Summary

This position is located in Division of Reactor Oversight.
The supervisor is Jim Anderson.

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from current employees of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on a permanent or competitive term appointment only.

Duties

The successful candidate will perform the full range of Reactor Engineer (Examiner Qualified) duties. Such duties include but are not limited to:

Obtain and maintain qualification as an NRC operator licensing examiner, including assisting the regional offices in the administration of license operator examinations and requalification inspections as necessary.
Provide input to and participate in the policy and decision processes associated with regional oversight and programmatic administration of the operator licensing program, including support of programmatic reviews, examination audits, reviews of applicant informal appeals, and preparation of staff responses related to the formal hearing process.
Develop or assist in developing safety evaluations for licensing actions (e.g., amendments and exemptions) involving operator actions or related to NRC operator licensing requirements.
Respond to questions from the public or internal and external stakeholders regarding the operator licensing program.
Provide support and guidance to the regional programs in the implementation of operator licensing-related regulations.
Participate in the review and preparation of standards and guides related to operator licensing and training programs at reactor facilities.
Evaluate proposals from NRC staff and external stakeholders related to operator licensing-related regulations.

Candidates must have a strong technical and project management background with excellent written and oral communications skills.

Requirements

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:

This is a Drug Testing position
Must be able to meet and maintain security & suitability requirements.

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 applying regulations or guidance related to training and/or administering examinations for licensing of nuclear power plant personnel (for example, as a qualified examiner, NRC-licensed operator, or by holding a position responsible for operator training and licensing at a nuclear power facility, such as training supervisor, instructor, or simulation facility staff member), or experience applying regulations in a regulated industry, or experience developing examinations or tests for licensure or certification or equivalent.

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

Knowledge of nuclear power plant systems and procedures, integrated facility operations, and control room design.
Knowledge of NRC regulations, criteria, standards, guides, NRC policies, review plans, and inspection procedures as applied to operator licensing and plant personnel training.
Ability to manage, organize, plan, lead, and complete technical tasks and projects independently and successfully.
Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, as demonstrated by oral and written communications that are well organized, clear, and grammatically correct.

A description of how you possess the specialized experience as well as how you meet the qualifications desired in an ideal candidate must be addressed in your resume. The NRC encourages applicants to provide job experience details in your resume. Applicants may also use the supplemental vacancy question to provide additional information pertaining to the specialized experience and ideal candidate criteria.

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

Education

Basic Education Requirements:

Qualification for 0801/0830/0840/0850

A. 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.

B. 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.)

Qualification for 1301 series:

Basic Requirements:

A. Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.

B. Combination of education and experience -- education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

You must include an unofficial or official copy of your college and/or university transcripts with your application. Transcript must include the School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). Education must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you have multiple degrees (e.g., BS, MS, PhD) please submit transcripts for each degree.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

There are no education requirements for this position.

Additional information

This position may be eligible for telework in accordance with agency policy.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Other Information:
Although the official position of record is Rockville, MD, the selectee will continue to work from their current duty station and will be required to follow the agency's current in-office reporting and telework policies.

Rockville, MD $121,785 to $158,322
King of Prussia, PA $117,284 to $152,471
Atlanta, GA $112,556 to $146,325
Naperville, IL $118,984 to $154,682
Arlington, TX $115,711 to $150,426

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.

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. 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, 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.

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 concise resume that directly relates to this position.

Required Documents

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, if the position has a positive education requirement. Diplomas do not provide the information needed for determining qualifications and will not be accepted in lieu of transcripts.
SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action): You must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) to verify competitive status or reinstatement eligibility. This SF-50 should not be an award SF-50.

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.

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 instructions before you begin an application. To be considered for this position, you must complete the online application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 06/01/2026. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. For a preview of the application questions, please see https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12959436.

Your complete application must include your resume, responses to all required vacancy questions, and any required documents that prove your eligibility to apply.

To begin your application, select the "Apply" button located on the right side of this screen. Follow the subsequent prompts to log in or register, submit all required documents, answer the questions, and complete the application process. You may either select your required documents within your USAJOBS profile to upload with your application or directly upload them during the application process. The following types of document types can be uploaded: .gif, jpg., .jpeg, .png, .rtf, .pdf, .doc, and .docx.

Important Considerations:

Paper Applications: Paper applications will not be accepted unless you can demonstrate hardship circumstances through the agency contact listed below.
Application Extensions: Requests for application extensions will not be granted.
Hardship Assistance: If you experience hardship applying online, please contact the Human Resources Specialist listed below for assistance. You must reach out during business hours before the announcement closing date and speak with someone who can provide support for your online submission.
The NRC provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the coordinator at (301) 415-5888 or TDD 240-482-3217. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Agency contact information

Erica Mosley-Ferebee

Phone: 301-415-1577
Email: Erica.Mosley-Ferebee@nrc.gov

Address: Division of Reactor Oversight
11555 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
US

Next steps

You may check the status of your application at any time after the announcement closes by logging onto USAJOBs and selecting "Application Status." You will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your resume, question responses, and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability and/or security background investigation.

Additional locations

Arlington, TX

Reactor Engineer (Examiner Qualified) Job