This position is part of the Office of Environmental Management - Savannah River Operations Office, Department of Energy. As a Director, Waste Disposition Programs Division, you will be leading Federal staff in providing senior-level engineering leadership, review, and oversight of contractor and Federal programs and activities, as delineated in the U.S. Department of Energy-SR functions, responsibilities, and authorities procedure.
Summary
This position is part of the Office of Environmental Management - Savannah River Operations Office, Department of Energy. As a Director, Waste Disposition Programs Division, you will be leading Federal staff in providing senior-level engineering leadership, review, and oversight of contractor and Federal programs and activities, as delineated in the U.S. Department of Energy-SR functions, responsibilities, and authorities procedure.
This position is open to all current Department of Energy, Environmental Management (EM) federal employees on a career or career-conditional competitive service appointment.
The Department of Energy's mission is to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.
The Office of Environmental Management - Savannah River Operations Office (EM) is to complete the safe cleanup of environment legacy resulting from five decades of nuclear weapons development and government-sponsored nuclear energy research. EM is responsible for managing and directing the cleanup of contaminated nuclear weapons manufacturing and testing sites across the United States. Integral to that responsibility is the need to safely dispose of large volumes of nuclear waste, safeguard and prepare for disposition of nuclear materials that could be used in nuclear waste, safeguard and prepare for disposition of nuclear materials that could be used in nuclear weapons, deactivate and decommission several thousand radiologically and chemically contaminated facilities no longer to support the Department's mission, and remediate extensive surface and groundwater contamination.
We are truly honored that DOE has been named America's #1 Best Employer for Veterans in 2023 by Forbes-not only among Government agencies, but among employers across the U.S. We are so proud of this ranking which reflects our commitment to the employment of veterans. As so many veterans at DOE renew their service to our Nation, we are deeply committed to their success and advancement. Veterans shape the future of energy
As a Director, Waste Disposition Programs Division, you will:
Serve as the Senior Technical Advisor and senior engineering authority providing strategic leadership, review, and multidisciplinary engineering direction across major DOE-SR waste disposition programs, projects, and facilities.
Oversee the development and execution of programmatic System Plans, life-cycle baselines, integrated schedules, and technical strategies for the design, construction, testing, startup, and steady-state operations of new or modified facilities.
Manage comprehensive contractor oversight, formulate Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plans (PEMPs), evaluate contractor deliverables and baselines, and exercise independent technical judgment in recommending earned award fees.
Direct and ensure technical and regulatory compliance for complex operations involving the safe receipt, storage, chemical/radiological treatment, processing, packaging, transportation, and disposition of liquid, solid radioactive/high-level, and hazardous waste.
Serve as primary technical spokesperson and liaison to DOE-HQ, external regulatory bodies, contractor executives, and interagency partners to negotiate, defend, and resolve highly complex or controversial engineering and policy issues.
Provide first-level administrative and technical supervision to Federal engineering staff, including workload planning, resource allocation, performance management, candidate selection, and staff development.
This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
This position is not remote, the selectee will be expected to report to the duty station(s) listed. If selected, military spouses, veteran caregivers, and spouses of foreign service employees may be eligible for applicable workplace flexibilities.
This position is not included in a Bargaining Unit.
This position requires the incumbent to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, Executive Branch Personnel Confidential Financial Disclosure Report upon entering the position and annually (5CFR Part 2634, Subpart I USOGE, 6/08).
This position does not support 100% remote work. You will be required to report physically to the official reporting worksite as specified in this vacancy announcement.
First-time supervisors will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period.
This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to applicant testing and random drug testing thereafter. Failure to test or a positive result on random drug tests conducted after appointment may result in removal from Federal employment.
This position has been designated as Critical-Sensitive, High Risk and requires a security clearance at the "Q" level. The incumbent is required to obtain and maintain this clearance; failure to do so may result in separation from federal service.
This position is included in the Department of Energy's Technical Qualification Program (TQP).
New supervisors are required to complete 80 hours of supervisory training of which 40 hours must be completed during your first year as a supervisor.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, you must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience as described below.
BASIC REQUIREMENT:
A. 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in professional engineering. 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 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 and 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:
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) 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.
3.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 above.
4. 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.)
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-14 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 3 of 4 the following:
Providing direction and technical oversight for the design, construction, commissioning, startup, or operation of nuclear, radiological, chemical, or hazardous waste facilities and processes.
Overseeing, leading or directing technical programs involving the safe handling, storage, treatment, packaging, transportation, or disposal of high-level radioactive, nuclear, or hazardous waste operations.
Managing project scope, life-cycle baselines, integrated cost and schedule performance, and technical risk for major capital facilities, line-intern projects, or high-risk industrial operations.
Evaluating contractor or vendor performance against formal performance metrics (e.g., Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plans, award-fee criteria, or statement-of-work deliverables) and recommending fee determinations or corrective action plans.
Education cannot be substituted for specialized experience for the GS-15 grade 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.
Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications. Your full resume will be made available to the hiring manager if you are referred.
Time-in-Grade: Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement to receive consideration and current employees must have at least a fully successful or equivalent performance rating to receive consideration.
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
This vacancy has a positive education requirement. In order to be rated as qualified, you must provide copies of your college transcripts. Failure to provide copies of your college transcripts may result in a rating of "Ineligible". Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.
