Background

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) The NRC prides itself on creating a work environment rich in opportunity, diversity, leadership, training, teamwork and work life balance.
Begin a challenging career as part of a select group of professionals who protect people and the environment with the peaceful use of nuclear materials in medicine, industry, and research.

Duties

The position is with the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR), Division of Safety Systems (DSS) and Division of Advanced Reactors, Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities (DANU).

Note: Duty location is negotiable after selection.

As a Nuclear Engineer with DANU, you will be responsible for the following pertaining to reactor core or fuel design, nuclear methods, reactor systems and evaluations of operating performance for operating or new light-water or non-light-water power or non-power production or utilization facility applications:

Performing and supporting reviews and evaluations of the reactor core, fuel and thermal-hydraulic systems design, process design parameters, nuclear methods, and performance.
Supporting the resolution of complex technical issues and licensing problems.
Providing in-depth technical assistance and authoritative advice relating to the safety aspects of the reactor core and systems design.
Performing complex reviews and evaluations of nuclear and thermal-hydraulic aspects of the reactor core under steady-state, transient, and accident conditions, including issues pertaining to core physics, fuel behavior, and reactivity control system and control rod design.
Performing reactor systems analyses using advanced computer simulation for licensing reviews, including independent calculations and engineering analyses to confirm or verify the applicants' or licensees' predictions of systems and component performance, including fuel and core performance, under postulated transient and accident conditions.
Reviewing and evaluating technical policy issues related to reactor systems methodologies and requirements for proposed designs.
Preparing safety evaluations (SEs), audit reports, and other documentation and presenting the results to internal and external stakeholders (e.g., NRC Commission, NRC Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, international regulatory counterparts, industry and non-governmental organization representatives, the public).

Qualifications

Education:

A Degree in Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelors 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:

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.
2. 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.
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 the Education requirement, 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 bachelors degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least one year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance.

Experience:

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

1. Demonstrated capacity to apply the theories, principles, and practices in the field of reactor core, fuel and thermal-hydraulic systems design and nuclear methods sufficient to perform complex reviews and evaluations of nuclear and thermal-hydraulic aspects of the reactor core under steady-state, transient, and accident conditions, including issues pertaining to core physics, fuel behavior, and reactivity control system and control rod design for operating or new light-water or non-light-water power or non-power reactor or nuclear fuel designs. (DOUBLE WEIGHTED). Describe specific experience, education, and training that demonstrate your ability to apply your knowledge related to reactor core, fuel and thermal-hydraulic systems design and nuclear methods for operating or new light-water or non-light-water power or non-power reactors or nuclear fuel designs. Include examples relative to both thermal hydraulic and reactivity phenomena under steady-state, transient and accident conditions for licensing basis events and issues related to qualification of nuclear fuel designs. Highlight experience in performing computer-assisted analyses in the area of nuclear fuel, reactor thermal-hydraulics and/or core physics for licensing basis event analysis.
2. Demonstrated ability in formulating sound technical judgements, making technical or policy recommendations, and finding solutions to unique first of a kind technical or policy challenges regarding issues pertaining to event evaluation in the areas of core physics, fuel behavior, reactivity control system and control rod design, and core thermal-hydraulic performance. Describe education, training and experience that demonstrate your ability to formulate technical judgments. Provide examples of judgments, recommendations, or actions you have taken regarding unique first of a kind technical or policy issues pertaining to core physics, fuel behavior, reactivity control system and core thermal-hydraulic performance. Describe your ability to identify complex issues and recommend successful approaches for resolution for areas representing a departure from past precedent, or in the absence of applicable guidance. Highlight examples that demonstrate resourcefulness, initiative, and ingenuity in reaching work objectives. Include specific examples that describe the complexity of the work, and your ability to organize, prioritize and accomplish work such as reactor systems reviews, or authorship of technical or policy papers.
3. Demonstrated knowledge of rules, regulations, and policies pertaining to light-water or non-light-water power or non-power production or utilization facilities through familiarity with advanced reactor vison, strategy, and policy activities, reactor licensing regulations, passive reactor design policies, system design standards, and regulatory guides and practices. Describe specific experience, training, and accomplishments that demonstrate your familiarity with NRC rules, regulations, and policies pertaining to light-water and non-light-water power or non-power production or utilization facilities. Include several technical work examples and describe the complexity of the issues.
4. Demonstrated ability to communicate information, ideas, and advice in a clear, concise, and logical manner, both orally and in writing. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with management and staff, colleagues, and representatives of external organizations. Describe education, training, and experience which demonstrate your ability to present information, ideas, and advice in a clear, concise, and logical manner both orally and in writing. Describe your ability to deal effectively with various levels of staff, to coordinate and prepare documents using various inputs. Describe the various types and levels of individuals you routinely interact with and for what purposes. What types of original writing do you generate? With whom do you communicate orally and for what purpose? What types of working relationships have you made, with whom, and how frequently? Include examples of situations where it was necessary for you to use tact, diplomacy, and negotiation skills to achieve cooperation or consensus when interacting with staff, management, or the general public.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as: experience technically and analytically reviewing, numerically modeling or evaluating design, operation, or performance of the reactor core, fuel designs, or reactor systems for nuclear reactors.

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.
Be sure to review the complete details of the Qualifications sections in the official Job Opening Announcement (JOA) at USAJOBS.gov.

How to Apply

Visit www.nrc.gov Review the NRC Career Opportunities page, click on Apply Now then Search for Job Opportunities and click on current NRC vacancies. Find the Public Notice for Nuclear Engineer Job Announcement Number NRR-2025-0003 and apply on-line by December 26, 2024.

Note: Multiple selections may be made; Location Negotiable After Selection; and a 25% recruitment incentive may be authorized.

If you are viewing this announcement after the closing date of December 26, 2024 please visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/Resultsa=NU00 to check out other jobs in which you may be interested.