Duties
As a Mechanical Engineer in the Materials Safety and Licensing Branch, you will serve as a Sealed Source and Device Reviewer, responsible for safety reviews of sealed source and device applications and assist with the implementation of Nuclear Regulatory Commission policies, procedures, criteria, and guides for regulating the use of radioactive materials related to sealed sources and devices and other byproduct material uses.
You will perform a wide range of technical review, evaluation, coordination, and support functions. Duties include:
- Responsible for technical safety reviews, including assessments of sealed sources and devices and other byproduct material systems.
- Reviews information relevant to the evaluation of radiological safety of license applications, technical reports, and special projects involving the regulation of byproduct material.
- Evaluates radiation incidents involving radioactive materials and recommends appropriate action.
- Supports efforts to develop policies and procedures and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the incumbent’s function areas.
- Provides advice and recommendations to division and office management in the incumbent’s functional areas.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- This is a Drug Testing position.
- Must be able to meet/maintain security & suitability requirements.
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.
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 which demonstrates knowledge of the principles of engineering adequate to review assessment of byproduct materials licensing and applying the principles of nuclear safety and NRC regulations and guidance related to the use of byproduct material.
The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:
1. Demonstrated knowledge of the principles, theory and practices in the field of engineering, health physics, or byproduct materials regulation to identify, analyze and develop conclusions regarding assessments of regulatory programs, radiological device and/or sealed source designs, or radiation safety programs and controls. (See examples below)
Describe specific experience, education, training, and accomplishments demonstrating knowledge and skills in the areas of engineering, health physics, or byproduct materials regulation and demonstrated ability to identify safety issues and recommend sound regulatory approaches as they relate to regulatory programs or licensee activities or operations. This should include how the knowledge was used in developing conclusions regarding assessments of licensee performance or on the acceptability of a licensing action.
2. Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively technical analyses, issues, and recommendations, both orally and in writing. (See examples below)
(Describe specific experience, training and accomplishments that demonstrate your communication skills. Describe in detail your ability to (1) lead complex technical discussions and consolidate complex and diverse opinions into concise presentations; (2) formulate balanced and well-founded recommendations. Describe the various levels of individuals you interact with and for what purposes. Describe presentations or formal training you delivered and what topics. Provide examples of written products.)
3. Ability to interact and work effectively with management and staff at all levels of the organization to achieve cooperation and collaborative agreement among parties with diverse and often conflicting viewpoints or objectives.
(Provide examples where your actions to negotiate, achieve cooperation and develop collaborative agreement resulted in successful solutions to problems or projects. Describe techniques you have used to develop effective working relationships. Describe any situations where you worked in a team or group atmosphere; formulated balanced and well-founded recommendations, and established effective work-relationships with colleagues, supervisors, other government, and/or industry officials. For each example, describe the significance or complexity of the activity, the role you played, e.g., author, principal contributor, team member, etc., why the interactions were effective, and the results or outcomes of your actions.)
PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Education
- 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
- 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.)
Additional information
The duty location of this position is Rockville, MD. This position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with Agency policy.
Based on the staffing needs of the agency/area of consideration, additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement.
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/working-in-government/benefits and https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/pay.
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. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to any vacancy questions to determine your level of knowledge, skill and ability related to the job requirements. If you are among the top candidates for this position, your application will be referred to the hiring manager.
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 thorough resume that directly relates to this position.
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Required Documents
- Your SF-50 shows a federal position you've held, grade level and duty location. Your SF-50 can support position changes, conversions or separation for employment eligibility.
As 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. Additionally, you must also submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action).
NOTE: Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to any vacancy questions, and if necessary, documents which prove your eligibility to apply.
Your resume is crucial in our evaluation of your qualifications. Resumes should clearly demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and abilities. Please limit your resume 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.
- Detailed description of 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).
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.
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.
All supplemental documents can now be collected electronically and should be submitted before the closing date of this vacancy announcement. You have two 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.
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.