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IAEA Careers

Housed at Argonne National Laboratory, IAEA Programs works with the Department of State to serve as an interface between the IAEA and the US nuclear community, promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy and technology, and supporting nuclear safety and security.

The IAEA Careers Program encourages well-qualified US citizens to join the IAEA's professional staff in non-Safeguards departments and assists interested US candidates in applying to open positions. Interested experts may wish to subscribe to the job alerts distributed by IAEA Programs at Argonne.

IAEA Programs at Argonne promotes a diverse, inclusive, equitable and accessible environment. The IAEA is committed to gender equality and we support the Agency's mission to achieve gender balance. Women and gender nonconforming people are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants are considered.

Outreach and Recruitment

The Office supports US citizens interested in employment at the IAEA's headquarters in Vienna and its research laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria and Monaco by:

  • Sharing tips for applying and interviewing, including resume reviews and mock interviews
  • Tracking applications through the selection process
  • Offering networking opportunities through our LinkedIn group
  • Providing information for transitioning to the IAEA

For assistance, US candidates can contact us at [email protected].

U.S. Sponsored Positions

The United States government sponsors US citizens to work for the IAEA as Cost-Free Experts, Junior Professional Officers, and Interns. IAEA Programs coordinates these sponsorships for the IAEA's non-Safeguards departments and Offices Reporting to the Director General.

Department of Safeguards

Similar programs for the IAEA's Department of Safeguards are administered through the International Safeguards Project Office (ISPO) at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Meet our interns, JPOs, and CFEs

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Open Positions

Please check back for future opportunities and subscribe to our job alerts.

Status Updates

Junior Professional Officers

The Junior Professional Officer (JPO) program offers US citizens an opportunity to temporarily join the IAEA's workforce in order to gain work experience in an international environment and learn specialized skills they can bring back to the United States. The JPO works as a staff member, at P-1 or P-2 level, as part of a team and under the guidance of a senior staff member in either a scientific, technical or administrative field. IAEA Programs at Argonne National Laboratory administers the US JPO program within IAEA's non-Safeguards departments.

If you'd like to receive a notification when these JPOs are advertised, please subscribe to our job alerts and indicate that you are interested in working at the IAEA.

Assignment Duration and Qualifications

The initial duration of a JPO assignment is one year. It can be extended to a second year. Individuals are eligible to participate in the program if they are below the age of 32 years, possess a suitable academic qualification (a first-level university degree) (note that some positions may require an advanced degree), and have at least two years of relevant work experience. Fluency in English is required for all posts. Working knowledge of at least one additional official Agency language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is advantageous.

How To Apply

Are you interested in applying for a JPO position? Please follow the instructions here: https://anl.box.com/v/HowToApply-JPO

Selection

The IAEA forwards all requests for US-sponsored JPOs to the Department of State through the US Mission in Vienna for consideration and recommendations, where efforts are made to recruit well-qualified US candidates. Once candidates are identified, the US government reviews their qualifications and determines which candidates' applications will be forwarded to the IAEA for their review and final selection. Selection of JPOs is based primarily on the candidate's academic qualifications and relevant experience.

Meet our interns, JPOs, and CFEs

Click the banner to view profiles of our interns, JPOs, and CFEs.

Open Positions

Please check back for future opportunities and subscribe to our job alerts.

Status Updates

Internships

Internships at the IAEA provide students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain practical work experience in their scientific, technical or administrative field(s) of interest as well as benefit the activities of the IAEA.

IAEA Programs at Argonne sponsors several internships each year in non-Safeguards departments of the IAEA. These opportunities are advertised annually in fall/winter on this web page for eligible US citizens.

Benefits include:

  • Round trip airfare to Vienna or the relevant duty station (for non-local recruits)
  • Allowance for miscellaneous expenses
  • Monthly stipend to cover basic subsistence costs
  • Cost-free medical insurance (if needed)

If you'd like to receive a notification when these internships are advertised, please subscribe to our job alerts and indicate that you are interested in internships at the IAEA.

Note: The IAEA also has a separate internship programme. Visit the IAEA Internship Programme web page to learn more.

Assignment Duration and Qualifications

The internship assignments sponsored by IAEA Programs at Argonne are one year in length. Selected interns who are non-local recruits are required to apply for a one-year visa to work in Austria (or duty station); interns are unable to enter on a US tourist visa.

US citizens are eligible to participate in the program if they are 20 years or older and have completed at least three years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution towards the completion of their first degree. Graduates may apply up to one year after completion of their bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree.

How To Apply

Are you interested in applying for an internship position? Please follow the instructions here: https://anl.box.com/v/HowToApply-Intern

Meet our interns, JPOs, and CFEs

Click the banner to view profiles of our interns, JPOs, and CFEs.

Open Positions

Please check back for future opportunities and subscribe to our job alerts.

Status Updates

Cost-Free Experts

Periodically, the IAEA requires additional expertise in specific fields in the form of supplemental staff. The IAEA sends a request to the United States government to finance a Cost-Free Expert (CFE) in this area, who possesses highly specialized skills. The CFE temporarily joins the IAEA to help implement a new project or program.

