Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Nuclear Decommissioning Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Nuclear Decommissioning Coordinator is responsible for planning, coordinating and controlling all technical, regulatory and stakeholder activities required to safely retire and remediate nuclear facilities. This role ensures compliance with NRC, EPA, DOT and state regulations, applies ALARA principles to protect workers and the public, manages radiological characterization and waste disposition, and drives on-time, on-budget license termination and site restoration. The Coordinator interfaces with operations, engineering, health physics, environmental, legal and contracting teams to implement decommissioning strategies and maintain rigorous quality assurance and radiological controls.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Health Physics Technician or Radiological Control Technician
Project Coordinator / Project Controls Analyst with nuclear experience
Environmental or Nuclear Engineer supporting remediation projects

Advancement To:

Decommissioning Project Manager
Senior Decommissioning Program Manager
Site Closure / License Termination Lead
Director of Decommissioning and Remediation

Lateral Moves:

Regulatory Affairs Specialist (NRC/EPA interface)
Waste Management or Transportation Compliance Specialist
Environmental Remediation Coordinator / Program Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead and coordinate radiological characterization campaigns, including development and execution of sampling plans, radiological and chemical survey strategies, data quality objectives (DQOs), and documentation required for waste classification and disposition.
Manage the development, review and implementation of decommissioning project schedules, critical path analysis, schedule recovery plans, and integration with overall site project controls to meet license termination milestones.
Serve as the primary point of contact with regulatory agencies (NRC, EPA, state radiation control agencies) for decommissioning activities, prepare regulatory submittals, respond to requests for additional information, and support licensing reviews and inspections.
Ensure radiological protection and ALARA program implementation across decommissioning activities by coordinating health physics coverage, establishing work controls, and verifying dose estimates and protective measures.
Develop and maintain waste management plans covering classification, segregation, characterization, packaging, storage, transport, and disposal pathways for radiological and mixed wastes in accordance with DOT, NRC, RCRA, and site-specific requirements.
Oversee contractor and subcontractor performance (scope, schedule, cost, safety, and quality), including prequalification, work package review, change order control, and performance reporting to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and decommissioning objectives.
Prepare and manage cost estimates, budgets, and cost-to-complete forecasts for decommissioning scopes; identify cost drivers and implement cost control measures in coordination with project controls and finance teams.
Develop task-specific procedures, work instructions, and radiological work permits required for safe execution of decommissioning activities, ensuring alignment with QA program and ASME/NQA-1 where applicable.
Coordinate and review radiological and environmental monitoring data, prepare trend analyses and incident reports, and implement corrective actions to maintain regulatory compliance and protect worker/public health.
Lead safety and environmental hazard analyses (e.g., ALARP/ALARA assessments, JHAs, HAZOPs) for decommissioning tasks and integrate findings into work planning and mitigation measures.
Support development and execution of site remediation strategies, including soil and groundwater remediation planning, contamination containment, excavation, backfill and site restoration workstreams associated with license termination.
Manage characterization data packages, chain-of-custody, laboratory coordination, data validation, and documentation required for waste profile generation and approval by disposal vendors or regulatory bodies.
Coordinate and support transportation logistics for radioactive and mixed waste shipments, ensuring DOT and package certificate compliance, route approvals, manifesting and carrier qualification.
Maintain and update the decommissioning master plan, environmental impact assessments, and site-specific license termination plans, ensuring they reflect current scope, schedule, and regulatory expectations.
Facilitate interface and communications with internal stakeholders (operations, engineering, legal, procurement) and external stakeholders (regulators, community, vendors) to manage expectations and minimize schedule and scope risk.
Implement and monitor radiological controls and contamination monitoring during demolition, dismantlement, and demolition-by-segment to prevent spread of contamination and to ensure accurate final status surveys.
Conduct and/or coordinate final status surveys, produce survey plans, statistical evaluations, and final status survey reports that support license termination and facility release decisions.
Support procurement and contract strategy for decommissioning services and long-lead items; develop technical requisitions, evaluate vendor proposals, and recommend award decisions based on technical, cost, and compliance criteria.
Maintain documentation for quality assurance and regulatory inspection readiness, including inspection packages, corrective action records, non-conformance reports, and lessons-learned logs for continuous improvement.
Develop and deliver training programs for site personnel and contractors on radiological work practices, PPE, contamination control, and emergency response procedures specific to decommissioning activities.
Coordinate emergency preparedness and response planning for decommissioning operations, including spill response, radiological event escalation, and interface with local emergency services and public protection agencies.
Perform risk assessments and support the development of contingency plans for technical, regulatory, and stakeholder risks that could impact the decommissioning schedule or budget.
Ensure accurate record retention and transfer of decommissioning records, radiological data, and license termination documentation in accordance with regulatory retention requirements and site records management programs.

