Duties

This series covers positions managing, supervising, leading, and/or performing Professional Engineering.

• Vacancies filled under this public notice may have varying levels of promotion potential and supervisory level, if any.
• Positions may be filled as permanent, term, or temporary with a full-time or part-time work schedule.

As a Nuclear Engineer you will:

• Use sound technical judgment and initiative to resolve the challenges of changing conditions and other problems relative to the assigned projects and programs.
• Conducting nuclear engineering projects in research and development.
• Assisting or directing engineering research and development studies in the engineering, design, development, and implementation of nuclear programs/projects.
• Use physics or mechanical, nuclear, electrical, chemical, civil, or industrial engineering theories, principles, and practices.
• Analyze situations, identify problems, probe causes, and recommends courses of action or solutions.
• Support the development of the regulatory basis for next generation reactor concepts that provide safe, secure and enhanced nuclear energy to U.S. and international markets.
• Work closely with a team, perform assessments, clearly and concisely document assessment results, and present findings orally and in writing to the approval authority.
• Coordinate with related engineering and physical science fields adequate to effectively discuss technical points and to recommend acceptable engineering solutions to problems.
• Overseeing engineering project and programs to include nuclear energy, nuclear fuel cycle, and/or the handling of nuclear materials including spent fuel and high-level waste
• Perform and interpret calculations, analyses, and computations for unknown factors or relationships primarily in the matters of factual nature of involving well understood mechanisms.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Subject to satisfactory security and suitability requirements.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
• Positions may be filled as permanent, term, or temporary with a full-time or part-time work schedule. Pay will vary by geographic location.
• The vacancies filled through these appointments have varying levels of background investigative requirements, up to a Top Secret DOE "Q" clearance.
• These positions are to be filled under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA - P.L. 117-58).

Qualifications

You must meet the Basic Education Requirement listed in the "Education Requirements" section and the "Specialized Experience" to qualify for this series as described below.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-9: You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes:

• Assisting with various nuclear engineering tasks for engineering projects. AND
• Reviewing reports, change orders, or modification requests prepared by higher-level engineers for discrepancies or potential issues.; AND
• Interpreting and applying nuclear engineering rules and procedures.

OR EDUCATION: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

OR COMBINATION: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-11: You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes:

• Performing nuclear engineering duties involving design, construction, maintenance, repair, acquisition, or disposal of facility/real property.; AND
• Reviewing reports, change orders, or modification requests prepared by higher-level engineers for discrepancies or potential issues.; AND

• Reviewing the operation of utility systems and making recommendations for improvement.

OR EDUCATION: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

OR COMBINATION: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours), may be used to combine education and experience.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-12: You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes:

• Conducting research and development for reactor concepts and innovative technologies related to advance nuclear power to meet energy, environmental or national security needs.; AND
• Executing or managing nuclear engineering projects in research, design, development, and deployment.; AND
• Maintaining nuclear reactor, laboratories, or fuel cycle operations including the handling of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste.

NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-12 level.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-13: You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes:

• Providing technical support, advice, and assistance for nuclear fuel cycle programs or projects.; AND
• Conducting technical analyses of nuclear fuel cycle and materials recovery research.; AND
• Reviewing project proposals to evaluate applicability and potential for nuclear experimental programs.; AND
• Analyzing nuclear engineering/energy issues and developing efforts to resolve major conflicts.

NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-13 level.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-14: You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility p to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes:

• Overseeing nuclear energy projects and programs related to providing advanced nuclear fuel development and long-term viability of exerting nuclear reactors commercial reactors.; AND
• Monitoring the progress and evaluating the performance of organizations that are conducting research and development on advanced nuclear fuels.; AND
• Conducting analysis of concept development using lab-scale experiments and analyses, scaling up to separate effects, and integral testing of fuel performance to qualify fuel for use in commercial reactors, and evaluating fuel performance in commercial reactors.

NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-14 level.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-15: You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility p to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes:

• Developing operating plans, schedules, and budgets for research and development programs related to advanced fuels for existing light water reactors and future advanced reactors.; AND
• Monitoring the progress and evaluating the performance of organizations that are conducting research and development on advanced nuclear fuels.; AND
• Establishing and managing collaborative nuclear energy Research & Development activities for advanced reactor concepts and innovative technologies, based on priorities that reflect technical, licensing, and business assessments.; AND
• Developing new/revised nuclear industry standards.

NOTE: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience at the GS-15 level.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

OPM Qualification Standards for the GS-0840 series can be found at the following website: Nuclear Engineering Series 0840 (opm.gov)

CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section.

This public notice may be used to fill multiple positions as needed; therefore, applicants must meet the qualifications at the time the applications are reviewed.

Education

You must meet the Basic Education Requirement listed below in order to qualify for this series.

Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must:
(1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or
(2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics:
(a) statics, dynamics;
(b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships);
(c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics;
(d) thermodynamics;
(e) electrical fields and circuits;
(f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and
(g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished:
(1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and
(2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.

Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.

Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

Since this position does have a positive education requirement, you MUST provide documentation supporting any education claims in your application. This documentation can include unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned and final grade.

If selected, official transcripts may be requested.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.htm

Additional information

The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

• Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
• This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
• For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.telework.gov
• Status and Non-Status applicants from outside DOE selected under this authority are required to serve a mandatory one (1) year probationary period. A DOE career status employee selected for this position may be required to serve a new one (1) year probationary period, pursuant to 5 CFR 315.802.
• If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.
• This public notice is to gather applications that may or may not result in a referral or selection.
• More than one selection may be made under this hiring authority.
• Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
• Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
• Positions may be filled at varying levels of leadership, ie Team Lead, Manager, Supervisor.
• Supervisory positions may require a 1-year probationary period, if not yet completed.
• New employees to the Department of Energy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify
• Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
• All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register . If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.
• Relocation or Recruitment Incentive may be authorized.
• This position may be 100% remote.

EEO Policy: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/EEO_Policy_Statement
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Reasonable_Accommodation_Policy_Statement
Veterans Information: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Veterans_Information
Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/