Summary

Organization Location: Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Supervising Executive: Mirela Gavrilas, Executive Director for Operations

Selecting Official: The Commission

Area of Consideration: Open Competition

Salary: This is a Tier 1 (NRC Pay Group A) SES position

Financial Disclosure: This position is subject to Public Financial Disclosure Reporting requirements and NRC prohibited securities ownership restrictions

This job is open to

• The public
  
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
• Federal employees - Competitive service
  
  Current or former competitive service federal employees.
• Federal employees - Excepted service
  
  Current excepted service federal employees.
• Senior executives
  
  Those who meet the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs).

Duties

As the Director for the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, you will provide programmatic leadership and direction, plan, recommend, manage and implement programs of nuclear regulatory research. You will interface with all NRC Offices and the Commission on research issues along with independently propose and improvement to the agency's regulatory research programs and processes to achieve enhanced safety, efficiency and/or effectiveness based on the results of this research. These major duties are not an inclusive list. You will provide leadership and direction to subordinate supervisors and professional staff responsible for:

• Coordinates research activities with the Program Offices, as appropriate. Coordinates the development of consensus and voluntary standards for agency use, including appointment of RES staff to committees.
• Based on research results and experience gained, recommends regulatory actions to resolve ongoing and potential safety issues for nuclear power plants and other facilities regulated by the NRC.
• Directs research activities and programs to reduce uncertainties in areas of potentially high safety or security risk or significance.
• Develops the technical basis for risk-informed, performance-based regulations in all areas regulated by the NRC.
• Leads the agency's initiative for collaborative research with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other Federal agencies, the domestic nuclear industry, U.S. universities, and international partners.
• Leads the agency's Future Focused Research program and implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Strategic Plan.
• Coordinates research activities outside the agency, including appointment of RES staff to domestic and international committees and conferences.
• Maintains technical capability to develop information for resolution of nuclear safety and security issues and provides technical support and consultation to the Program Offices in the specialized disciplines involved in these issues.
• Provides independent analysis of operational data and assessment of operational experience through the review, analysis, and evaluation of the safety performance of facilities licensed by the NRC. Collects and analyzes operational data; assesses trends in performance from this data; evaluates operating experience to provide insights into and improve the understanding of the risk significance of events, precursors and trends; and, produces and disseminates periodic performance indicator and Accident Sequence Precursor (ASP) Reports.
• Provides administrative and technical support for the Committee to Review Generic Requirements (CRGR).
• Implements corporate management and risk strategies consistent with the agency's Strategic Plan.
• Develops and implements recruitment, development and retention strategies to achieve a high-quality diverse workforce with the skills needed to accomplish program goals and objectives. Identifies critical skill and training needs of the organization and identifies and implements human capital strategies to close critical skill gaps. Staff recruitment, development and retention strategies promote workforce diversity and diversity management.
• Requests and utilizes financial resources effectively and efficiently to accomplish agency mission and goals.
• Ensures that staff performance is managed effectively and performance plans identify key performance priorities and appraisal results indicate meaningful distinctions are made in staff performance assessments.
• Assigns and directs work within the organization, evaluating staff and organizational effectiveness in accomplishing assigned tasks, and trouble-shooting problems that arise in accomplishing the goals and objectives of the organization. Develops and implements more efficient and streamlined methods and procedures to accomplish the goals and objectives of the organization.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• Background investigation leading to a clearance is required for new hires.
• This is a Drug Testing position.

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.

Qualifications

You must have substantial supervisory or leadership experience which demonstrates the ability to successfully carry out the roles and responsibilities described above, typically evidenced by experience in progressively more responsible supervisory or leadership positions. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs) listed below. Applicants who do not meet or do not demonstrate possession of the ECQs and PTQs in their application will be eliminated from further consideration. Abbreviated responses to the ECQs and PTQ's, such as "significant experience" or "see resume" do not provide enough information and will not be considered. ECQ's and PTQ's must be submitted in the space provided. You will not be considered for this position if you leave any of the ECQs or PTQ's unanswered.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs):

Applicants must submit online written statements (narrative or bullet format acceptable) describing accomplishments that would satisfy the ECQs. You must address each ECQ separately and are required to respond to all ECQs. Note: Current career SES members, former career SES members eligible for reinstatement, and SES Candidate Development graduates (with Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Review Board (QRB) certification) are encouraged, but not required, to address the ECQs to be considered. Use the following approach to describe your accomplishments:

Challenge-Context-Action-Result (CCAR) Model

Use one to two examples of relevant experience for each ECQ. The number of examples is not as important as ensuring that your experience matches the ECQ criteria.

Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal.

Context - Describe the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to address a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).

Action - Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.

Result - Give specific examples of measures/outcomes that had some impact on the organization. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.

Each accomplishment should be clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of the programs, activities, or services you managed; program accomplishments; policy initiatives undertaken; level of contacts; the sensitivity and criticality of the issues you addressed; and the results of your actions. You should use action-oriented leadership words to describe your experience and accomplishments (e.g., Led the development and implementation of....) and quantify your experience wherever possible to demonstrate your accomplishments (e.g., number of employees supervised; size of budget managed; amount of money saved, etc.). Abbreviated responses to the ECQs, such as "significant experience" or "see resume" do not provide enough information and will not be considered. ECQ's must be submitted in the space provided. You will not be considered for this position if you leave any of the ECQs unanswered.

You must provide the names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of responsible individuals who can verify the information provided for each ECQ.

Additional information on the ECQs is available at http://www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp. Example ECQ statements are available at http://www.opm.gov/ses/references/GuidetoSESQuals_2012.pdf.

Executive Core Qualifications:

ECQ 1 - Leading Change: The ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. Competencies: Creativity and Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision

ECQ 2 - Leading People: The ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Others, Team Building

ECQ 3 - Results Driven: The ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, Technical Credibility

ECQ 4 - Business Acumen: The ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Technology Management

ECQ 5 - Building Coalitions: The ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating

PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (PTQs)

All applicants must submit online written statements (narrative or bullet format acceptable) of accomplishments that would satisfy the following PTQs. You must address each PTQ separately. Abbreviated responses to the PTQs, such as "significant experience" or "see resume" do not provide enough information and will not be considered. PTQ's must be submitted in the space provided. You will not be considered for this position if you leave any of the PTQ's unanswered.

All applicants must submit online written statements (narrative or bullet format acceptable) of accomplishments that would satisfy the following PTQs. You must address each PTQ separately. in the space provided.

PTQ 1 - Broad knowledge and understanding of scientific and engineering disciplines and their relationship to specific technological issues, problems and applications associated with nuclear facilities and nuclear materials.

PTQ 2 - Demonstrated ability to plan, execute and evaluate research activities and make sound technical judgments on the relative merit and feasibility of competing research proposals; and manage a comprehensive research program relevant to current and new applications of nuclear technologies.

PTQ 3 - Broad knowledge and understanding of national nuclear policy, the regulatory program and process, and the regulated industry, including understanding of current technical and security issues and their implications.

Education

General Engineering Series, 801:

• Degree: professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; 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 professional 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.

General Physical Science Series, 1301:

• 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.

OR

• 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.

Additional information

The duty location of this position is Rockville, Maryland. In general, executive employees are expected to be in the office at least 6 days per pay period. Telework schedules are approved, on a case-by-case basis. If selected, telework will be determined in accordance with Agency policy.

• When NRC determines that, in the absence of such an incentive, it will be difficult to fill the position with a suitable candidate, NRC may offer a relocation incentive to a current Federal employee who is required to geographically move.
• Veteran's Preference does not apply to the Senior Executive Service
• Salary for Senior Executive Service positions vary depending on qualifications and the responsibilities of the position
• Selected candidate will be subject to a one-year probationary period in the Senior Executive Service unless required probationary period has been served
• This position is subject to Public Financial Disclosure Reporting requirements and NRC prohibited securities ownership restrictions. Selected candidate is required to file a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278) within 30 days after appointment
• The NRC provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please notify the Disability Program Coordinator at (301) 287-0712. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
• Selected candidate will be required to complete a "Declaration of Federal Employment" OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine their suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. False statements or responses on your resume or questionnaire can jeopardize your employment opportunity and subject you to disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.
• A transferable security clearance from another agency or a background investigation leading to a clearance is required for all new hires. To begin work at the NRC without a security clearance, you must be granted a temporary waiver of the required clearance, referred to as a section 145(b) waiver under the Atomic Energy Act. To be eligible for a 145 (b) waiver you need favorable education verification, and reference, credit, and criminal history checks. If a waiver is granted, the successful completion of a background investigation and favorable adjudication is required for continued employment. If you have resided outside the U.S. for an extended period of time, the agency may not be able to (1) grant the 145(b) waiver where the required investigation cannot be completed in a timely manner, or (2) achieve timely completion of the background investigation required for a security clearance.
• The NRC is a zero-tolerance agency with respect to illegal drug use. The individual selected for this position will be subject to pre-appointment drug testing unless currently in a NRC position subject to random drug testing AND will be subject to random drug testing upon appointment to the NRC.

