Branch Chief Job

Vacancy No. IMP-12934544-26-LR Department Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Salary $147,945.00 to $197,200.00 Grade 15 to 15
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 4/10/2026 Close Date 4/23/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Atlanta, GANaperville, ILRockville, MDKing of Prussia, PA
Chattanooga, TNArlington, TX


Summary

These positions are located within various offices. The offices include NMSS and CNRI.
These positions are subject to Confidential Financial Disclosure reporting requirements.
These positions are subject to security ownership restriction reporting requirements

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from current employees of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on a permanent or competitive term appointment only.

Duties

The successful candidate will perform the full range of full range of supervisory duties for the division.

Duties include but are not limited to:

  • As the Branch Chief, you will lead and manage a branch responsible for supporting the agency's mission to protect public health, safety, and the environment. You will provide oversight of programmatic and administrative activities within the branch's scope of responsibility.
  • You will plan, prioritize, and execute work; allocate resources; and ensure timely, high-quality results aligned with organizational goals. You will supervise and develop staff, manage performance, and administer human resources programs in accordance with EEO and merit system principles.
  • You will implement organizational improvements, resolve policy and administrative issues, and coordinate across offices to ensure effective and consistent outcomes. You will also support the Division Director in developing operating plans, policies, and performance measures to assess and improve branch effectiveness.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

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.

Conditions of Employment:

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

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.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as: experience that demonstrates ability to provide direction and manage organizational planning and analysis, as well as performance management, knowledge management and strategic workforce planning, and acquisition management.

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.

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

  1. Leadership and Management of Staff
    Ability to lead, direct, and manage staff in support of mission-critical programs with competing priorities and resource constraints.(Evaluate demonstrated experience in workforce management; fostering an inclusive and high-performing team environment; staffing and resource allocation; performance management; application of EEO principles; delegation; conflict resolution; and aligning personnel resources with mission needs.)
  2. Strategic Thinking and Administrative Management
    Knowledge of and experience in strategic planning, program evaluation, and management of administrative or organizational support functions.
    (Evaluate ability to analyze complex issues, develop and implement improvements, align resources with organizational goals, and assess customer or stakeholder needs.)
  3. Communication and Stakeholder Engagement
    Ability to communicate effectively (oral and written) and build productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
    (Evaluate clarity, effectiveness, and impact of communication; ability to present complex information; stakeholder coordination; and experience representing the organization.)
  4. Budgeting, Workforce Planning, and Business Processes
    Knowledge of budgeting, performance management, workforce planning, and business process improvement.
    (Evaluate ability to plan and manage programs, develop strategies, monitor performance, and improve organizational processes.)

A description of how you possess the specialized experience as well as how you meet the qualifications desired in an ideal candidate must be addressed in your resume. The NRC encourages applicants to provide job experience details in your resume. Applicants may also use the supplemental vacancy question to provide additional information pertaining to the specialized experience and ideal candidate criteria.

PLEASE BE CLEAR AND CONCISE. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Education

There are no education requirements for this position.

Additional information

This position may be eligible for telework in accordance with agency policy.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.

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; 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; 11 paid holidays per year; transit benefits. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees.

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.

When the application process is complete, your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the job requirements. Your application will be evaluated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to any vacancy questions to determine your level of knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the job requirements. You must respond to all required application questions.

If you are among the top candidates for this position, your application will be referred to the hiring manager for possible interview and selection based upon the number of available vacancies to be filled in each office.

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 concise resume that directly relates to this position.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your application package to be complete. If you fail to provide any required documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

  • Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); and 4) other qualifications. Please limit your resume to 2 pages. See below for Additional Resume Information.
  • SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action): You must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) to verify competitive status or reinstatement eligibility. This SF-50 should not be an award SF-50.
All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.

Additional Resume Information:
Your resume is crucial in our evaluation of your qualifications. Resumes should clearly demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and abilities. Please limit your résumé to 2 pages. To ensure your resume contains all required information, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, please ensure it contains all the required information, and you organize it so we can associate the following information with each experience/position:
  • Job title
  • Name of employer
  • Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/year) format
  • Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will pro-rate part-time employment in crediting experience.
  • Concise, results-focused language for job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable).
  • Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position).
Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) or other inappropriate material on your resume or cover letter. If your resume contains prohibited information as listed above, your application may be determined ineligible, and you will not receive consideration for this position. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter, links to social media such as LinkedIn, to determine your qualifications. Cover letters are optional.

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

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin an application. To be considered for this position, you must complete the online application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 04/23/2026. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. For a preview of the application questions, please see https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12934544.

Your complete application must include your resume, responses to all required vacancy questions, and any required documents that prove your eligibility to apply.

To begin your application, select the "Apply" button located on the right side of this screen. Follow the subsequent prompts to log in or register, submit all required documents, answer the questions, and complete the application process. You may either select your required documents within your USAJOBS profile to upload with your application or directly upload them during the application process. The following types of document types can be uploaded: .gif, jpg., .jpeg, .png, .rtf, .pdf, .doc, and .docx.

Important Considerations:

  • Paper Applications: Paper applications will not be accepted unless you can demonstrate hardship circumstances through the agency contact listed below.
  • Application Extensions: Requests for application extensions will not be granted.
  • Hardship Assistance: If you experience hardship applying online, please contact the Human Resources Specialist listed below for assistance. You must reach out during business hours before the announcement closing date and speak with someone who can provide support for your online submission.
  • The NRC provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the coordinator at (301) 415-5888 or TDD 240-482-3217. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Agency contact information

Lindsey Redden
Phone
301-287-0519
Email
lindsey.redden@nrc.gov
Address
Office of the Executive Director for Operations
11555 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
US

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." You will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your resume, question responses, and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability and/or security background investigation.

Additional locations

Chattanooga, TN
Arlington, TX

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

If you are curious, inspired, or interested in bringing your energy to a committed team in a dynamic science, engineering, technical, or administrative career, consider the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). We are professionals dedicated to protecting people and the environment by safeguarding the use of nuclear materials in medicine, industry, and research.

NRC is an independent agency established to protect public health and safety as nuclear energy fuels electrical power and a variety of industrial, medical, and research applications. We come from varied educational and experiential backgrounds-the military, industry, and academia.

The NRC prides itself on creating a work environment rich in opportunity, leadership, training, teamwork and work life balance. Help guide our nation into the next generation of nuclear safety by completing your USAJOBs profile and reviewing our job announcements! Begin a challenging career with the NRC where you can be a 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.

Agency contact information

Lindsey Redden
Phone
301-287-0519
Email
lindsey.redden@nrc.gov
Address
Office of the Executive Director for Operations
11555 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Nuclear Regulatory Commission, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/employment