Meet the People of IAEA Safeguards

Farnaz Alimehri

How did you end up joining the IAEA and what were you prior to that?

I knew that I wanted to work at the IAEA since I was a graduate student at Georgetown University in Washington DC, but it took me a few years to build up my credentials and work experience to be considered a competitive candidate. Prior to my career at the IAEA, I was a research assistant at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Washington, DC and a Nonproliferation Policy Specialist at Argonne National Laboratory.

How will working at the IAEA enhance your career?

Working at the IAEA as an Associate Training Officer has provided access to unparalleled training courses on the nuclear fuel cycle and at nuclear facilities. It has also provided me with a broader, global network of colleagues. Access to this knowledge and community of experts has already propelled my career in so many ways.

What is the most interesting thing that has happened to you since you started working at the IAEA?

This past autumn I was the Training Officer for our Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle course in the UK, and I was able to stand on top of the Windscale Pile 1 reactor core that caught fire in 1957. The reactor has been decommissioned for quite some time, but the fire is considered the worst nuclear accident in the UK's history.

What is your favorite thing about your current work at the IAEA?

My favorite thing about my work is the people that I work with — I am part of a very kind and welcoming team. Since I started, my colleagues have always offered to mentor and support me while also putting a lot of trust in me and giving me valuable, challenging work.

How is working at the IAEA different than working at other jobs?

When I was working in the US at a national laboratory, I was supporting and managing a lot of different projects across a variety of subject areas. While I really enjoyed that experience, it brought a lot of value to my career, working in the Safeguards Training Section at the IAEA has provided me with the opportunity to use my professional skills to focus on nuclear safeguards and really build my expertise in that specific area.

What advice would you give to those who are seeking employment at the IAEA?

Try not to be discouraged if you have to apply more than once to get a position at the IAEA. Once I graduated with my Masters degree, I applied straight away, and although I made it to the interview stage, I was unsuccessful with my first application. I was offered another opportunity in the US, so I decided to build up my work experience and my technical skills. My second application was successfully, and I was offered the opportunity to be a JPO.