Deputy Director, Division of Risk Assessment Job in Rockville, MD

Vacancy No. NRR/DRA-2026-0001 Department Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Salary $184,900.00 to $209,600.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 1/12/2026 Close Date 1/26/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Rockville, MD


Summary

Organization Location: Office of Nuclear RegulationHeadquarters, Rockville, MD

Supervising Executive: Deputy Office Director for Engineering, Michael Franovich

Selecting Authority: Executive Resources Board makes recommendation to: Executive Director for Operations

Area of Consideration: Civil Service Wide

This is a Tier 3: (NRC Pay Group C) SES position

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

Senior executives

Individuals looking for an executive-level job and who meet the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs).

Clarification from the agency

Open to all groups of qualified individuals from the public. Current employees within the Federal Excepted Service. Current Career SES and SES reinstatement eligible. SESCDP graduates may also apply for noncompetitive consideration.

Duties

The Deputy Director, Division of Risk Assessment assists the Director, Division of Risk Assessment, in developing and implementing policies and guidance for the use of probabilistic risk assessments in regulatory decision making and rulemaking.  Performs and evaluates probabilistic safety assessments for nuclear power plants, evaluates severe accident issues as they relate to new plant designs and current generation plants, evaluates design basis containment, ventilation and fire protection systems performance, and performs and evaluates accident dose assessments.  Provides expertise for other related purposes such as specific safety issue resolution, special inspections, and event and incident response.

Duties include but are not limited to,

  • Coordinates and manages division resources to execute licensing and technical reviews associated with the overall safety and environmental project management for the individual power reactors including; licensing actions, such as, amendments, technical specification initiatives, and exemptions or other requests requiring NRC approval; oversight actions to support resolution of generic issues and plant specific emergent issues; rulemaking actions to support development of PRA consensus standards and implementation of appropriate PRA quality requirements, and technical support for incident response.

  • Oversees and approves licensing issues including: 1) licensing amendments for power reactors, all modes of operation; 2) technical specification initiatives; 3) safety evaluations, including accident dose consequences or fire protection issues; and 4) authorization of the expenditure of funds assigned to the Division.

  • Develops and manages policies, programs, and procedures for implementing reviews and the licensing and oversight processes in coordination with applicants and licensees, the Office of the General Counsel and the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards.

  • Assigns and directs work within the organization, evaluating staff and organizational effectiveness in accomplishing assigned tasks, and trouble-shooting problems that arise in accomplishing the goals and objectives of the organization. Develops and implements more efficient and streamlined methods and procedures to accomplish the goals and objectives of the organization.

  • Requests and utilizes financial resources effectively and efficiently to accomplish agency mission and goals.

  • Ensures that staff performance is managed effectively and performance plans identify key performance priorities and appraisal results indicate meaningful distinctions are made in staff performance assessments.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

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

Conditions of Employment

  • This employer participates in the E-Verify Program
  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • Subject to satisfactory security and suitability determinations
  • New appointees must successfully complete a 1-year probationary period
  • Must pass a pre-employment drug test; random testing after appointment
  • This is a career position in the SES. Unless the selectee is already a member of the SES with career status or has successfully completed an SES Candidate Development Program certified by OPM the candidate must complete the ECQ process.
  • Executive qualifications must be approved by OPM before appointment can be effected.
  • You must meet the qualification requirements of this position no later than the closing date of the job opportunity announcement

Qualifications

As a basic requirement, applicants must demonstrate progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level managerial capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Professional/Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications listed below. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the equivalent of the GS-15 grade level in the Federal service or its equivalent with state and local government, the private sector, or non-governmental organizations. Failure to meet this basic qualification requirement and all executive and technical qualification factors will automatically exclude you from further consideration.

All candidates for SES positions with the Federal Government must demonstrate leadership experience indicative of senior executive level management capability. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show in your resume that you possess the Fundamental Competencies, five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), and the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) listed below. It is recommended that your resume emphasize levels of responsibility, scope and complexity of programs managed, and program accomplishments and results.

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQ) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGESResumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.

PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS

PTQ 1. Broad technical knowledge and understanding of the scientific and engineering disciplines involved in the licensing, design, construction and operation of nuclear reactor plants.  Extensive experience in reactor safety and environmental evaluations as they pertain to power reactors licensed for operation.

PTQ 2.Specialized knowledge of nuclear safety standards, regulations, codes and guides and their implementation to ensure that the operation of licensed reactor facilities will not endanger the health and safety of the public or the environment. 

PTQ 3. Knowledge and thorough understanding of national nuclear policy, the regulatory program and process, and the regulated industry.  Thorough understanding of current technical issues and their implications.

PTQ 4. Knowledge and skill in the principles and practices of technical management, supervision, administration and direction of senior level technical, administrative professional, and managerial personnel.  Ability to manage and direct multi-disciplined, highly complex technical programs involving diverse organizational components

PTQ 5. Ability to represent NRR and NRC effectively to the Congress, senior industry executives, top officials of other government agencies, members of the public and foreign governments; maturity and depth of judgment sufficient to represent the Director of NRR, the NRR Deputy Office Director, and the NRC in assigned areas of responsibility. 

