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Senior Operations Engineer

Nuclear Regulatory Commission
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These positions are located in Division of Operating Reactor Safety (DORS), in the following offices:

RII - Atlanta, GA, 
RIII - Naperville, IL, and 
RIV - Arlington, TX

Selectee will be subject to Confidential Financial Disclosure and Security Ownership Restriction reporting requirements.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/11/2025 to 07/22/2025
Salary
$106,382 to - $138,296 per year

Salary range above is base salary for the grade 14 level on the General Grade Salary Schedule. Total salary to include applicable locality adjustment.

Pay scale & grade
GG 14
Locations
few vacancies in the following locations:
Atlanta, GA
Naperville, IL
Arlington, TX
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—As determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - Some of the working time, generally up to 40%, is spent in the field at operating plants.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Expenses associated with relocation may be paid to the extent allowed by Federal Travel and Relocation regulations.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
L Access Authorization
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
ALL OFC-2025-0072
Control number
840573700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from internal employees of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on permanent or competitive Term appointments.

Duties

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The Senior Operations Engineer serves as a region-based senior inspector that leads, develops, prepares, administers, and evaluates written and operating examinations for applicants for Reactor Operator (RO) and Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) licenses for commercial nuclear reactor facilities; leads activities to inspect and evaluate the effectiveness of licensee programs to train, evaluate, and re-qualify licensed plant operating staff members; and leads and performs routine and reactive inspections and assessments of the effectiveness of licensee activities related to facility operations.  The Senior Operations Engineer provides technical support and oversight for operator performance and licensing issues including providing formal presentations and training on related topics.

Duties include but are not limited to:

1. Developing, preparing, and administering examinations to applicants for operation's and senior operators' licenses for nuclear reactors.
2. Integrating inspection findings into overall licensee assessment. 
3. Assisting in the development of operator licensing regulatory policies, recommending improvements, and implementing procedures designed to improve the operator licensing process. 
4. Performing a wide variety of lead duties, generally diverse and multi-disciplinary, associated with the inspection of power reactors.
5. Independently planning, scheduling, and determining the scope of inspection to be performed personally, or by a team (normally 4-6 inspectors).
6. Preparing individual reports and coordinating team reports of inspection findings to document whether the facility is being operated safely, the licensee's management control program is effective, and regulatory requirements are being satisfied.

Qualified Chief Examiner in accordance with IMC 1245, Appendix C-10 preferred, but not required.

For the following regions, pay will be set using the base salary plus the applicable locality adjustment noted:

  • Region II in Atlanta, GA- 23.79%
  • Region III in Naperville, IL- 30.86%
  • Region IV in Arlington, TX- 27.26%

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • This is a Drug Testing position.
  • Must be able to meet/maintain security and suitability requirements.

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.

All information in your resume must be true and accurate.

Qualifications

You must possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level (i.e., GG-13).  Such experience should have provided you with the full range of knowledge, skills and abilities addressed in the rating factor questions that are associated with this vacancy announcement as well as in your resume.  

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as work experience applying regulations, criteria, standards, guides, and general NRC policy to provide guidance to facility licensees and regional office operator licensing staff and to independently plan and coordinate staff review of operator licensing activities to assure the safe operation by licensed operators at nuclear power facilities. 

Education

To qualify for these positions, you must meet BOTH basic education/professional knowledge requirements that apply to Federal engineering positions at all grade levels AND the specialized experience requirements outlined above no later than 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.  

Candidates for Federal Government professional engineering positions must meet certain basic professional knowledge requirements. Generally these knowledge requirements are met by having a bachelor's or higher degree in a relevant professional engineering discipline (e.g., mechanical, metallurgical, materials, nuclear, structural, chemical, electrical) from a school of engineering with at least one professional engineering curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). However, if you do not possess such a professional engineering degree, you may still satisfy the professional knowledge requirements if you have current Professional Engineer (P.E.) registration in one of the relevant disciplines from any U.S. State or Territory; or if you successfully passed an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) written examination administered by a State Board of Engineering Examiners; or if you have either a related professional degree or at least 60 semester hours of specified engineering-related college courses COMBINED WITH at least a year of professional engineering work experience performed under professional engineer supervision and guidance.

Note: Engineering technology degrees are not generally qualifying unless supplemented by other evidence of the individual's professional knowledge (e.g., current P.E. license or EIT examination results, as discussed above).

More detailed information about these alternatives for meeting the knowledge requirements for Federal professional engineering jobs are described in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Qualification Standards Operating Manual which may be accessed at the following Web site: 

OPM Qualification Standards for 0800 Professional Engineering Positions

Additional information

The duty locations of these positions are Atlanta, GA; Naperville, IL or Arlington, TX.

Telework schedules are approved, on a case-by-case basis. If selected, telework will be determined in accordance with Agency policy.

Based on the staffing needs of the agency/area of consideration, additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

When the application process is complete, your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the job requirements. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume to determine your level of knowledge, skill and ability related to the job requirements. If you are among the top candidates for this position, your application will be referred to the hiring manager. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position.  Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to this position.


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