This position is located in the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES), Division of Systems Analysis (DSA), Accident Analysis Branch (AAB). The supervisor is Jennivine Rankin. This position is Bargaining Unit with the National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 208. This position is subject to Confidential Financial Disclosure reporting requirements and subject to security ownership restriction reporting requirements.
In order to qualify for this position, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GG-14) in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following: 1. Demonstrated knowledge and expertise as an independent principal investigator/ researcher, leading complex research programs, providing scientific leadership and mentoring to other engineers and scientists, and collaborating with professionals across federal government, international organizations, academia, and industry research and analysis of consequence analysis to address reactor safety and regulatory concerns. 2. Demonstrated knowledge and experience in applying the principles, theories, and practices of reactor systems, accidents, and offsite consequences as it relates to various types of accidents from different sources at different nuclear facilities including all major radiological sources (reactors, spent fuel pools, and dry cask storage systems). 3. Demonstrated effectively ability to communicate technical information, ideas, and advice in a clear, concise, and logical manner, both orally and in writing, with colleagues, subordinates, NRC management in headquarters or regions, ACRS, the Commission, members of the public, international organizations, representatives of professional groups or other Federal or State agencies. 4. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with management and staff, coworkers, and personnel of other U.S. government agencies or equivalent industry organizations and/or international organizations. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as: Leading cross-functional teams in the assessment and documentation of reactor systems, accidents, and offsite consequences; Leading cross-functional teams in the in the MACCS code maintenance, development, verification, validation, documentation, and distribution; Proficiency in written and oral communications at all organizational levels; Engaging senior leadership to identify, prioritize, and champion analytic and experimental research programs; and Demonstrating advanced knowledge of consequence analysis codes (such as MACCS) to perform safety analyses for identifying technically defensible input parameters and models, interpreting and communicating results, and evaluating the accuracy and reliability of such analyses.
The successful candidate will perform the full range of Senior Reactor Systems Engineer duties. Such duties include but are not limited to: 1. Serving as the senior technical staff in the areas of accident consequences code development and risk analysis, serves as a principal technical contact and liaison with regard to such activities. Serves as a technically authoritative expert in use of the MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System (MACCS) developed to evaluate off-site consequences from severe accidents of radioactive material release into the environment. MACCS is a fully integrated, engineering-level severe accident consequence computer code developed to analyze the offsite consequences of a hypothetical release of radioactive material to the environment. 2. Recommending and developing modifications to accident consequences codes (e.g., PAA- level 3), risk analysis and experimental research programs as directed. Assures that proposed recommendations and modifications are based upon well-founded research results and that the proposals have been thoroughly coordinated within all cognizant offices of the NRC. Provides input to office management regarding the likely effect of regulatory or policy actions in or related to the area of responsibility. Performs independent studies of assigned areas of oversight using technically sound approaches. Develops plans and objectives for analytic research programs. Based on knowledge and analyses of the issues, determines the overall feasibility and desirability of understanding short and long-range analytical research. Provides technical justification for such research. 3. Routinely interacts with managers and technical leads to ensure that research activities are identified and carried out in a timely fashion to meet established Commission schedule. Coordinates activities to the extent practical with the Executive Director for Operations (EDO), Office of General Counsel (OGC), the Commissioners, and external organizations, such as EPRI, as well as with key researchers in National Laboratories, universities and foreign countries. Leads the MACCS International Users Group and develops briefings for external stakeholders. Provides advice and recommendations on research areas and initiatives to maintain safety and security, ensure openness, enhance regulatory effectiveness, and contribute to agency management's excellence in carrying out the NRC's strategic goals.