Additional information
Shared Certificates: The Department of Energy shares lists of applicants among its internal Departmental Elements and organizations. You may be referred for consideration to other DOE Hiring Managers throughout the Department for more than one position based on this application. By applying to this announcement, you understand your application materials may be shared with multiple Hiring Mangers throughout DOE. If additional positions are filled from this announcement conditions of employment may differ. You will be notified if you are referred for additional positions.
New employees to the Department of Energy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn 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.
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.
Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
Your performance appraisal and incentive awards will be given due consideration in the selection process based on their relation to the duties of the position and the consistency with which they may be considered in evaluating you against other candidates.
Hiring incentives may be authorized in accordance with agency policy and if funding is available.
Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance, when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Staffing Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement.
The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged noncompliance by completing the Fair Chance Act Intake Form and emailing it to the Administrative Investigations Program at AdministrativeInvestigations@hq.doe.gov.
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.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application will be assessed based on your responses to an online job knowledge assessment. For applicants applying under Merit Promotion or VEOA procedures, your score on this assessment will determine if you are considered a 'best qualified' candidate. The online job knowledge assessment primarily consists of multiple-choice questions designed to evaluate your understanding of key concepts relevant to this position.
Your application will be assessed based on your responses to an online assessment that measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. For applicants applying under Merit Promotion or VEOA procedures, your score on this assessment will determine if you are considered a 'best qualified' candidate. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.
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 resume how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the competencies identified below. Use 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.
Accountability
Compliance
Customer Service
Decisiveness
Flexibility
General Engineering
Hazardous Materials
Interpersonal Skills
Nuclear Engineering
Planning and Evaluating
Problem Solving
Project Management
Resilience
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date ( 10/06/2026) of this announcement.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
To apply for this position, you MUSTprovide a complete application package which includes:
Your two (2) pageRESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume.
Transcripts, specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement. Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
Submit one or more of the following to support your eligibility(s) to apply to this job announcement:
SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" (current/former federal employees): Most recent Promotion, Within Rate Increase (WRI/WGI), or Appointment/Conversion SF-50 or Notification of Personnel Action showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held.
Failure to submit the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not provide photos or list a Social Security Number or date of birth on any attachment.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
The application process is as follows:
Read all instructions before you begin.
Click "Apply Online."
Complete the application and attach all required documents.
Submit by 11:59 PM ET on the 10/06/2026.
Resume Tips:
Max 2 pages and 5MB file size.
PDF is recommended to preserve formatting; we also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, ODT, or Word (DOC/DOCX). No PDF portfolios.
Use clear fonts like Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto, or Noto Sans.
Set 0.5-inch margins.
Use 14-point font for titles, 10-point for main text.
Managing Your Application:
Update: Edit your application in USAJOBS before the closing date.
Application Issues: If you have difficulty applying online, contact the Agency Contact listed in this announcement during business hours. Take screenshots of any system errors.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Office of Environmental Management - Savannah River Operations Office
Department of Energy
Human Capital Shared Service Center
1000 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20585
US
Next steps
Once you submit your online application, you will receive a confirmation notification by email that your submission was successful. After the closing of the announcement, we will review applications. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. We will notify you of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
Non-competitive Procedures: If you are applying under a non-competitive or special hiring authority, you will still be required to complete the assessment. However, you will not be evaluated against the rating and ranking criteria. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you are minimally qualified for this job. Veterans' Preference will be applied when required by the hiring authority (e.g., VRA, Schedule A).
All qualified Non-competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion and VEOA applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.
Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified", which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you MUSTprovide a complete application package which includes:
Your two (2) pageRESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume.
Transcripts, specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement. Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
Submit one or more of the following to support your eligibility(s) to apply to this job announcement:
SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" (current/former federal employees): Most recent Promotion, Within Rate Increase (WRI/WGI), or Appointment/Conversion SF-50 or Notification of Personnel Action showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held.
Failure to submit the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not provide photos or list a Social Security Number or date of birth on any attachment.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
The application process is as follows:
Read all instructions before you begin.
Click "Apply Online."
Complete the application and attach all required documents.
Submit by 11:59 PM ET on the 10/06/2026.
Resume Tips:
Max 2 pages and 5MB file size.
PDF is recommended to preserve formatting; we also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, ODT, or Word (DOC/DOCX). No PDF portfolios.
Use clear fonts like Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto, or Noto Sans.
Set 0.5-inch margins.
Use 14-point font for titles, 10-point for main text.
Managing Your Application:
Update: Edit your application in USAJOBS before the closing date.
Application Issues: If you have difficulty applying online, contact the Agency Contact listed in this announcement during business hours. Take screenshots of any system errors.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Office of Environmental Management - Savannah River Operations Office
Department of Energy
Human Capital Shared Service Center
1000 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20585
US
Next steps
Once you submit your online application, you will receive a confirmation notification by email that your submission was successful. After the closing of the announcement, we will review applications. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. We will notify you of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
Non-competitive Procedures: If you are applying under a non-competitive or special hiring authority, you will still be required to complete the assessment. However, you will not be evaluated against the rating and ranking criteria. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you are minimally qualified for this job. Veterans' Preference will be applied when required by the hiring authority (e.g., VRA, Schedule A).
All qualified Non-competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion and VEOA applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.
Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified", which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