• 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. https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_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.

You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education as they relate to the qualifications for this position. Your application will be evaluated by a rating/ranking panel, and highly qualified candidates may be invited to participate in an interview and undergo reference checks. The NRC Executive Resources Board (ERB) will review results and make recommendations to the selecting official and appointing authority.

Unless you have been already certified by an OPM QRB in the past, your ECQs must be certified by a QRB before appointment can occur.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

• 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. https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_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.
• Required Documents
  
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  
  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, .pfg, .pdf, .doc, .docx; or
  
  
  NOTE: Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to any vacancy questions, and if necessary, documents which prove your eligibility to apply. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, please ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/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.
  
  
  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 prorate 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 the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, please submit your transcript OR list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses along with the course credits in your resume. Do not include any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
  
  Please carefully review the list of document descriptions below, to see which documents are required for your application.
  
  If you are 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. If you are a federal employee, it is requested that you submit your most recent Rating of Record (Performance Appraisal).
  
  All supplemental documents may be submitted electronically and should be submitted before the closing date of this vacancy announcement. You have three choices for submitting your supplemental documents:
  
  You may also send a copy of your supplemental material directly to Lindsey Redden, Human Resources Specialist, at lindsey.redden@nrc.gov
  
  A copy of a recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or other documentation, that indicates Federal status, tenure, and grade. If you are currently serving under a Senior Executive Service (SES) career appointment or are eligible for reinstatement to the SES based on a previous career appointment, please submit a copy of your Standard Form 50 (SF-50) that documents your SES career appointment and/or eligibility for reinstatement. If you are a graduate of an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved SES Candidate Development Program, please submit a copy of your OPM certification of eligibility.
  
  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
  
  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
  
  Lindsey Redden
  
  Phone
  
  301-287-0519
  
  Fax
  000-000-0000
  Email
  
  Executive.Resources@nrc.gov
  
  Address
  
  NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
  
  US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  
  Office of Chief Human Capital Officer
  
  Attn: M/S T2-A77M
  
  Washington, District of Columbia 20852
  
  United States
  
  Next steps
  
  The Human Resources Specialist will contact you by email about the status of your application and selection process.
• Fair and Transparent
  
  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  
  
  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Financial suitability
  • New employee probationary period
  • Privacy Act
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Selective Service
  • Signature and false statements
  • Social security number request

Required 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, .pfg, .pdf, .doc, .docx; or

NOTE: Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to any vacancy questions, and if necessary, documents which prove your eligibility to apply. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, please ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/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.

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 prorate 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 the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, please submit your transcript OR list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses along with the course credits in your resume. Do not include any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.

Please carefully review the list of document descriptions below, to see which documents are required for your application.

If you are 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. If you are a federal employee, it is requested that you submit your most recent Rating of Record (Performance Appraisal).

All supplemental documents may be submitted electronically and should be submitted before the closing date of this vacancy announcement. You have three choices for submitting your supplemental documents:

You may also send a copy of your supplemental material directly to Lindsey Redden, Human Resources Specialist, at lindsey.redden@nrc.gov

A copy of a recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or other documentation, that indicates Federal status, tenure, and grade. If you are currently serving under a Senior Executive Service (SES) career appointment or are eligible for reinstatement to the SES based on a previous career appointment, please submit a copy of your Standard Form 50 (SF-50) that documents your SES career appointment and/or eligibility for reinstatement. If you are a graduate of an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved SES Candidate Development Program, please submit a copy of your OPM certification of eligibility.

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

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

Lindsey Redden

Phone

301-287-0519

Fax
000-000-0000
Email

Executive.Resources@nrc.gov

Address

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

US Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Office of Chief Human Capital Officer

Attn: M/S T2-A77M

Washington, District of Columbia 20852

United States

Next steps

The Human Resources Specialist will contact you by email about the status of your application and selection process.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Criminal history inquiries
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Financial suitability
• New employee probationary period
• Privacy Act
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Selective Service
• Signature and false statements
• Social security number request