The SRNS Engineering Department recently held their 2025
Engineering Job Fair at the North Augusta Community Center. The fair was held to bring fresh talent and
ideas to the company as it carries out missions of national nuclear security and environmental
stewardship at SRS. The STEM-focused event saw over 120 attendees and seven job offers made
during on-site interviews. Several areas provided a space where applicants could talk to those actively
working in their field of interest such as: mechanical, civil, electrical, chemical and operationalist
technology engineering.
The SRNS Engineering Job Fair allowed potential applicants to discuss job roles and responsibilities with current employees.
Over 120 career-seekers attended the event.
“We started slow, but when I look around the room now, I see a lot of people engaged. At this event
we’re primarily targeting experienced engineers in the local community with diverse opportunities
available to them,” said Ken Burrows, Director of Engineering Technical Services. “Each one of the
tables has a really clear, crisp answer for what each job entails, what they’re looking for, and can help
talk people through our missions and opportunities.”
The Software Engineering organization drew attention at the career fair where the lead for the
Engineering Improvements and Special Projects, Marlon Hudson, spoke to many potential applicants.
“We’ve had a lot of “individuals come by.” Marlon Hudson, the Engineering Improvements and Special
Projects lead said. “With software engineering, since it’s always evolving, we want to ensure that we
remain competitive in the industry, and abreast of the new technologies; therefore, we’re looking for
individuals from a holistic perspective, an individual who can support the mission across the entire
Software Engineering Organization. We are doing the best that we can to move forward, improve, and
shape the future.”
Hiring fresh, local talent with a STEM background was the focus of the career fair as different departments look to advance their
missions in helping to secure the future.
“We’ve seen a lot of people and we’ve had a lot of good conversations. Some people don’t know where
they fit. We’re encouraging them to take any opportunity that comes their way to tour the Site, see every
facility, and really see what the Site does,” Rebekah Cates, a Material Acquisition Engineer said. “Apply
to anything you think fits, because you can get a lot of nos but eventually that one yes will come through
and I think it’s a great place to work.”
SRNS Senior Vice President, Chief Engineer and Nuclear Safety Officer, Rich Zaharek, mentioned one
discipline the team is looking for is Design Authority engineers.
“We’ve had our highest attrition in that area,” said Zaharek. “Instead of waiting for people to leave we’re
looking to get ahead of the game as we anticipate the attrition that’s coming.”
Zaharek also stressed the importance of hiring engineers, as their skills support both community and
national security at SRS.
“We want to communicate with our new employees early to determine if they are in the right organization.
It is hard to understand what a job entails until you spend some time getting into the details. If they
identify their skillset and desire is to be part of a different discipline, the sooner they discuss with
management the better as it is less of a distraction to make the change,” Zaharek said. “I highly
encourage young adults to explore STEM opportunities as there are plenty of opportunities both now and
into the distant future. Technology advancements continue to accelerate and what’s good today is
outdated tomorrow. Being part of it is exciting and necessary for our country.”
One applicant from Aiken felt the benefits of SRNS’s push to the community personally, using the career
fair to see what works for him as a professional.
“I have a pretty flexible degree; I like working with data in Excel,” Jared Demass said. “I know the Site’s a
good place to work just from my own experiences from working at the lab and a few internships.”
Those interested in Engineering job openings at SRNS can click here.