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General Engineer/Physical Scientist

Department of Energy
National Nuclear Security Administration
Nevada Field Office

Summary

This position is located in the NNSA, Nevada Field Office within the office of the Assistant Manager for Operations & Engineering. The incumbent serves as a Facility Representative, functioning as an onsite technical representative of the Field Office Manager on all aspects of day-to-day operations at one or more, assigned nuclear or high hazard nonnuclear facilities found at the Nevada National Security Site.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 06/12/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 12, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$91,427 - $205,519 per year
Pay scale & grade
EN 3 - 4
Promotion potential
4
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Q Access Authorization
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
26-NA-NV-XE-00619-NAT
Control number
871462000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens, Nationals, or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

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As a General Engineer/Physical Scientist you will:

  • Analyze and evaluate contractor operational and implementation plans including: operating systems. processes, formality of operations, material flows, waste streams, instruments/alarms, control room practices, maintenance and construction, quality assurance, safety, health and environmental activities.
  • Analyze and evaluate licensee or contractor operational and implementation plans including: operating systems. processes, formality of operations, material flows, waste streams, instruments/alarms, control room practices, maintenance and construction, quality assurance, safety, health and environmental activities.
  • Serve as the NNSA/DOE on scene representative for accident investigations, emergencies, or unplanned events at assigned facilities.
  • Provide guidance to the operating contractor on requirements for stabilization and resumption of operations.
  • Exercise "stop work" authority, except as expressly limited in governing contracts with the M&O contractor, if situations constitute an imminent hazard or danger.
  • Review and evaluate the adequacy of investigative facts and procedures and prepares reports recommending appropriate action to management.
  • Conduct follow-up to assure that corrective actions have been appropriately implemented.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Subject to Random Drug 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 (2) year trial period may be required. Employees serving on a trial period may be terminated at any time during the probationary or trial period for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service.
  • More than one position may be filled from this vacancy announcement.
  • Federal Technical Capability Program
  • Must be able to obtain/maintain certification under the Department of Energy Human Reliability Program.
  • The incumbent will be required to routinely travel to the Nevada National Security Site, approximately 63 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The approximate travel time to different locations could exceed 2 hours each way.
  • Must be able to obtain certification in the DOE's Technical Qualification Program (TQP) within 18 months of start date. This position is covered by the Technical Qualification Program (TQP), which requires the incumbent to acquire and demonstrate competencies identified in the TQP Functional Area Qualification and Field Office specific standards and requires certification of the competencies by NNSA supervision and TQP qualifying officials. https://ntc.doe.gov/student/stp/techqualprogram
  • Please limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, you will be disqualified.
Trial periods are required for all excepted service employees. Trial periods served in the same position and agency with no break in service will satisfy the requirement.

Qualifications

In addition to the positive education requirement, 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.

EN-03 level experience in the Federal service. To meet this requirement an applicant must have one year of experience, at the next lower-level in the Federal service, i.e., EN-00 pay band or GS-11 equivalent. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Monitors integrated and complex systems involving unique equipment, facility designs, operations and processes, a variety of human factors, and dangerous operations and processes. Identifies and evaluates environmental, safety and health issues; assures that activities are performed within the approved safe operating envelope and in compliance with applicable orders, laws, and regulations; diagnoses root causes; recommends short term compensatory measures.

Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to:

  • Develops strategies to perform detailed safety analysis.
  • Makes contractor management aware of issues and concerns and negotiates regulatory, technical and/or programmatic issues and requirements with senior contractors
EN-04 level experience in the Federal service. To meet this requirement an applicant must have one year of experience, at the next lower-level Federal service, i.e., EN-03 pay band or GS-13 equivalent. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Significant experience in performing independent oversight of contractor management control systems and procedures related to national nuclear, radiological and/or industrial safety, and environmental compliance program requirements, policies and practices, and contractual obligations. Candidates at this level are expected to work independently with little to no supervision.

Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to:
  • Develops strategies to perform detailed safety analysis.
  • Assures that activities are performed within approved safe operating envelopes and in compliance with applicable orders, laws, and regulations.
  • Makes contractor management aware of issues and concerns and negotiates regulatory, technical and/or programmatic issues and requirements with senior contractors.

Education

Engineering Series, 0800:

Basic Requirements: A. 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

B. 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 -- 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. 2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional.

Physical Science Series, 1301:

Basic Requirements:

  1. 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

  2. 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.

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

EDUCATION: 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.

**If you are selected, official transcripts will be required.

**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

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • All positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
  • All males born after December 31,1959 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.
  • In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: The applicants' and employees' health must meet demands for performance in the position and for human reliability program certification. Before entrance on duty and during employment, applicants/employees in these positions must undergo a medical examination and be physically/medically able to perform the duties of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Failure to meet any of the required physical/medical qualifications will be considered disqualifying for employment, except when substantial evidence is presented that the individual can perform the functions of the job without hazard to himself/herself/others, with or without reasonable accommodation.

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

Information about the NNSA Demonstration project can be found by clicking HERE.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

THE APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS WILL BE IN TWO STAGES:

Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Office will review the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications.

Structured Resume Review: The Human Resources Office/Subject Matter Experts will review the first two pages of your resume to determine your technical qualifications.

Additional documentation (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) may not be considered.

Your application and resume shall 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.

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

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'.To preview the application questionnaire, click the link below.

National Nuclear Security Administration

Would you like to play a key role in a critical mission? If so, then the National Nuclear Security Administration has the perfect employment opportunity for a General Engineer, (Facility Representative). In this position you'll play an important role in accomplishing the national security mission of the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Agency contact information

Matthew Archuleta
Phone
505-319-1097
Email
matthew.archuleta@nnsa.doe.gov
Address
Nevada Field Office
24600 20th St SE
Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5507
US

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