Secondary Functions

Support project reporting by compiling monthly status reports, KPI dashboards, and presentations for senior leadership and stakeholders that summarize progress, risk, and budget performance.
Participate in pre-bid and post-award technical meetings with suppliers and contractors to clarify decommissioning scope, technical requirements, and site constraints.
Contribute to the development and maintenance of the site radiological baseline and mapping tools (GIS/CAD) to support planning and decision-making.
Provide subject matter expertise in decommissioning lessons-learned reviews and implement process improvements to reduce cost and schedule risk across multiple projects.
Assist in community and stakeholder outreach activities, including public meetings and informational briefings, to communicate decommissioning progress and address concerns.
Support cross-functional working groups focused on safety culture, environmental stewardship, and regulatory readiness during decommissioning transitions.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

In-depth knowledge of nuclear decommissioning regulations and guidance (NRC decommissioning guidance, 10 CFR Part 20/30, EPA CERCLA/RCRA) and demonstrated experience preparing regulatory submittals.
Radiological characterization and survey expertise, including development of DQOs, sampling plans, statistical survey techniques, final status surveys, and radiological data interpretation.
Strong understanding of ALARA principles, dose assessment methodologies, and health physics practices for decommissioning and demolition scenarios.
Waste management and disposition experience for LLRW, MLLW, and mixed wastes, including waste profiling, packaging, DOT manifests, and interaction with licensed disposal facilities.
Project controls proficiency: schedule development and critical path analysis (MS Project, Primavera P6), earned value management, and cost estimating for decommissioning scopes.
Contract and subcontract management experience: developing Statements of Work (SOWs), evaluating bids/proposals, managing change orders, and conducting performance oversight.
Familiarity with environmental remediation technologies, soil/groundwater remediation approaches, and remedial action planning used in site restoration.
Knowledge of QA/QC requirements and experience implementing NQA-1 or site quality programs for decommissioning documentation and processes.
Competency in radiation detection instrumentation and calibration oversight (survey meters, gamma spectroscopy, portal monitors) and laboratory coordination for radiochemical analysis.
Experience with hazardous materials abatement (asbestos, lead, PCBs) coordination and integration into decommissioning sequences.
Software and data skills: proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, project management software, GIS/CAD tools, radiological database systems, and laboratory information management.
Familiarity with transportation regulations for radioactive materials (49 CFR, IAEA Type A/B considerations) and experience coordinating licensed carrier shipments.
Ability to prepare and review technical reports, environmental impact statements, licensing documentation, and quality records suitable for regulatory review.

Soft Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills tailored to regulators, technical teams, contractors, and community stakeholders.
Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills to align contractors, vendors and regulators with project goals and constraints.
Demonstrated leadership and team coordination ability in multi-disciplinary project environments.
Problem-solving mindset with the ability to synthesize technical, regulatory and commercial inputs to arrive at pragmatic solutions.
High attention to detail and organizational skills to manage complex documentation and multiple concurrent workstreams.
Time management and prioritization skills under tight schedule and regulatory deadlines.
Decision-making under uncertainty with sound judgment about safety, regulatory compliance, and cost trade-offs.
Adaptability and resilience in managing changing scope, emergent regulatory requirements, or field conditions.
Collaborative approach and aptitude for mentoring junior staff and transferring technical knowledge.
Strong ethical standards and commitment to worker and public safety.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Nuclear Engineering, Health Physics, Environmental Engineering/Science, Radiation Protection, or a closely related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Nuclear Engineering, Health Physics, Environmental Science, or an MBA for candidates focused on program management.
Professional certifications such as Certified Health Physicist (CHP), Project Management Professional (PMP), NEBOSH, or similar are highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Nuclear Engineering
Health Physics / Radiation Protection
Environmental Engineering / Science
Chemical Engineering
Project Management / Construction Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–12 years of progressive experience in nuclear operations, decommissioning, radiological control, or environmental remediation with demonstrated project coordination responsibilities.

Preferred:

7+ years of direct decommissioning project experience, including radiological characterization, waste management, regulatory submittals, and contractor oversight.
Prior experience interfacing with NRC or state radiation control programs and successful support of license termination or facility release processes.
Experience working with licensed disposal facilities, DOT radioactive material shipping, and RCRA/CERCLA regulatory processes.
Demonstrated track record managing budgets, schedules, and multi-contractor work on complex site remediation or decommissioning projects.