Nuclear Materials Courier Job in Albuquerque, NM

Vacancy No. 25-NA-15-OST-XA-00405-DEU Department National Nuclear Security Administration
Salary $55,929.00 to $88,432.00 Grade 1 to 1
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/30/2025 Close Date 9/29/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Albuquerque, NM


Summary

This announcement is to recruit for Nuclear Materials Courier positions for the future Candidate Training Academies. Applicants who currently hold an active Top Secret or Q clearance could have their appointment time expedited. Applicants hired in Albuquerque, New Mexico will have their pay set between $55,929.00 - $88,432.00 depending on the location.

Go to this link for more information on Courier positions. https://fmt.kcnsc.doe.gov/OSTfederalagent/

Duties

As a Nuclear Materials Courier, you will:

  • Serve as a member of a highly specialized armed protective force that is responsible for the safe and secure transportation of classified and/or hazardous materials including nuclear weapons, components, test assemblies, and strategic quantities of weapons-grade special nuclear materials. This involves the operation of Government-owned motor vehicles, including tractor-trailers.
  • Integrate many processes and methods in the fields of security; health and safety; emergency management; and law enforcement, including tactical operations to respond to a multitude of possible natural and/or man-made threats to the safety and security of sensitive, dangerous, and extremely valuable cargo.
  • Participate in security planning prior to trip departures; assess multiple issues and factors related to shipment security during convoy operations; coordinate with other Federal, state or local law enforcement agencies and first responders concerning the investigation of potential criminal or terrorist acts or activities that could be considered a threat to the mission.
  • Will be armed to provide the force necessary, up to and including the use of deadly force, to prevent theft, sabotage or takeover by unauthorized persons or groups. Respond quickly and effectively to environmental, resource, and safety and security issues that may arise unexpectedly in the course of mission operations.
In accordance with 5, Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 410.309(a) any employee selected for training exceeding e.g.,180 hours must sign a written agreement to continue his/her employment with DOE. This continued service agreement (CSA) is required when:(1) Training involves particularly high cost or other unusual factors, and the required service period (one year) may be extended by the Head of the DOE element or designated official with the concurrence of the servicing human resources office.(2) A participant who fails to fulfill the terms of a continued service agreement is required to reimburse DOE for the percentage of the agreement not completed. However, the Head of the DOE element or designated official may waive the element's right of recovery with concurrence of the servicing human resources office.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
  • Subject to Random Drug/Alcohol Testing.
  • Must pass a pre-employment drug test.
  • Must receive a favorable suitability determination.
  • Compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12) governing personal identity which will require that you provide two forms of identification.
  • May be required to successfully complete a one (1) probationary period. Employees serving on a probationary period may be terminated at any time during the probationary period for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service.
  • Must be able to obtain/maintain a Q security clearance.
  • The OST mission is performed on a 24-hour, 7-days a week basis. All employees are subject to participation in both scheduled and unscheduled emergency response exercises and events.
  • Must pass a comprehensive medical examination and psychological evaluation and continue to meet these requirements throughout employment.
  • Physical Requirements: You must be able to meet this requirement semi-annually: 1 mile in 8 minutes, 30 seconds or less and 40 yard sprint from prone position in 8 seconds or less.
  • Satisfactory completion of a training academy.
  • Required to carry a firearm and maintain qualifications on assigned weapons.
  • Must possess or acquire a valid State motor vehicle operator's license prior to appointment; have a satisfactory driving record; and complete the requirements for obtaining a Commercial Driver's License (Class A) during the training academy.
  • Occasional exposure to potential dangers from explosives and radioactive or toxic materials may occur.
  • Nuclear Materials Courier positions are designated as primary positions with special retirement provisions as defined in 5 USC 8336 (c) CSRS and 8412(d) FERS.
  • Applicants must be under age 38 at the time of appointment, with the exception of those applicants who have current covered service for comparable special retirement or those individuals who claim veterans preference.
  • Must be able to obtain/maintain certification under the Department of Energy Human Reliability Program.
  • Be able to meet first aid training requirements.

Qualifications

MPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS OPEN CONTINUOUS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT:

  • This is an open continuous vacancy announcement that will be used to fill vacancies as they occur.
  • To receive consideration for vacancies, applicants must submit a complete application prior to the established cut-off date(s). The initial cut-off date will take place on October 30, 2025 to begin the initial applicant consideration. Applications received after the initial cut-off date will be considered upon subsequent cut-off dates every 30 days: November 30, 2025, December 30, January 30 and every 30 days thereafter.



SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7 or equivalent) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience that provided a knowledge of a body of laws and regulations maintaining and enforcing law and order, practices and techniques involved in protecting life and property. Law enforcement/military practices and techniques in performing high risk, armed, tactical/security operations.

Examples of Specialized Experience:

  • This experience can be obtained from armed security experience which could have been gained in the armed forces, Coast Guard, or other Federal, State, Local government or private organization which involved armed guard or armed-security duties on a regular basis.
  • Experience should have involved: protecting property against theft; sabotage; fire; damage; accident; trespass; maintaining law and order; or protecting lives, etc.

