General Engineer (Developmental) - Summer Scholars Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. DNFSB-25 EXE-12792123AMM Department Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
Salary $69,923.00 to $69,923.00 Grade 1 to 1
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/2/2025 Close Date 9/26/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position is with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) in the Office of the Technical Director. As an independent agency within the Executive Branch, the DNFSB is responsible for overseeing nuclear safety across the Department of Energy's (DOE) nuclear weapons complex.

Summer scholars collaborate with leading nuclear safety experts to address critical and complex technical challenges that directly impact the safety of both the public and the workforce.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Seeking juniors in an undergraduate engineering, mathematics, or science degree program for work during the May-August 2026 timeframe.

Duties

As a summer scholar with the Office of the Technical Director, you will report to the Deputy Technical Director and work under the guidance of technical staff mentor(s).

Responsibilities include:

  • Completing technical assignments.
  • Performing professional tasks and communicating progress, challenges, and recommendations to supervisor and technical staff mentor(s).
  • Interacting with DNFSB administrative, technical, and legal staff, as well as DOE officials and contractors, to exchange information on safety-related issues.
Summer scholars may perform the following activities to complete their work assignments:
  • Reviewing safety basis documentation.
  • Researching design, operational, and functional requirements within the DOE directives system or national standards.
  • Performing calculations and computer modeling of processes and systems at defense nuclear facilities.
  • Visiting defense nuclear facilities for discussions with site technical personnel on safety issues.
  • Writing reports documenting the results of reviews, discussions, calculations, and modeling.
  • Documenting findings and briefing results to the agency leadership.
  • Performing additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by background investigation.
  • Must pass a drug screening.
  • Direct Deposit of pay is required.
  • Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.

Qualifications

Basic Requirement for Engineers (NOTE: You must attach a copy of your transcripts. Failure to submit transcripts will result in an ineligible rating.)1. Degree Program - You must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program in engineering, mathematics, or science, at an ABET-accredited institution. Please visit ABET's website (Home - ABET) for more information on engineering programs that have received accreditation.

Acceptable disciplines include:
  • Engineering Fields: Civil, Structural, Geotechnical, Fire Protection, Reliability, Systems, Industrial, Mechanical, Materials, Nuclear, Electrical, Chemical, and other engineering majors.
  • Mathematics and Science Fields: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and related majors.
2. Grade Point Average - You must possess a minimum 3.4 G.P.A. or higher based on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).

Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

Applicants must carefully review the information in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section for important information and instructions pertaining to the multi-hurdle assessment process for this position.

Education

If qualifying based on EDUCATION you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

Only education from institutions which are accredited or preaccredited/candidate for accreditation may be used to meet education requirements.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

Additional information

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.

Telework Suitability:
The duties of this position are suitable for occasional telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval and if they meet the eligibility criterion in the 2010 Telework Act.

Stipulations of Employment:
This temporary appointment may be extended at any time at management's discretion. Selection does not confer eligibility to be promoted or reassigned to other positions or to be non-competitively converted to a career-conditional appointment.

This position is subject to a negative drug test prior to entrance on duty, and random drug testing while you occupy the position.

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.

Work Schedule:
This position allows for a flexible work schedule.

Miscellaneous:
DNFSB E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.

These positions are being hired for the following time frame: May-August 2026.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days.

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.

Applicants who "self-certify" that they meet the minimum qualification standards, and other eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement may be referred to the selecting official who may conduct their own assessment for further consideration and interviews.

The selectee's eligibility will be verified prior to extending a tentative job offer. After making a tentative job offer, all pre-employment and suitability requirements will be conducted prior to a final job offer. Selections made under this notice will be processed as new appointments to civil service. Current civil service employees, would, therefore, be given new appointments to the civil service.

Veteran's Preference:
Veterans' Preference does not apply to Direct-Hire recruitment procedures. Applicants eligible for veteran preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g. DD Form 214, SF-15, or other substantiating documents) to their submissions. For more information on veterans' preference see: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-employment-initiative/vet-guide/

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment mm/yy and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted, only the most current resume will be reviewed for qualifications. Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
2. Other supporting documents:

  • College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education
  • SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
  • Non-competitive appointment authority documentation, if applicable
  • Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible
  • Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
  • Cover letter, optional
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices. Note: A PDF Portfolio contains multiple files assembled into an integrated PDF unit. The files in a PDF Portfolio can be in a wide range of file types created in different applications. To ensure the document is not a PDF Portfolio document, open the document and if there are multiple different documents with a variety of extensions, it is a PDF Portfolio document and will not be processed.

It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted prior to the closing date of the announcement.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit here.

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

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section of this vacancy.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.

  • To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
  • You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
  • Read the Eligibility questions carefully. The questions address if you are eligible to apply to this JOA. Your responses will affect your consideration for the position. You may qualify for more than one eligibility, so please choose carefully. You will only be considered under the options you have selected. If you respond that you do not meet any of the eligibility questions, you will not be considered for this position.
  • You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
  • To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • You may preview the Assessment Questionnaire at: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12792123
If you have questions about this job, please contact the HR Office representative listed in the "Agency Contact Info" section of this vacancy announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Mountain Time, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, you may request an alternate application method from the Agency Contact listed in the vacancy. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon EST on the closing date of the announcement.

Agency contact information

Amanda McArdle
Address
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
625 Indiana Ave NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20004
US

Next steps

For status updates on your application, please follow the directions listed above in the How to Apply section. Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. If you are selected for an interview for this position, you will be contacted directly. A final job offer for this position is typically made within several weeks after the closing date of the vacancy announcement. After confirming a job offer, all other applicants will be notified of their non-selection.


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


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