Duties

Summary

Naval Reactors, also known as Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) is responsible for all aspects of naval nuclear propulsion, including research, design, construction, testing, operation, maintenance, and ultimate disposition of naval nuclear propulsion plants. The Program's responsibility includes all related facilities, radiological controls, and environmental, safety and health matters, as well as selection, training, and assignment of personnel.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Director, Reactor Engineering Division for the Deputy Administrator for Naval Reactors is responsible for representing day-to-day technical and engineering matters and overall program matters concerning Reactor Cores, Reactor Plant heavy equipment, and control drive mechanisms for all naval prototypes and naval nuclear propulsion plants.

Recommends budget levels to support assigned programs and assists the Deputy Administrator in presenting and defending those budgets, within the Departments of Energy, Navy, and Defense, OMB, and the Congress.

Provides necessary liaison, interchange, and coordination with DOE, Navy and other Government agencies on reactor matters.

Develops and presents courses on reactor design and technology to selected members of Navy operating forces.

Prepares and issues standard Government specifications for all Naval Reactor's work in the areas of production control, structural design, and noise technology.

Ensures that the most recent advances in the design, development, building, and operation of nuclear reactors and their cores, and the design of associated equipment such as reactor vessels and their closures, and control rod drive mechanisms, in both domestic and foreign programs, are evaluated and, where appropriate, adapted to work under the incumbent's direction. Maintains contacts with top officials and leading engineers and scientists in Government and industry to develop, appraise, and evaluate information on the latest technical advances.

Properly classifies and disseminates technical information on work under his/her direction.

Ensures the technical adequacy of prime contracts, subcontracts, agreements, and modifications and extensions of contracts, relating to technical performance and requirements on work under his/her direction.

Exercises direct technical and administrative supervision of nuclear power engineers (civilian and military) and clerical employees engaged in the program responsibilities described above, and provides technical direction to scientific, engineering, and technical personnel in laboratories, shipyards, and contractor plants.

Advises the Deputy Administrator on major aspects of the organization, budget and staffing of Naval Reactors laboratories and prime contractors, the assignment of work to those organizations, and on other policy or program matters as required or on the incumbent's own initiative.

Represents the Deputy Administrator when in contact with top management officials of Government agencies and contractors regarding policies and programs, presentation of DOE/Navy positions, negotiation of necessary changes in program direction or scheduling, adequacy of contractor and subcontractor performance, etc.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Travel will be required as necessary

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
00 - This position does not have promotion potential.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be U.S. Citizen.
• New SES appointees must successfully complete a 1 year probationary period
• A DOE "Q" level clearance is required.
• Requires a financial disclosure statement (OGE-278).
• The position is subject to drug testing and random screening.
• The incumbent is subject to SES mobility.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, candidates must possess specialized experience at a senior level which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties described above; including progressively responsible supervisory or managerial experience demonstrating the ability to manage people and resources.

Candidates must fully address all Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) in order to receive consideration. Your responses must demonstrate possession of these qualifications; typically acquired through education, experience or training, and reflect progressive development and achievement in managing a comprehensive program and/or organization. Please provide examples that are clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibility, the scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments, policy initiatives undertaken, and level of contacts. Do not enter "Refer to Resume" to explain your answer. Applications directing the reviewer to search within the application or to see resume are considered incomplete and will not receive further consideration. All qualified candidates will be evaluated on the relevance of their experience, education, training, self-development, honors, awards, and outside activities. Applicants currently serving under a career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointment; eligible for reinstatement into the SES; or have successfully completed an SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) approved by OPM are not required to address the ECQs; but MUST address all MTQs. Failure by non-Senior Executive Service member to submit a narrative statement addressing each of the ECQs and MTQs will result in loss of consideration.

Executive Core Qualifications: NOTE: Please limit your written statements to a two page limit per ECQ. Each response to the ECQs must be written in the Challenge-Context-Action-Results model . For detailed guidance on ECQs, applicants are strongly encouraged to first review the Office of Personnel Management's Guide to Senior Executive Service Qualifications

Leading Change - Involves the ability to bring about strategic change, within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

Leading People - Involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and support constructive resolution of conflicts.

Results Driven - Involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

Business Acumen - Involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

Business Coalitions - Involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs): Please limit your written statements to one page per MTQ.



1) Describe your knowledge of advanced fundamental principles of nuclear engineering including reactor materials, metallurgy, nuclear physics, heat transfer, mechanical and electrical design, hydraulics, and effects of radiation exposure on people and materials.

2) Describe your experience with and thorough knowledge of submarine and aircraft carrier performance requirements; design (including naval architecture considerations), component/system manufacturing, construction, and testing; and reactor plant testing and reactor plant operating procedures, to adequately coordinate and integrate research and development for naval nuclear-powered ship systems and components.

3) Describe your experience with managing major technical programs including budgeting, cost control, and schedule management practices as they relate to nuclear reactor plant design, development, construction, operation, maintenance, and testing. Experience developing and managing advanced technology development programs, including incubation-type programs aimed at driving potentially ground-breaking and innovative changes to existing systems.

4) Describe your knowledge of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion's organizational structure and supporting activities. Experience representing the organization to senior Department of Defense, Department of Navy, and Department of Energy personnel; private industry leadership; and Congressional leadership. Ability to describe highly complex technical and public policy issues to both expert and non-expert audiences, including issues that lack precedent or a base of experience upon which to make judgments and decisions.

Education

This position does have a positive education requirement in Engineering (840 series).

840 - Degree: professional engineering. The curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology 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 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. There are alternate methods to meeting the engineering educational requirement (e.g., holding current professional engineering registration, having passed the EIT examination, or having completed specified academic courses or a related degree). For more information on the alternate methods, please refer to the OPM Qualification Standards at Professional Engineering Positions



Additional information

EEO/Diversity Policy and Privacy Act Selection for this position will be based solely on merit, fitness, and qualifications without regard to race, sex, color, religion, age, marital status, national origin, non-disqualifying handicap conditions, sexual orientation, parental status, or any other non-merit factors. This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (PL 93-579, 5 USC 552a), and is used to determine qualifications for employment as authorized under 5 USC Sections 3302 and 3361.

Veteran's preference does not apply to the Senior Executive Service.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Candidates will be rated and ranked by a Merit Staffing Panel using only the information submitted within their application package. Applicants who do not demonstrate sufficient possession of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) AND demonstrated specialized experience, training, and/or education in support of the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) by answering ALL the questions for this vacancy announcement, will be determined ineligible for further consideration. Based on the Panel's evaluation, applicants who were determined best qualified will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. Once a candidate has been identified for selection, the Executive Resources Board will make final approval, and in competitive cases, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Qualifications Review Board (QRB), will certify qualifications. This process can take up to 90 working days .

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Q Access Authorization

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness , National security

Required Documents

If you are a current, retired or former Federal employee, please submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, to verify your status.

If the position has an education requirement, also submit a copy of your transcript/s to verify your eligibility.

If you are a graduate of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) SES Candidate Development Program (CDP), please submit on-line a copy of your CDP certification for non-competitive eligibility. You must respond to, answer, and meet all mandatory technical qualifications.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.