General Engineer Job in Pittsburgh, PA

Vacancy No. 25-NRLFO-28-12786280-DH Department National Nuclear Security Administration
Salary $63,184.00 to $141,646.00 Grade 2 to 3
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/19/2025 Close Date 8/26/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Pittsburgh, PA


Summary

This position is part of the Naval Reactors Laboratory Field Office, Department of Energy.


National Nuclear Security Administration Demonstration Project:
This position is covered by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Demonstration Project. The NN-02 pay band is equivalent to the GS-9-11 the NN-03 the GS12-13. For more information on the NNSA Demonstration Project and Pay Band/Salary review link @http://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsas-demo-pay-system-compared-general-schedule

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, Nationals, or those who owe allegiance to the U.S. Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) This is a Direct Hire Public Notice. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

Duties

NN-02
  • Serves as a technical assistant to the Senior Naval Reactors Representative on matters pertaining to naval reactor plant design, development and manufacture, and supply chain management and quality oversight for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) and Nuclear Plant Material equipment..
  • Performs quality oversight of NNPP Prime Contractors and supplier quality performance, and conduct quality assurance evaluations and assessments of NNPP Prime Contractors, suppliers, and subcontractors across the country in support of procurement activities for nuclear ship construction.
  • Provides engineering guidance and assistance to program offices or site managers on the interpretation and application of technical requirements and policies, evaluation of modifications and/or alternative approaches, and corrective actions as required.
  • Provides oversight and coordinating with diverse entities such as organizations within the Navy, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Defense Contract Management Agency, reactor plant design laboratories, and shipyards.
  • Performs a variety of duties associated with NNPP work, including (but not limited to): VIRGINIA Class Submarines/UK Technology Exchange, NIMITZ/Ford Class Aircraft Carriers, Reactor Refueling, Reactor Engineering, Instrumentation and Control, Reactor Plant Components/Auxiliary Equipment, New Ship Designs, Surface Ship Propulsion, Advanced Technology, Nuclear Technology, and Reactor Plant Materials.
NN-03

In addition to the duties listed above:
  • Performs supply chain management and quality oversight of NNPP Prime Contractors and supplier quality performance programs, and conduct quality assurance evaluations and assessments of NNPP Prime Contractors, suppliers, and subcontractors across the country in support of procurement activities for nuclear ship construction.
  • Provides engineering advice, guidance and assistance to program offices or site managers on the interpretation and application of technical requirements and policies, evaluation of modifications and/or alternative approaches, and corrective actions as required.
  • Develops internal policy guidance and other documents which may lead to changes in policy or program direction.
  • Participates in a technical advisory capacity and represents the interests and position of the office in meetings, panels, and conferences with other federal agencies, state agencies, national laboratories, contractors, and/or other stakeholders to present briefings/speeches, evaluates and assesses technical research and development reports and plans, and presents issues, problems, impacts, and potential solutions.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service. See www.sss.gov.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final DOE Q level security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
  • Successful completion of a pre-employment drug test (including marijuana) is required. A tentative offer of employment may be rescinded if you fail to report to the drug test appointment or pass the test. You will be subject to random testing.
  • A one year probationary period may be required. Employees serving on probationary period may be terminated at any time during the probationary for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service.
  • Probationary periods are required for new employees appointed to competitive service positions for the first time.
  • Reinstated employees who returned to Federal service after a break in service of 30-days or more and who have not completed a probation will be required to complete a new probationary period.
  • Compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12) governing personal identity which will require that you provide two forms of identification.
  • Your answers to the essay questions will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
  • This position does not support 100% remote work. You will be required to report physically to the official reporting worksite as specified in this announcement. Situational telework may be approved.
  • This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to applicant testing and random drug testing. Failure to test or a positive result on random drug tests conducted after appointment may result in removal from Federal employment.
  • Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budget availability and in accordance with federal regulations.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
NN 02
A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the NN-01 or GS-7 level or equivalent in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting ALL of the following:

1. Knowledge of engineering concepts, practices and principles of nuclear propulsion engineering sufficient to provide oversight of the management of the design, manufacture, and procurement of nuclear-powered reactor systems and components.
2. Knowledge of related fields such as mechanical, electrical, chemical engineering, physics, and quality assurance sufficient to evaluate nuclear propulsion systems designs, manufacturing methods, and quality assurance activities.
3. The ability to apply administrative and fiscal policies, and procedures and practices sufficient to manage or assist in the management of technical problems.

OR
Completion of three full years of graduate level education or all of the requirements for a PH.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a field directly related to Engineering or Physical Science.

OR
A combination of graduate level education and specialized experience.

NN 03
A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the NN-02 or GS-11 level or equivalent in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting ALL of the following:

1. Knowledge of advanced engineering concepts, practices and principles of nuclear propulsion engineering sufficient to provide expert consultative service to the management of major development programs in the design manufacture, and procurement of nuclear-powered reactor systems and components.
2. Knowledge of nuclear propulsion engineering aspects, other than assigned specialty area to apply new concepts, developments, and experienced judgment sufficient to solve a variety of highly complex technical problems.
3. Knowledge of nuclear propulsion engineering sufficient to serve as a recognized consultant and expert in his/her own specialty area of nuclear engineering).
4. Knowledge of related fields such as mechanical, electrical, chemical engineering, physics, and quality assurance sufficient to independently evaluate nuclear propulsion systems designs, manufacturing methods, and quality assurance activities from a broad perspective.
5. Skill in managing technical programs and resources and the ability to independently resolve technical/quality problems necessary to ensure the timely and successful completion of programs.

