Duties

Summary

A successful candidate in this position will serve as Director, Office of Engineering & Technology Maturation (NA-115) and will provide technical expertise leading Defense Programs technology and component maturation efforts.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As a General Engineer/Physical Scientist, you will:

• Articulate the role of, and justify the need for, engineering and technology maturation in nuclear weapon-related research, development, test, and evaluation program elements.
• Develop rationale and manage or collaborate on plans for building, maintaining, and operating several one-of-a-kind and state-of-the-art analytical and qualification facilities, such as the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR), Saturn, and MESA.
• Work closely with the DOD and the United Kingdom on technology and process improvements, including establishment of future needs and development plans.
• Coordinate with the NNSA Management & Operating sites, interagency partners, academic institutions, and research laboratories to integrate NA-115 program capabilities into broad national plans and priorities for future systems and production capabilities.
• Oversee management, budget, and policy for the integration of engineering, design, manufacturing, and testing technology to derive critical performance parameters for establishing the basis of annual stockpile assessments.
• Provide authoritative engineering, science and technological leadership and expertise on technical and programmatic aspects of all weapon systems currently in the stockpile as well as establishing developmental needs and production capabilities needed for future systems, including new designs, Life Extension Programs, Mods, and Alts.
• Manage NA-115 staff, providing both technical and administrative direction. (Supervisory duties comprise less than 25% of the work of this position.)

Travel Required

25% or less - Approximately 20% travel is required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
5

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Subject to random drug and polygraph testing.
• Must pass a pre-employment drug test.
• Favorable suitability determination required.
• Financial Disclosure is required.
• Must be able to obtain/maintain a Q level Security Clearance.
• You must be a United States Citizen.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
• Compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12) governing personal identity which will require that you provide two forms of identification.
• A two year trial period may be required.
• More than one position may be filled from this vacancy announcement.
• May require certification in the DOE's Technical Qualification Program (TQP) typically within 18 months.

Qualifications

A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA pay band or GS grade level in the Federal Service i.e., EN/NN/NQ-04 or GS-15. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 4 of the 5 requirements listed below:

Applying professional engineering or physical science concepts, theories, and practices to manage and evaluate research and development programs related to the nuclear weapons stockpile to include developing strategic planning, budget justifications or long range budget estimates for nuclear stockpile programs.

Understanding and maturing component and manufacturing technology for application to nuclear weapons and their production.

Managing a multi program portfolio and coordinating efforts across the other offices in an organization and with external stakeholders.

Understanding the nuclear security threat environment and applying specialized knowledge to mitigate those threats.

Managing a diverse pool of technical and support staff to achieve mission objectives.

Your application and resume should demonstrate that you possess the following competencies. Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your application how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the competencies. identified below. Cite specific examples of employment or experience contained in your resume and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position. DO NOT write "see resume" in your application!

• Technical Competence
• Strategic Thinking
• Leadership

"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.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

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

Education

This position has a positive education requirement. You must meet the education requirements of either the General Engineer (0801) or Physical Scientist (1301) series listed below. You MUST provide unofficial transcripts to support the education claims in your application. If selected, official transcripts may be requested.

0801:

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.

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: 1) Professional registration or licensure; 2) Written Test; 3) Specified academic course; 4) Related curriculum. For more information on the alternative methods, please refer to the OPM Qualification Standards. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf

1301:

Degree: 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

Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/general-physical-science-series-1301/

Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. A written evaluation of any foreign education must be provided with your application in response to this vacancy announcement or be received by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide this evaluation will result in you being found unqualified for the position. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education, see the Department of Education website , and for a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, visit The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services .

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 .

**FOREIGN EDUCATION: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. A written evaluation of any foreign education must be provided with your application in response to this vacancy announcement or be received by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide this evaluation will result in you being found unqualified for the position. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education, see the Department of Education website , and for a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, visit The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services . Please Note: If your foreign education has already been accepted by an accredited U.S. educational institution as part of a degree program with that institution, you do not need to provide an evaluation of foreign education but must submit a copy of the transcripts listing the degree from the U.S. accredited institution that accepted your foreign 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.

Additional information

• The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• 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 . Click HERE .
• More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
• A recruitment/relocation incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified applicant.
• Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
• 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.

EEO Policy: Click HERE.
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Click HERE.
Veterans Information: Click HERE.
Telework: Click HERE.
Selective Service Registration: Click HERE.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

We will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. If you meet the qualifications requirements, your application will be referred to the selecting official for further review.

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified'.

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

Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit. Some documents may not apply to all applicants. If you are unsure, click the link for each document type to read more.

ALL APPLICANTS: You must submit a resume supporting your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire.

• Your resume shall list all work experience (paid and unpaid); you must list the full name and address of the each employer.
• For all types of work experience, you shall indicate the start and end dates (include month, day, and year); you must also list the average number of hours per week that you worked.
• For paid work experience, you shall indicate your starting salary for each position and the highest salary you earned (if different).
• You must include your most recent performance appraisal.
• Your resume should also include any education and training you have completed (list the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
• You may list all incentive awards on your resume.
• Most DOE offices will allow you to submit a resume in the format of your choice (as an attached document or as a USAJOBS Resume Builder format). However, some offices may require the USAJOBS resume format. You will be notified at the time you click 'Apply Online' which is required. It is important that you are complete and thorough in your resume.
• If any of the above information is not included in your resume, we may not be able to fully credit you for your experience.
• For more information about what to include in your resume, please view this USAJOBS Resume Tutorial video on YouTube.

Current and former Federal employees: Most recent SF-50 (Standard Form 50 - Notice of Personnel Action). To properly verify status eligibility, your SF-50 must show the following. If you do not submit an appropriate SF-50, we cannot verify your status eligibility!

Full position title;

appointment type;

occupational series;

pay plan, grade, and step;

tenure code; and

service computation date (SCD).

If your current position SF50 does not reflect the pay plan and grade of the highest position you have held, in addition to your current SF50, you must provide your previous SF-50 that provides the highest grade held on a permanent basis.

For Professional, Scientific and Engineering Positions: If qualifying on the basis of an alternate method, i.e., professional license, you must submit official documentation to support your claim with your application package.

Positive Education requirement: For those positions that have a positive education requirement, you must provide an unofficial transcript to show proof. See the Education section for more information.

Veterans: Veteran eligibility documentation (DD-214 Member #4 Copy, VA Letter, Standard Form (SF) 15 as applicable). Please note: If you are a veteran who has not yet been discharged, you may provide a statement of intent to discharge from your agency to receive Veterans Preference under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.

Performance Appraisals: Submit your two (2) most recent performance appraisals.