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Reactor Systems Engineer (Neutronics) - Direct Hire Authority RES/DSA-2022-0006

Vacancy closes 09/27/2022

Summary

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: These positions are being filled using Direct-Hire Authority. These positions are located in the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES), Division of Systems analysis (DSA), Fuel and Source Term Code Development Branch (FSCB). The supervisor is Hossein Esmaili. These positions are in the Bargaining Unit with the National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 208.

This job is open to The public: U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: These positions are being filled using Direct-Hire Authority. This is an OPEN UNTIL FILLED ANNOUNCEMENT. It will be used to fill positions as vacancies occur. Over the course of the open period, applications will be reviewed and referred for positions as they become available. The first set of applications will be reviewed and made available for referral on/about April 13, 2022. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to apply early to receive the broadest consideration.

Duties

As a Reactor Systems Engineer (Neutronics) at the full performance level of this position, you will conduct and coordinate with other engineers specialized research in the area of neutronics analysis. You will use and develop neutronics analysis and thermal-hydraulic codes to support resolution of relevant safety and technical issues of Agency interest. You will also coordinate, plan, develop, and provide technical direction of relevant safety research programs. Duties include but are not limited to:

1. Performs routine studies of neutronic and thermal-hydraulic system behavior using advanced multiphysics computational codes (e.g., SCALE) and maintains state-of-the-art knowledge and expertise in the area of neutronics code development and assessment, and experiments used to develop and/or validate computer codes.

2. Maintains and assists other engineers in the development of the state-of-practice NRC neutronics codes such as SCALE and associated specialized routines such as Polaris and ORIGEN.

3. Performs neutronics modeling with SCALE and thermal-hydraulic modeling in support of Agency research needs as well as urgent licensing needs of user offices.

4. Provides technical direction to contractors involved in various nuclear analysis, and coordinates support to users of these programs.

5. Prepares presentations at technical and programmatic review meetings. Attends and participates in technical conferences and seminars sponsored by the NRC and/or professional societies for the purpose of addressing regulatory issues, as requested.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

This is a Drug Testing position.
U.S. Citizenship Required
Background investigation leading to a clearance is required for new hires.

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.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.

For the GG-11 Level:

To qualify at the GG-11 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GG-09 grade level which is defined as experience that demonstrates the knowledge of computer languages and codes (e.g., Fortran, MATLAB, and/or neutronics codes) and knowledge of one or more of the following areas of reactor and nuclear power plant systems design and analysis: neutronics or reactor physics.

3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree OR a Ph.D. OR equivalent doctoral degree.

For the GG-12 Level:

To qualify at the GG-12 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GG-11 grade level which is defined as experience that demonstrates the knowledge of computer languages and codes (e.g., Fortran, MATLAB, and/or neutronics codes) and technical experience in one or more of the following areas of reactor and nuclear power plant systems design and analysis: neutronics or reactor physics.

For the GG-13 Level:

To qualify at the GG-13 grade level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GG-12 grade level which is defined as experience that demonstrates the knowledge of computer languages and codes (e.g., Fortran, MATLAB, and/or neutronics codes) and technical experience in one or more of the following areas of reactor and nuclear power plant systems design and analysis: neutronics or reactor physics to analyze and resolve technical and safety issues.

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

1. Demonstrated knowledge of engineering principles and mathematical methods for reactor analysis, particularly relating to neutronics behavior. Examples may include experience with neutronics response under steady-state, transient and accident conditions and issues related to operating and advanced reactors, high burnup and extended enrichment (HBU/EE) fuel, accident tolerant fuel (ATF), and non-light water reactors.

2. Demonstrated experience in development and assessment of neutronics codes for nuclear reactors designs. Examples may include experience developing and performing safety analysis using neutronics codes (e.g., SCALE, PARCS) and to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the results under normal and postulated off-normal conditions, design basis accident conditions (e.g., LOCA), and severe accident conditions to support the safety assessment of nuclear power plants.

3. Demonstrated ability to independently coordinate, plan, develop, and provide technical oversight and direction of analytical and experimental research programs or projects. Examples may include experience in reviewing, coordinating, and managing the activities of an analytical and experimental research program within schedule and resource limitations, in evaluating varied proposals and approaches to meet a program or project’s challenges, and recommending and implementing changes for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of a program or project.

4. Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate technical information both orally and in writing. Examples may include specific experience and accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to effectively communicate technical information both orally and in writing. Examples may also include leading complex technical discussions, consolidating complex and diverse opinions, data, or analysis results into concise, balanced, and well-founded recommendations and producing high quality technical reports to diverse stakeholders.

A description of how you possess the specialized experience as well as how you meet the qualifications desired in an ideal candidate should be addressed in your resume and additional space provided for supplemental response.

Education

You must include an unofficial or official copy of your college and/or university transcripts with your application. Education must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of credibility of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency.

Qualification for All Professional Engineering 0800 Series:

Basic Requirements:

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:
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.
Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 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.
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.
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.)

More detailed information about these alternatives are described in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Qualification Standards Operating Manual which may be accessed at the following website: https://www.opm.gov/policy-dataoversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/general-engineering-series-0801/

Additional information

These positions are subject to the security ownership restriction reporting requirements.

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

The duty location of this position is Rockville, MD. In general, employees are expected to be in the office 4 days per pay period. Telework schedules are approved, on a case-by-case basis. If selected, telework will be determined in accordance with Agency policy and the Collective Bargaining Agreement, if applicable.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the NRC will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. The NRC will request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

The NRC provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Individuals with disabilities may contact the Selective Placement Coordinator for assistance with the application or hiring process via Disability.Resource@nrc.gov. Deaf applicants may contact the Disability Program Manager by calling the NRC videophone at 240-428-3217.

