Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to All U.S. Citizens and is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense.

This is a Direct Hire Public Notice, under this recruitment, applications will be accepted for each location and/or installation identified in this Public Notice and selections are made for vacancies as they occur. There may or may not be actual/projected vacancies at the time you submit your application.

This Public Notice is to gather applications which may or may not result in a referral or selection.

This position is being filled under the memorandum from the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) "Expansion of Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense," dated August 12, 2024.

Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

Incumbents typical work assignments may include the following:

• Serve as Deputy Director, Nuclear Forensics, Energy, and Survivability (NFES).
• Assists the Director, NFES in managing and prioritizing workflow for all military, federal civilian, and contract support personnel to ensure efficient and on-time completion of a wide variety of complex tasks and projects.
• Assists the Director, NFES in leading analysis, developing policy, guiding implementation, and providing oversight for nuclear forensics, nuclear weapons effects, military applications of nuclear energy, and nuclear survivability consistent with Presidential guidance.
• Assists the Director, NFES in translating higher echelon goals and objectives into actionable plans and assigning specific tasks and timelines to subordinate staff. Provides advice and guidance to subordinate staff in executing these tasks and monitors progress to completion.
• Assists the Director, NFES serving as the Chairperson for the DoD Nuclear Forensics Working Group and centralized coordinator to sponsor research, development, test, and evaluation to enhance Defense technical nuclear forensics collection, assessment, and evaluation. Manages the day-to-day activities of the nuclear forensics mission and associated exercises.
• Assists the Director, NFES in maintaining cognizance of obligations and expenditures as the DoD centralized coordinator of National Technical Nuclear Forensics (NTNF) programs and select nuclear survivability efforts.
• Assists the Director, NFES as the OSD principal point of contact for nuclear survivability policy and standards, providing technical guidance in the assessment of mission critical system survivability in nuclear weapons environments.
• Ensures Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leadership, Personnel, Facilities, and policy across DoD are consistent with US Guidance.
• Assists the Director, NFES in coordinating the military use of nuclear energy among Services and Agencies. Provide advice and support to the ASD(ND-CBD) role as advisor to the Secretary on matters related to nuclear energy.
• Teams with other OSD, Joint Staff, Services, and Defense Agency offices along with interagency partners to develop, integrate, and manage nuclear forensics, effects, energy, and survivability equities and activities.
• Develops, reviews, and/or evaluates reports and briefings related to (among other topics): Nuclear forensics, nuclear energy, nuclear weapons effects, nuclear survivability, nuclear threat reduction and any related policy or budget matters.
• Evaluates legislative language for impacts on assigned areas of responsibility and provides higher echelons with advice and courses of action as needed to minimize negative outcomes and maximize mission effectiveness.
• Prepares and coordinates technical program reviews and analysis of programmatic and fiscal changes.
• Assists the Director, NFES in overseeing development of, and advising other organizations and leadership on, strategic communications on assigned areas of responsibility, including public statements, media engagements, Congressional reports, inquiries, and testimony, and foreign government interactions.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
• Must be determined suitable for federal employment
• Required to participate in the direct deposit program
• This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing
• Position requires a Top Secret/SCI clearance
• This position requires a Program Management Practitioner 2 DAWIA (Back to Basics) acquisition certification. You will have 60 months to achieve this certification.
• Condition of appointment, a written agreement to remain in Federal service in the position for at least three years.
• Travel required <25%

Qualifications

For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the length of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration.

Read more about what should I include in my federal resume? at https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/


You may qualify at the GS-14/15 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private or military sector) that demonstrates your ability to:

• Interacting with a wide variety of DoD and NNSA components, interagency and private sector partners, and foreign government partners.
• Briefing senior levels of the U.S. government and preparing them for public and Congressional engagements.
• Understanding of U.S nuclear weapons systems, strategic deterrence policies, and interagency relationships.
• Evaluating legislative language and providing recommendations to superiors.

How you will be evaluated

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

Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Your application (resumes and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required as listed in this announcement.

Note: Under this DHA, veteran's preference does not apply.

When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility and qualifications for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Your responses to the questionnaire may be compared to the documents you submit. The documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.

Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.