Senior Nuclear Engineer

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Advanced Reactors, Division of Advanced Reactor Engineering, Advanced Reactor Engineering Branch 4. The supervisor is Travis L. Tate. This position is subject to Confidential Financial Disclosure reporting requirements. This position is subject to security ownership restriction reporting requirements.

Duties

The successful candidate will serve as reviewer in the area of nuclear power plant technology which includes reactor systems, reactor core or fuel design, nuclear methods and evaluations of operating performance. The successful candidate will perform and support reviews and evaluations of the reactor core, fuel and systems design, process design parameters, nuclear methods and performance of operating reactor and new reactor designs for which the branch has responsibility to assure public health and safety and protection of the environment. The successful candidate will lead the resolution of complex technical issues and licensing problems; provides expert technical assistance and authoritative advice relating to the safety aspects of the reactor core and systems design. Duties include but are not limited to: Performs exceptionally complex reviews and evaluations of design, process design parameters, and performance of reactor thermal-hydraulic systems for operating reactor designs and for new reactor designs, with an emphasis on improving the knowledge of key safety and risk aspects related to reactor licensing activities. Performs and coordinates reactor systems analyses using advanced computer simulation for licensing review, including independent calculations and engineering analyses to confirm or verify the applicants' or licensees' predictions of systems and component performance, including fuel and core performance, under postulated transient and accident conditions. Leads the resolution of highly complex technical problems such as emergency core cooling systems performance, containment systems performance, balance of plant systems performance, equipment qualification, uncertainty qualification, and verification and validation of methods. Provides expert technical assistance and advice to the regions and other NRC offices on matters which fall into the branch's area of responsibility or employee's area of technical cognizance. Evaluates topical reports of new and original or exceptionally complex technical subjects submitted by reactor vendors and major components manufacturers on safety-related subjects in the Branch's areas of review. Reviews and provides comments and recommendations on Regulatory Guides, Industry Standards, and Commission regulations. Presents analysis and policy to internal and external stakeholders (e.g., NRC Commission, NRC Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, international regulatory counterparts, industry and non-governmental organization representatives, the public)

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as: Experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the work of this position at the GG/GS-15 grade level or equivalent pay band to include experience reviewing and evaluating the area of nuclear power plant technology which includes reactor systems, reactor core or fuel design, nuclear methods and evaluations of operating performance for which the branch has responsibility to assure public health and safety and protection of the environment. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following: Demonstrated capacity to apply the theories, principles, and practices in the field of reactor systems and nuclear fuel sufficient to evaluate complex designs, process design parameters, and review performance for a variety of reactor designs. (Describe specific experience, education, and training that demonstrate your ability to apply your knowledge related to reactor systems design, neutronic and thermal-hydraulic behavior for non-light-water reactors and fuel designs.) Demonstrated ability in formulating sound technical judgements, making technical or policy recommendations, and finding solutions to unique first of a kind technical or policy challenges regarding issues pertaining to event evaluation in the areas of core physics, fuel behavior, reactivity control system and control rod design, and core thermal-hydraulic performance. (Describe education, training and experience that demonstrate your ability to formulate technical judgments. Provide examples of judgments, recommendations, or actions you have taken regarding unique first of a kind technical or policy issues pertaining to core physics, fuel behavior, reactivity control system and core thermal-hydraulic performance. Demonstrated knowledge of NRC rules, regulations, and policies pertaining to non-light-water power or non-power production or utilization facilities through familiarity with NRC's advanced reactor vison, strategy, and policy activities, reactor licensing regulations, system design standards, and regulatory guides and practices. (Demonstrated application of this regulatory knowledge through the performance of licensing activities related to nuclear reactors such as recommending and implementing improvements to regulations, guidance, and technical review processes related to nuclear engineering) Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, on technical issues in a clear and concise manner, to a variety of audiences (e.g., colleagues, leadership, representatives of federal, state, and local governments or agencies, industry representatives, oversight or professional groups, members of the public, etc.) A description of how you possess the specialized experience as well as how you meet the qualifications desired in an ideal candidate must be addressed in your resume. Applicants may also use the supplemental vacancy question to provide additional information pertaining to the specialized experience and ideal candidate criteria. PLEASE BE CLEAR AND CONCISE. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Education

Candidates for Federal Government professional engineering positions must meet certain basic professional knowledge requirements. Generally these knowledge requirements are met by having a bachelor's or higher degree in a relevant professional engineering discipline (e.g., mechanical, metallurgical, materials, nuclear, structural, chemical, electrical) from a school of engineering with at least one professional engineering curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). However, if you do not possess such a professional engineering degree, you may still satisfy the professional knowledge requirements if you have current Professional Engineer (P.E.) registration in one of the relevant disciplines from any U.S. State or Territory; or if you successfully passed an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) written examination administered by a State Board of Engineering Examiners; or if you have either a related professional degree or at least 60 semester hours of specified engineering-related college courses COMBINED WITH at least a year of professional engineering work experience performed under professional engineer supervision and guidance. Note: Engineering technology degrees are not generally qualifying unless supplemented by other evidence of the individual's professional knowledge (e.g., current P.E. license or EIT examination results, as discussed above). More detailed information about these alternatives for meeting the knowledge requirements for Federal professional engineering jobs are described in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Qualification Standards Operating Manual which may be accessed at the following Web site: OPM