Individuals who are eligible for non-competitive appointment under an OPM special appointing authority may apply for consideration under a comparable NRC non-competitive appointing authority. Veterans, please visit: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/

Selectee's will be required to complete a "Declaration of Federal Employment", (OF-306), prior to being appointed to determine their suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. False statements or responses on your resume or questionnaire can jeopardize your employment opportunity and subject you to disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.

A transferable security clearance from another agency or a background investigation leading to a clearance is required for all new hires. To begin work at the NRC without a security clearance, you must be granted a temporary waiver of the required clearance, referred to as a 145(b) waiver. To be eligible for a 145(b) waiver you will need a favorable education verification, reference, credit, and criminal history checks. If a wavier is granted, the successful completion of a background investigation and favorable adjudication is required for continued employment. If you have resided outside the U.S. for an extended period of time, the agency may not be able to (1) grant the 145(b) waiver where the required investigation cannot be completed in a timely manner, or (2) achieve timely completion of the background investigation required for a security clearance.

The NRC is a zero tolerance agency with respect to illegal drug use. Individuals selected for this position will be subject to pre-appointment drug testing unless currently in a NRC position subject to random drug testing AND will be subject to random drug testing upon appointment to the NRC.

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.

Benefits:

As an NRC employee you will enjoy excellent Federal Benefits, including: comprehensive health and life insurance plans; Flexible Spending Account Program for health and dependent care; Long Term Care Insurance; Dental and Vision Insurance; retirement savings and investment plan similar to 401(k) (Thrift Savings Plan); annual (vacation) and paid sick leave; family friendly leave policies; 10 paid holidays per year; transit benefits.

This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits When NRC determines that, in the absence of such incentives, it will be difficult to fill the position with a suitable candidate, NRC may offer recruitment incentives to eligible new appointees, or relocation incentives to current Federal employees who are required to move geographically. Generally, current Federal employees are not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

When NRC determines that, in the absence of such incentives, it will be difficult to fill the position with a suitable candidate, NRC may offer recruitment incentives to eligible new appointees, or relocation incentives to current Federal employees who are required to move geographically. Generally, current Federal employees are not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

Review our 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.

Applications will be evaluated based on the information provided in the resume and response to the vacancy supplemental question against the specialized experience and education requirements for this position. Qualified applicants will be forwarded to the hiring manager for possible interview and selection.

Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your knowledge, skills, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to this position. Ensure that your resume addresses how you meet the Specialized Experience Requirement and Ideal Candidate criteria. Be sure to provide plenty of detail that addresses how you meet the specific job requirements.

If selected for an interview, you will be contacted directly by a hiring manager via the contact information you provided in your application. Applicants should not expect to receive additional status updates.

You may preview questions for this vacancy or go to https://jobs.monstergovt.com/nrc/vacancy/previewVacancyQuestions.hms?orgId=3&jnum=36007.

Help

Required Documents

List of supplemental material that may be applicable:

If you are a current/reinstatement eligible Federal employee with status (Tenure Group 1 or 2), you will be considered under our merit promotion procedures and must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) to verify competitive status or reinstatement eligibility.

Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.) You can find additional information about Veterans' Preference at http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

All supplemental documents will now be collected electronically and should be submitted BEFORE the closing date of this vacancy announcement. File uploads are limited to 5MB in size per document. If your file size exceeds 5MB it will not upload. You can reduce the file size by using the reduce file size feature in Adobe Acrobat before upload. You have three choices for submitting your supplemental documents:

1. Use the "USAJOBS" feature to download documents from your USAJOBS portfolio; or

2. Use the "Upload" feature to upload documents directly from your computer. The following types of documents can be uploaded: .gif, .jpeg, .png, .rtf, .pdf, and .doc; or

3. Use the "Fax" feature to print the Fax Cover Sheet and fax it, along with your supplemental documents to 1-571-258-4052.

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

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.

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.

How to Apply

We strongly encourage you to read the entire announcement before you submit your application for this position.

Your application for this vacancy must be received online via the USAJOBS application system BEFORE 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to submit a complete online application, you will not be considered for this position.

The NRC requires that applicants submit resumes built using the USAJOBS Resume Builder tool. The Resume Builder tool is activated upon selecting "Build New Resume" under the "Resumes" section of your USAJOBS account.

Resumes uploaded to your USAJOBS jobseeker account that have not been built using the USAJOBS Resume Builder tool WILL NOT be accepted and you WILL NOT be allowed to further advance through the NRC application process.

To ensure you are using the correct resume type when applying to our vacancies, please make sure that the resume you are using during the application process is listed with a format type of "USAJOBS Resume" and a source type of "Built with USAJOBS Resume Builder. Verifying this information on your USAJOBS resume before applying will ensure the successful submission of your application to the NRC job vacancy.

Paper applications will not be accepted unless hardship circumstances can be demonstrated. Requests for extensions WILL NOT be granted. If applying online poses a hardship for you, the Human Resources Specialist listed on the announcement will provide assistance to ensure that applications are submitted online by the closing date. Applicants must contact the Human Resources Specialist during business hours BEFORE the closing date of the announcement and speak to someone who can provide assistance for your online submission.

To begin the application process, select the "Apply On-line" button to the right on this screen. Then follow the prompts to login/register, submit all required supplemental documents, and complete the application process.

Next steps

You may check the status of your application at any time after the announcement closes by logging onto USAJOBs and selecting “Application Status.”

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.