Senior Operations Engineer Job in King of Prussia, PA

Vacancy No. R-I/DORS-2025-0003 Department Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Salary $137,222.00 to $178,388.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/13/2025 Close Date 8/27/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
King of Prussia, PA


Summary

These positions are located in the Region I Office, Division of Operating Reactor Safety (DORS), Operations Branch in King of Prussia, PA.

The supervisor is Sarah Elkhiamy, Branch Chief.

Selectee will be subject to Confidential Financial Disclosure and Security Ownership Restriction reporting requirements.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from internal employees of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on permanent or competitive Term appointments only. Based on the staffing needs of the agency/area of consideration, additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement.

Duties

The Senior Operations Engineer serves as a region-based senior inspector that leads, develops, prepares, administers, and evaluates written and operating examinations for applicants for Reactor Operator (RO) and Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) licenses for commercial nuclear reactor facilities; leads activities to inspect and evaluate the effectiveness of licensee programs to train, evaluate, and re-qualify licensed plant operating staff members; and leads and performs routine and reactive inspections and assessments of the effectiveness of licensee activities related to facility operations.  The Senior Operations Engineer provides technical support and oversight for operator performance and licensing issues including providing formal presentations and training on related topics.

Duties include but are not limited to:

1. Developing, preparing, and administering examinations to applicants for operator and senior operator licenses for nuclear reactors.
2. Integrating inspection findings into overall licensee assessment. 
3. Assisting in the development of operator licensing regulatory policies, recommending improvements, and implementing procedures designed to improve the operator licensing process. 
4. Performing a wide variety of lead duties, generally diverse and multi-disciplinary, associated with the inspection of power reactors.
5. Independently planning, scheduling, and determining the scope of inspection to be performed personally, or by a team (normally 4-6 inspectors).
6. Preparing individual reports and coordinating team reports of inspection findings to document whether the facility is being operated safely, the licensee's management control program is effective, and regulatory requirements are being satisfied.

Qualification as a Chief Examiner in accordance with IMC 1245, Appendix C-10 is preferred, but not required.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • This is a Drug Testing position.
  • Must be able to meet/maintain security and 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

You must possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level (i.e., GG-13).  Such experience should have provided you with the full range of knowledge, skills and abilities addressed in the rating factor questions that are associated with this vacancy announcement as well as in your resume.  

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as work experience applying regulations, criteria, standards, guides, and general NRC policy to provide guidance to facility licensees and regional office operator licensing staff and to independently plan and coordinate staff review of operator licensing activities to assure the safe operation by licensed operators at nuclear power facilities. 

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

1. Demonstrated knowledge of the principles, theories and practices of reactor engineering.

2. Demonstrated knowledge of power plant systems, procedures, and integrated facility operations based on reactor operation or inspection experience at operating commercial nuclear reactor facilities.

3. Demonstrated knowledge of NRC regulations, regulatory guides and industry codes, standards and practices as applied to training and evaluation of operator licensing applicants and licensed reactor operators.

4. Demonstrated ability in oral and written communications.

5. Demonstrated ability to lead people and to effectively manage implementation of program activities. This includes the following attributes: Ability to lead technical staff, provide clear direction, evaluate outcomes and provide effective feedback; Ability to lead staff to resolve complex issues and review overall activity results; Ability to perform as the team leader; Ability to manage and coordinate the implementation and development of program activities.

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

Education

To qualify for these positions, you must meet BOTH basic education/professional knowledge requirements that apply to Federal engineering positions at all grade levels AND the specialized experience requirements outlined above no later than 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.  

Candidates for Federal Government professional engineering positions must meet certain basic professional knowledge requirements. Generally these knowledge requirements are met by having a bachelor's or higher degree in a relevant professional engineering discipline (e.g., mechanical, metallurgical, materials, nuclear, structural, chemical, electrical) from a school of engineering with at least one professional engineering curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). However, if you do not possess such a professional engineering degree, you may still satisfy the professional knowledge requirements if you have current Professional Engineer (P.E.) registration in one of the relevant disciplines from any U.S. State or Territory; or if you successfully passed an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) written examination administered by a State Board of Engineering Examiners; or if you have either a related professional degree or at least 60 semester hours of specified engineering-related college courses COMBINED WITH at least a year of professional engineering work experience performed under professional engineer supervision and guidance.

Note: 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 jobs are described in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Qualification Standards Operating Manual which may be accessed at the following Web site:  OPM Qualification Standards for 0800 Professional Engineering Positions

Additional information

The duty location of this position is King of Prussia, PA.  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.

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.

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. USAJOBS Help Center - Pay and USAJOBS Help Center - 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 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

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.

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 résumé to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, your resume will still be accepted, however only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine if the minimum qualifications for the position have been met. 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:

  1. Job title
  2. Name of employer
  3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/year) format
  4. Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will pro-rate part-time employment in crediting experience.
  5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable).
  6. 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 will 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.

How to Apply

We strongly encourage you to complete your USAJOBS profile before you submit your application for this position.

Please read the entire announcement.  Your application for this vacancy must be received online via the USAJOBS application system BEFORE 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to submit a complete online application, you will not be considered for this position.

Paper applications will not be accepted unless hardship circumstances can be demonstrated. Requests for extensions WILL NOT be granted. If applying online poses a hardship for you, the Human Resources Specialist listed on the announcement will provide assistance to ensure that applications are submitted online by the closing date. Applicants must contact the Human Resources Specialist during business hours BEFORE the closing date of the announcement and speak to someone who can provide assistance for your online submission.

You must answer any job specific vacancy questions. You will be rated based on your responses to any vacancy questions and especially the information provided in your resume. Breadth, recency, and length of experience in the field; training, awards, and commendations; past and current performance; and community or outside professional activities will be considered to determine your level of knowledge, skill or ability for this position.

To begin the application process, select the "Apply On-line" button to the right on this screen. Then follow the prompts to login/register, submit all required supplemental documents, and complete the application process.

Agency contact information

Joanne Challman
Phone
610-337-5353
TDD
240-428-3217
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
Joanne.Challman@nrc.gov
Website
https://www.nrc.gov
Address
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
475 Allendale Road
Region I - Human Resources Staff
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406
United States

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."


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


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