Your application and resume should demonstrate that you possess the following competencies. 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 below. 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.

  • Firearms
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Personnel Security and Safety
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Teamwork
  • Vehicle Operation

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

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

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Under Title 18 USC, Section 922(g)(9), anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence is automatically disqualified from being appointed to a position requiring the possession of a firearm or ammunition, unless such conviction was expunged, set aside, or the applicant received a pardon.

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: The applicants' and employees' health must meet demands for performance in the position and for human reliability program certification. Before entrance on duty and during employment, applicants/employees in these positions must undergo a medical examination and be physically/medically able to perform the duties of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Failure to meet any of the required physical/medical qualifications will be considered disqualifying for employment, except when substantial evidence is presented that the individual can perform the functions of the job without hazard to himself/herself/others, with or without reasonable accommodation.

TRAINING REQUIREMENT AFTER BEING HIRED: Selected individuals will attend a Nuclear Materials Courier training academy at Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas. Travel and per diem expenses will be provided during the candidate training academy. Candidates will reside in a government dormitory while attending the academy. Training at the academy will consist of firearms, tractor-trailer operations, tactics, Federal law Enforcement Training Center, and other required field and classroom instruction. Candidates will be evaluated during each portion of the training as well as evaluated for overall performance. Failure to perform satisfactorily will result in termination from the program and from employment in the Federal Service. Candidates will be required to qualify on assigned weapons day and night, pass a Nuclear Materials Courier Physical Fitness Standards test on the first day of training, and complete the requirements for a Commercial Driver's License during the academy. Failure to meet any qualifications during the training will result in termination from the program and from Federal employment.

Other Information:

  • Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
  • More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.
  • A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified applicant in accordance with the Agency policy and applicable regulations.
  • 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.

EEO Policy: Click HERE.
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Click HERE.
Veterans Information: Click HERE.
Telework: Click HERE.
Selective Service Registration: Click HERE.

Information about the NNSA Demonstration project can be found by clicking 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.

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.

Your application will be rated by our application system using the Category Rating procedure.

THE APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS WILL BE IN TWO STAGES:
Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Office 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 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.

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. The quality categories are usually defined as "Best Qualified", and "Qualified". Veterans Preference eligibles 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.

We will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. If you meet the qualifications requirements, your application will be referred to the selecting official for further review.

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'.

MEDICAL EVALUATION PROCESS: The medical evaluation will consist of comprehensive medical examination and psychological evaluation as describe in the conditions of employment and Human Reliability Program requirements of this vacancy announcement. The physical fitness standard will be tested allowing for a 10% differential to the required standard. The physical fitness evaluations consists of passing the following within approximately 1 hour:

Run 1 mile in 9 minutes 21 seconds or less and 40 yard sprint from the prone in 8.8 seconds or less. Failure to complete or pass any of the comprehensive medical, psychological or physical evaluations will remove you from further consideration for the position.

Upon completion of the selection process as described above, the application package will be reviewed for security and Human Reliability Program (HRP) requirements. Upon favorable review of the security and Human Reliability Program requirements the applicant will be informed via a final offer letter of the starting salary and start date of the training academy. If you are selected for the Nuclear Materials Courier position, please note, applicants will be required to be within the continental United States to perform pre-employment drug test, medical examination, psychological examination and security clearance interview and processing. Being in an overseas location during this time will hinder the ability to accomplish items above and impact your ability to complete the required pre-employment processing for this position in time for the academy start date.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the link below.
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12807561

Required Documents

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

ALL APPLICANTS: You must submit a resume supporting your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire.

  • Your two (2) page RESUME showing 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 may not be considered.
  • 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. If selected, it is mandatory that you provide official transcripts.
  • For more information about what to include in your resume, please view this USAJOBS Resume Tutorial video on YouTube.

NNSA 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.

Submit one or more of the following to support your eligibility(s) to apply to this job announcement:

SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" (current/former federal employees):
To properly verify status eligibility, your SF-50 must show the following. If you do not submit an appropriate SF-50, we cannot verify your status eligibility! Full position title; appointment type; occupational series; pay plan, grade, and step; tenure code; and service computation date (SCD).

If your current position SF50 does not indicate you have competitive/excepted service status or does not reflect the pay plan and grade of the highest position you have held in the competitive/excepted service, in addition to your current SF50, you must provide your previous SF-50s that provide the proof of competitive/excepted status and highest grade held on a permanent basis.

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.

Veterans: 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.

Individuals with Disabilities: Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing your eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u). For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center.

Certain Military Spouses: 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.

Other non-competitive or special appointing authorities: provide documentation which supports your eligibility.

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation Please see the OPM Guide to Career Transition Click HERE for more information.


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.

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

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/

Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance, when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this vacancy announcement.

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.

If your resume does not support the responses in your application questionnaire, or if you fail to submit required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.

Agency contact information

Michelle Allen
Address
NNSA - Office of Secure Transportation
24600 20th St SE
Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5507
US

Next steps

Thank you for your interest in employment with DOE. We will notify you of your results once your application is reviewed.

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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