Resume should be limited to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications Your full resume will be made available to the hiring manager if you are referred.

Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website: IOR: Professional and Scientific Positions: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=GS-PROF
AND IOR: All Professional Engineering Positions: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Time-In-Grade/Band: Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade/time-in-band requirements to be eligible for consideration.

Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:

  • Job Title (include series and grade if Federal Job)
  • Duties (be specific in describing your duties, we cannot make assumptions regarding your experience)
  • Employer's name and address
  • Supervisor name and phone number
  • Start and end dates including month, day and year (e.g. June 18 2007 to April 05 2008)
  • Start and end dates for each grade/pay level if you've held a federal position.
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
  • Salary

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ENGINEER:

  • Bachelor's Degree (or higher) in Engineering OR
  • Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate professional field, provided you have had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. OR
  • Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum. OR
  • Current registration as a Professional Engineer by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico allows eligibility only if your registration is within or closely related to nuclear engineering.


EDUCATION: You must provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the US Department of Education.

Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the US Department of Education. Foreign education special instructions: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation?src=rn

For more information on qualification requirements, please click OPM Qualification Standards.

Additional information

  • This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
  • As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
  • In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
  • The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged noncompliance by completing the Fair Chance Act Intake Form and submitting it to the Administrative Investigations Program at AdministrativeInvestigations@hq.doe.gov.
EEO Policy: Click HERE.
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Click HERE.
Veterans Information: Click HERE.
Telework: Click HERE.
Selective Service Registration: Click HERE.

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.

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.

Benefits

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.

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.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements above.

This position is announced under a government-wide Direct-Hire Authority (DHA). Under the DHA, applicants who meet the Education and Qualification requirements listed in this announcement will be referred for consideration. Veteran's Preference, category rating, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply under the DHA process.

Appointments made under the DHA are processed as "new" appointments. Current Federal employees may be required to serve a new probationary period (5 CFR 315.802(b).


THE APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS WILL BE IN TWO STAGES:

Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Office and/or Subject Matter Expert will review the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications.

Structured Resume Review: The Human Resources Office and/or Subject Matter Expert will review the first two pages of your resume to determine your technical qualifications.

Additional documentation (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) may not be considered.

A quality review will then be conducted by the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME). Your application is rated based on the extent and quality of your experience, education (if applicable to the job), and training described in your online resume/questionnaire as related to the duties of this position. Veterans Preference eligible candidates will be listed at the top of whichever category your score places you in. CP/CPS veterans are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except professional and scientific positions at GS-9 and higher. All qualified candidates will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Your application and resume shall demonstrate that you possess the following:

  • Communication
  • General Engineering
  • Project Management
  • Technical Competence


Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your application how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the Competencies identified above. Cite specific examples of employment or experience contained in your resume and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position. DO NOT write "see resume" in your application.

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified'.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date ( 08/26/2025) of this announcement.

Shared Certificates: The Department of Energy shares lists of applicants among its internal Departmental Elements and organizations. You may be referred for consideration to other DOE Hiring Managers throughout the Department for more than one position based on this application. By applying to this announcement, you understand your application materials may be shared with multiple Hiring Mangers throughout DOE. If additional positions are filled from this announcement conditions of employment may differ. You will be notified if you are referred for additional positions.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12786280.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes:

  • Your two (2) page RESUMEshowing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
  • Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume.
  • Transcripts, if specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement. Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
  • Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable, DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information.
  • Military Spouse, if applicable, Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders authorizing you to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage). For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
  • For more information about what to include in your resume, please view this USAJOBS Resume Tutorial video on YouTube.
Naval Reactors will accept a resume in the format of your choice (as an attached document or as a USAJOBS Resume Builder format). You will be notified at the time you click 'Apply Online' which type of resume is acceptable. It is important that you are complete and thorough in your resume. If any of the above information is not included in your resume, we may not be able to fully credit you for your experience.

If specific educational requirements are indicated for this vacancy: Documentation verifying your educational claims which can include unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned and final grade. Please see the Education section for more information.

For Professional, Scientific and Engineering Positions: If qualifying on the basis of an alternate method, i.e., professional license, you must submit official documentation to support your claim with your application package. If selected for the position you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to onboarding.

Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not provide photos or list a Social Security Number or date of birth on any attachment.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

  1. You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/.
  2. To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button.
  3. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation.
  4. You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date.

You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/

If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.

Agency contact information

Diane Rohaley
Address
Naval Reactors Laboratory Field Office
814 Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard
West Mifflin, PA 15122
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The status of your application will be updated in USAJOBS as it is evaluated.

You can check the status by logging into USAJOBS. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application changes by logging into your USAJobs Account and editing the Notification Settings.

You will be contacted directly if an interview is required.


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


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