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS

ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding-This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.

ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency- This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.

ECQ 3: Merit and Competence-This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.

ECQ 4: Leading People- This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization’s vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.

ECQ 5: Achieving Results- This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Education

All Professional Engineering Positions, 0800 Basic Requirements:

A. 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.
OR

B. 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. 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.

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 paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A

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 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.)

Note: An applicant who meets the basic requirements as specified in A or B above, except as noted under B.1., may qualify for positions in any branch of engineering unless selective factors indicate otherwise. You must include an unofficial or official copy of your college and/or university transcripts with your application.  Transcript must include the School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). 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.  If you have multiple degrees (e.g., BS, MS, PhD) please submit transcripts for each degree.  Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation.

Additional information

The duty location of this position is: Headquarters, Rockville, MD

  • When NRC determines that, in the absence of such an incentive, it will be difficult to fill the position with a suitable candidate, NRC may offer a relocation incentive to a current Federal employee who is required to geographically move.
  • Veteran’s Preference does not apply to the Senior Executive Service
  • Salary for Senior Executive Service positions vary depending on qualifications and the responsibilities of the position
  • Selected candidate will be subject to a one-year probationary period in the Senior Executive Service unless required probationary period has been served
  • This position is subject to Public Financial Disclosure Reporting requirements and NRC prohibited securities ownership restrictions. Selected candidate is required to file a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278) within 30 days after appointment
  • The NRC provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please notify the Disability Program Coordinator at (301) 287-0712. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
  • Selected candidate 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 section 145(b) waiver under the Atomic Energy Act. To be eligible for a 145 (b) waiver you need favorable education verification, and reference, credit, and criminal history checks. If a waiver 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. The individual 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.

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. https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_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.

You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education (if applicable). Your application will be rated and ranked by an Executive Resources Board (ERB) Panel, comprised of at least three SES members, using only the information required within the application package. Applicants who do not demonstrate in their application sufficient possession of the Fundamental Competencies, ECQs, and PTQs will be determined ineligible for further consideration.

As part of the Resume Based recruitment method, the ERB Panel conducts a structured interview for all applicants, both competitive and non-competitive, who are determined to be in the top category from the ERB Rating Panel. Based on the Panel's evaluation, applicants who are determined Best Qualified will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

Once a candidate has been identified for selection, reference checks may be completed. The Department's appointing official(s) will make a final approval of the selection, and in competitive cases, OPM's Qualifications Review Board (QRB) must certify the ECQs before final appointment can occur. If OPM approval is required for the ECQs, the candidate is required to assist in the development of the QRB template for submission to the QRB. Verification of performance, suitability and security information from reference checks will be taken into consideration when making offers of employment.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

List of supplemental material that may be applicable:

1. If you are a NRC employee you are required to submit your most recent Rating of Record (Performance Appraisal) or a statement saying that one is not available.

2. 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.  

3. If you are applying for a position that requires a college degree, you must submit your College Transcripts.

All supplemental documents will now be collected electronically and should be submitted before the closing date of this vacancy announcement.  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.
Use the "USAJOBS" feature to download documents from your USAJOBS portfolio; 

NOTE: Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to any vacancy questions, and if necessary, documents which prove your eligibility to apply. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, please ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. 

  1. Job title
  2. Name of employer
  3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/year) format
  4. Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
  5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable).
  6. Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position).

If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, please submit your transcript OR list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses along with the course credits in your resume. Do not include any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume.   We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications. 

Please carefully review the list of document descriptions below, to see which documents are required for your application. 

1. If you are an NRC employee, you are required to submit your most recent Rating of Record (Performance Appraisal) or a statement saying that one is not available. 

2. If you are a federal employee, it is requested that you submit your most recent Rating of Record (Performance Appraisal).

All supplemental documents should be submitted electronically before the closing date of this vacancy announcement.

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.

NOTE: Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to any vacancy questions, and if necessary, documents which prove your eligibility to apply.


To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder.  If you choose to use your own resume, please ensure it contains all of the required information, and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

  1. Job title
  2. Name of employer
  3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/year) format
  4. Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
  5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable).
  6. 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 will 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.

You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume. Breadth, recency, and length of experience in the field; training, awards, and commendations; past and current performance; and community or outside professional activities will be considered to determine your level of knowledge, skill or ability for this position. 

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, one of the Human Resources Specialists listed on the announcement will provide assistance to ensure that applications are submitted online by the closing date. Applicants must contact the one of the Human Resources Specialists 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.

Agency contact information

Dorian Pierce
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
executive.resources@nrc.gov
Address
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Office of Human Resources
Attn: Executive Resources
Washington, District of Columbia 20555
United States

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."


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.