General Engineer/Scientist (NRAN)

Clarification from the agency

The NRC is accepting resumes from interested candidates with a background in Engineering, Physical Science, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, and Data Science to become part of the 2027 Nuclear Regulatory Apprenticeship Network (NRAN) cohort. Individuals with a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree from a qualifying educational institution with a graduation date between from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 will be considered.

Actual duties will vary depending on placement in the engineering or scientific training and development track. The NRAN program is comprised of two phases. The initial training phase focuses on regulatory, technical, and organizational fundamentals, followed by the apprenticeship phase in the regions and headquarters program offices. Each apprenticeship is designed towards gaining a variety of skills, competencies, and position experience. At the end of the program, cohort members are reassigned into positions in the program offices and regions that have been identified to meet the skill needs of the agency.

Phase I is a foundational knowledge phase. The programming is executed to the members together as one cohort. This phase focuses on agency and program orientation, cohort development, and training on regulatory fundamentals, technical fundamentals, organization knowledge, and NRC values and culture. The length may vary, but it is generally 10-15 weeks in duration. During Phase I, the cohort may have opportunities to travel to the regions, site visits, and training at the NRC's Technical Training Center in Chattanooga, TN, as arranged through the program.

Phase II is the apprenticeship phase. In this phase, NRAN members engage in three (3) 4-5-month apprenticeships where they gain hands-on experience in regulatory decision-making positions. It is generally expected that one of the apprenticeships be based in a regional office, with support for travel provided by the agency. The expected activities and accomplishments for each apprenticeship are discussed in advance among the NRAN member, apprenticeship supervisor from the receiving office or region, and NRAN Branch Chief. Expectations are then documented in a signed apprenticeship agreement. Changes in the agreement must be mutually agreed upon by the three signing parties. This phase may include designated technical trainings.

The NRAN members will provide a close-out memorandum to the apprenticeship supervisor(s) and NRAN Branch Chief accounting for activities completed or basis for non-completion. NRC employees have responsibilities that include: protecting public health and safety, protecting the environment, protecting and safeguarding nuclear materials and plants in the interest of national security, and assuring conformity with antitrust laws. Agency employees perform these functions through standards-setting and rulemaking; technical reviews and studies; conducting public hearings; issuance of authorizations, permits, and licenses; inspection, investigation, and enforcement; evaluation of operating experience; and confirmatory research.

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:

• U.S. Citizenship REQUIRED
• This is a Drug Testing position
• Must be able to meet and maintain security & suitability requirements.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

This announcement is intended for students majoring in engineering or physical science who are Recent Graduates to create the NRAN cohort which will commence in July 2027. A degree in Engineering, Physical Science, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or Data Science must be obtained between July 2026 and June 2027. Applicant must meet the GPA requirement in order to be considered.

A veteran who, due to military service, was precluded from applying within the 2-year eligibility period will have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon his/her release or (honorable) discharge from active duty, up to a maximum of 6 years from the date the individual completed the academic requirements.

It is your responsibility to furnish documentation that verifies you meet the basic education and professional knowledge requirements. In the absence of such documentation, you will be rated not qualified.

Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

All information in your resume must be true and accurate.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must meet basic education and professional knowledge requirements that apply to Federal engineering and physical sciences positions for the grade levels to which you are applying. Knowledge requirements are typically met by having a bachelor's or higher degree in a relevant professional engineering or physical science discipline from a school of engineering with at least one engineering curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) or by documenting how you meet the minimum OPM qualification standards for the 0801 Occupational Series or 1301 Occupational Series.

Education requirements for the NRAN program may also be met by having a bachelor's or higher degree in a relevant computer science, data science, or cybersecurity discipline that meets the minimum OPM qualification standards for the 1550 Occupational Series or 1560 Occupational Series. *If qualifying based on a degree in computer science, data science, or cybersecurity discipline, completed coursework must include at least two courses in either engineering or physical science and at least two courses in college-level mathematics (e.g., calculus, statistics, linear algebra, differential equations, etc.) completed at an accredited university or college with a score of B- or higher in each.

Engineering technology degrees are not generally qualifying unless supplemented by other evidence of the individual's professional knowledge (e.g., current P.E. license or EIT examination results, as discussed above). More detailed information about these alternatives for meeting the knowledge requirements for Federal professional engineering and sciences jobs is described in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards.

Candidates must meet the qualifications for this position before placement in the position. Required academic degrees, if not completed by the application date, must be completed by the end of June 2027.

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

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 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, experience, 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.

Ideal candidates for this position will be those who not only meet the established education requirements, but who also demonstrate a well-rounded set of academic, professional, and leadership experience. Well-rounded experience may include accomplishments such as receiving academic awards or scholarships from a professional or technical organizations; serving as an active member in a professional or technical societies; serving in a leadership role in an extracurricular student organization; serving in a technical or professional role, such as an internship, co-op, or research assistantship; and/or other examples.

Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, experience, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a resume that directly relates to this position.

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.
• Transcripts: You must submit an official or unofficial copy of your college and/or university transcripts with your application, as the position has a positive education requirement. Failure to submit transcripts will result in loss of consideration. Diplomas do not provide the information needed for determining qualifications and will not be accepted in lieu of transcripts.

In addition to the above, you must submit the documents below if you claim the following eligibilities:

• Current Federal Employees/Reinstatement Eligibles: You must submit a copy of your most recent non-award SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) to verify competitive/excepted status or reinstatement eligibility. Applicants who only submit an award SF-50 will not receive further consideration.
• Veteran Preference Eligibles: You must submit DD-214 showing type of discharge/character of service (e.g. DD-214 Member 4 Copy); SF-15 Form; and related documentation such as a VA letter showing disability percentage. If currently on active duty, you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active-duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veteran's preference must be verified prior to appointment. You can find additional information about Veterans' Preference at http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.
• Individuals with Disabilities: If you are applying under the Schedule A Hiring Authority, you must submit supporting documentation (i.e., Schedule A Letter). You may refer to the following link for additional information. USAJOBS Help Center - Individuals with disabilities.
• Military Spouse: All military spouses must submit documentation verifying marriage to the service member (e.g., marriage certificate); AND
  • Current military orders (e.g., statement of service) to support active-duty service for more than 180 consecutive days; OR
  • If you are a spouse of a 100% disabled service member, documentation must include service member's DD-214 and 100% service disability (e.g., VA Letter); OR
  • If you are an un-remarried widow or widower of a service member killed while on active duty, documentation must include verification of service member's death while on active duty (e.g., DD-1300).
• Peace Corps: You must submit a copy of your description of service or other proof of non-competitive eligibility.

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.

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