If you'd like to receive a notification when these Cost-Free Experts are advertised, please subscribe to our job alerts and indicate that you are interested in working at the IAEA.

Assignment Duration

Duration and conditions of CFE-A assignments:
The initial duration of a CFE-A assignment is one to two years and can be extended up to seven years of service on any combination of appointments or assignments with the IAEA. After the initial duration of a CFE-A contract, the Agency may ask for an extension of the contract on the grounds that the CFE is indispensable to the continuation or completion of the project or program on which he or she is working. Since CFEs are not intended to be a means of replacing regular staff, the United States government must be satisfied that the Agency could not replace the CFE by a member of the regular staff, and that extending the current CFE position would serve the best interests of both the IAEA and the United States.

Qualifications

CFE assignments are written by the IAEA to correspond to the qualifications needed by professional staff members at the higher professional levels. Candidates interested in CFE assignments are expected to hold an advanced university degree and appropriate prior work experience in their chosen profession. CFE assignments are normally at P3 (minimum: five years relevant experience), the P4 (minimum: seven years relevant experience) or P5 (minimum: ten years relevant experience) levels and do not include managerial or supervisory tasks. Positions are only open to US candidates unless otherwise indicated on the job description.

How To Apply

Are you interested in applying for a CFE position? Please follow the instructions here: https://anl.box.com/v/HowToApply-CFE

Selection

The Agency forwards all requests for US-sponsored CFEs to the Department of State through the US Mission in Vienna for consideration and recommendations, where efforts are made to recruit well-qualified US candidates. Once candidates are identified, the US government reviews their qualifications and determines which candidates' applications will be forwarded to the IAEA for their review and final selection.

Open Positions

Please check back for future opportunities and subscribe to our job alerts.

Consultancies

The IAEA frequently engages consultants and experts under individual contracts (temporary staff assignments or consultancies) to work on short-term projects. The functions of consultants and experts are results-oriented and usually assist in the delivery of specific IAEA programmatic activities.

If you'd like to receive a notification when these consultancies are advertised, please subscribe to our job alerts and indicate that you are interested in working at the IAEA.

How To Apply

Are you interested in applying for a consultancy position? Please follow the instructions here: https://anl.box.com/v/HowToApply-Consultant

Austrian Parliament building

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Living in Vienna

Vienna, Austria has a long history of hosting key players on the global stage and having a strong role in European and world politics, art, music and culture. Located in the heart of Europe – just a train ride or short flight from Rome, Prague, Budapest, Paris, and other major European cities – Vienna remains one of Europe's cultural centers, with numerous theaters, opera houses, museums, parks and cafés in a wide variety of architectural styles.

Vienna is also home to many United Nations offices and other international institutions, including the IAEA. It is a safe and welcoming city to visitors and residents alike. Vienna has long boasted one of the highest standards of living worldwide. In 2019, Vienna retained its title as the best place in the world for expatriates to live for the tenth year in a row on the annual Mercer Quality of Living Survey. Click here to hear more from US expats in Vienna.

repatriate

Repatriate Career Network

For professional positions, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) follows a policy of rotation whereby staff must rotate out of the organization. This policy allows Member States to benefit from the return of their nationals after gaining expertise at the IAEA, and it allows the IAEA to have a continuous influx of fresh knowledge and experience at all levels. Because of this policy, a greater number of international experts receive a second-to-none opportunity to work at the IAEA.

Regular fixed-term positions offer an initial three-year appointment, which can be extended based on program requirements and work performance. As a rule, five years constitute the normal period a staff member can expect to be employed by the IAEA.

Because of the rotation policy, many well-qualified US citizens that have gained valuable international experience at the IAEA seek employment upon their return to the United States. To assist these US citizens, IAEA Programs at Argonne has established a Repatriate Career Network (RCN) to help these experts find employment as they prepare to conclude their appointments at the IAEA. The RCN consists of recruiters and talent acquisition professionals across the US nuclear industry interested in the skill sets US citizens bring back from the Agency.

US Citizens

If your contract with the IAEA is due to expire within the next six months and you would like your information distributed to the recruiters enrolled in the Repatriate Career Network (RCN), please send your resume to us at [email protected].

US Recruiters

If you would like to join the Repatriate Career Network (RCN) and receive resumes of US citizens preparing to repatriate after IAEA employment, please subscribe to alerts regarding the RCN. There is no fee associated with joining the RCN or for receiving the resumes of US experts. Please note that these alerts of available resumes (in your indicated fields of expertise) are sent by IAEA Programs at Argonne on an ad-hoc basis, as authorized by the repatriating U.S. expert. We are unable to advertise job postings or provide a database of candidates.

*Note: The Repatriate Career Network (RCN) does not guarantee anyone employment. Rather, it is an effort to support and extend the job search network of US citizens returning from the IAEA.

Participating US Organizations