actinium-225 in large quantities. It is often referred to within the community as “the rarest drug on Earth”. By joining their unique expertise and resources, SCK CEN and IBA have launched the company PanTera, which aims at enabling the production of large-scale quantities of Actinium-225.

In this context, PanTera is looking for a talented and experienced radioactive waste characterization engineer to develop, structure and continuously improve the radioactive waste management strategy of PanTera.

Responsibilities

• Developing and maintaining PanTera’s radioactive waste management strategy for sorting, packaging, characterization, interim storage and transport of radioactive waste in line with applicable regulations and best practices.
• Define and specify radioactive waste infrastructure (hot cells, gloveboxes, storage, measurement areas) and oversee its design, procurement, commissioning and safe operation.
• Selecting, specifying, procuring, commissioning, and validating all measurement and characterization equipment.
• Interpreting and validating measurement data from gamma spectrometry, alfa spectrometry and other radiological techniques to ensure data quality and regulatory compliance.
• Creating and implementing the complete set of SOPs for radioactive waste management, from characterization and measurement to handling, storage and transport ensuring compliance with regulatory and quality standards.
• Leading the preparation and submission of all waste-related licensing and regulatory applications to the competent authorities.
• Establish and maintain a radioactive waste accounting system, ensuring traceability, documentation and regulatory reporting of all waste streams.
• Acting as the primary point of contact with regulators, ensuring compliance and prompt responses during inspections and audits.
• Training and coaching staff on proper radioactive waste handling and measurement practices.

Profile

• Master’s degree in Industrial Sciences with a focus on Nuclear Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in the nuclear and/or radiopharmaceutical industries is a must.
• Experience with radioactive waste management is a strong asset.
• Experience with radiological characterization techniques is a strong asset.
• Good communication skills, efficient communication with internal & external stakeholders.
• Good oral and written communication skills in Dutch & English

You are also

• Eager to learn new fields and continuously update your knowledge
• Creative with your approach to your work and thrive on bringing positive energy to your work
• A very committed person ready to inspire and be part of a team to move forward
• Analytical and rigorous, driven, pro-active and stress-resistant
• Able to identify the root cause of issues thanks to your good analytical skills
• Capable of working autonomously and making decisions
• Able to develop a global picture and drill down to phases and tasks to make it real
• A flexible person, willing to spend time on site (Mol, Belgium)
• Passionate and willing to contribute to a meaningful mission

This position offers a unique opportunity to work in a cutting-edge environment, contributing to the production of critical products used in the fight against cancer.