Duties

As a Specialist - Fitness-for-Duty/Access Authorization, you will serve as a subject matter expert for policy development, licensing, and oversight of 10 CFR Part 26 fitness-for-duty (FFD), 10 CFR Part 73.55(b)(9) insider mitigation (IM), and 10 CFR 73.56 access authorization (AA) programs. Provides timely and in-depth technical assistance and authoritative advice, including the application of technically sound engineering, security, biological, and/or medical health principles, to NRC senior management in the comprehensive review and evaluation of: federally-mandated drug and alcohol testing programs; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) mandatory guidelines for Federal workplace drug testing program and laboratory certification; mental and/or physical impairment caused by legal and illegal substances; Medical Review Officer (MRO) and Substance Abuse Expert (SAE) assessments and determinations; and, performance evaluation of behavioral observation, FFD, IM, and AA programs at power reactor facilities and Category I fuel cycle facilities. Provides expert review and analysis of complex policy and technical issues that may involve inspection findings, allegations, licensee control of sensitive information, and FFD, IM, AA performance weaknesses. Timely and clearly communicates the safety and security significance of technical or policy issues under review and their potential impact on public confidence and NRC regulatory programs. Leads as the NRC's technical expert within assigned work activities, including the coordination and communication with other Federal agencies such as HHS, U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and international cooperation efforts associated with FFD, IM, and AA programs. With very little oversight, plans, coordinates, leads, and ensures the completion of policy and technical changes, self identifies program improvements, and corrects program weaknesses.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• This is a Drug Testing position.
• Background investigation leading to a clearance is required for new hires.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the NRC will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent that an NRC job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply.

You must meet the qualifications for this position by no later than 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

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.

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

Expert knowledge of standards, policies, guidance, regulations, theories, best practices, program challenges, and studies applicable to Access Authorization (AA), Fitness-for-Duty (FFD), Insider Mitigation (IM) programs.

Demonstrated ability to develop, review, recommend changes, propose solutions, and/or apply AA, FFD, and IM program regulations, policy, inspection, and guidance to the commercial nuclear industry and federal agencies and private sector organizations that have an interfacing role with the NRC is these program areas.

Demonstrated ability to communicate complex or controversial technical information, policies, ideas, analytical judgments, and conclusions in a clear, concise, and logical manner, both orally and in writing, to peers, management, governmental agencies, professional societies, general public, or others.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is experience which demonstrates knowledge of access authorization, fitness-for-duty, and insider mitigation programs and procedures used to protect nuclear facilities of comparable high consequence and to ensure individuals are trustworthy and reliable such that they do not constitute an unreasonable risk to public health and safety or the common defense and security, including the potential to commit radiological sabotage.

A description of how you possess the specialized experience as well as how you meet the qualifications desired in an ideal candidate should be addressed in your resume.

Education

Basic requirement for General Medical and Healthcare, GG-601: Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (external link) at the time the degree was obtained.

Basic requirement for General Engineer, GG-801: A professional engineering degree is required. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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 a 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 professional 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.

Basic requirement for General Physical Science Series, GG-1301: A degree in Physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics. OR a combination of education and experience. Education equivalent to one of the majors shown above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience, or additional education.

Additional information

The duty location of this position is Rockville, Maryland . In general, employees are expected to be in the office at a minimum of 4 days per pay period**. Telework schedules, including full-time telework, are approved, on a case-by-case basis. If selected, telework will be determined in accordance with Agency policy and the Collective Bargaining Agreement, if applicable.