Background

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proud to be ranked among the best places to work for compensation, work-life balance, and performance for mid-sized agencies in the Federal Government. We've earned our top ratings by creating a work environment rich in opportunity, diversity, leadership training, teamwork, and work life balance. Help guide our nation into the next generation of nuclear safety! Begin a challenging career with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission where you can be part of a select group of professionals who protect people and the environment with the peaceful use of nuclear materials in medicine, industry, and research.

This position is located in the office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, NRC Headquarters, Rockville, MD.

The incumbent serves as a Senior Technical Advisor in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulations (NRR) with broad responsibilities in the areas of human factors engineering (HFE) and human performance evaluation to:

(1) maintain a consistent source of expertise and mentoring during periods of turnover in the HFE technical staff,
(2) ensure NRC is prepared to address the many new human factors and human performance issues that are anticipated with risk-informed, performance-based licensing of advanced reactors, and
(3) provide the technical expertise and leadership that will be necessary for timely resolution of unforeseen reactor licensing matters, specifically those not addressed by available HFE guidance and requiring substantial engineering judgment.
Responsibilities include developing, coordinating, and integrating agency-wide regulatory activities applied to the development of technical basis for and guidance for the review of systems and programs that can influence or be influenced by human performance, including the identification and review of research to support guidance development and performance assessment.

The incumbent also functions as agency expert on all aspects of human performance as applied to reactor licensees, applicants, and coordinates research related to human performance.

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Serves as the senior technical staff expert and advisor in the areas of Human Factors Analysis and Human Performance Evaluation, serves as the principal technical contact and liaison within the agency with regard to such activities and identifies and coordinates potential changes to Human Factors programs and application of program results to regulatory activities. Provides strong engineering judgment to help develop NRC response to time-critical decisions.
• Recommends and prepares modifications to HFE and human performance guidance and consensus standards and research programs in coordination with NRC senior management. Assures that proposed recommendations and modifications are based upon well-founded results and that proposals have been thoroughly coordinated within all cognizant offices of the NRC. Counsels office and agency management regarding the likely effect of regulatory or policy actions in, or related to, the area of responsibility.
• Maintains liaison with senior agency management and technical professionals and coordinates crucial agency interactions with industry organizations, other federal agencies, as well as with key researchers in National Laboratories and universities. Acts as the primary spokesperson and coordinator of activities with researchers, regulators, and utilities in foreign countries. Ascertains the state of knowledge, including any uncertainties and implications, related to NRC’s implementation of enhanced human factor requirements.
• Represents the NRC at government, academic, international and industry conferences, seminars and meetings.
• Serves as the lead technical mentor and trainer for human factors and organizational factors technical review and research staff.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, you must have at least seven to ten years of specialized experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience (e.g., graduate degree) that demonstrates expert knowledge of the basic principles, theories, and practices in the field of human factors; and, demonstrated knowledge of state-of-the-art human and organizational factors issues in complex technological and socio-technical systems, related human factors analysis and human performance evaluation research, and potential solutions.

The Ideal Candidate for this position will have:

1. Demonstrated, extensive knowledge of, and experience as a recognized expert in, the application of the principles, theories, and practices in the field of human factors analysis and human performance evaluation to evaluating or ensuring the safety of complex technical systems or socio-technical systems (e.g., commercial nuclear power plant operations).
2. Demonstrated ability to conduct reviews, assessments, or research addressing human factors analysis and human performance evaluation, to evaluate technical reports and research results, and to make sound technical judgments on the relative merit and feasibility of different or competing points of view.
3. Demonstrated skill in analyzing, evaluating, and resolving complex technical and policy issues in the areas of human factors engineering and human performance evaluation.
4. Demonstrated advanced oral and written communication skills, and experience effectively conveying and presenting complex and detailed information of a technical and/or policy nature to colleagues, peers, senior management officials, and representatives of other institutions, agencies, or organizations.
5. Demonstrated ability to function as an organization representative and liaison on substantive technical and policy issues, and to achieve cooperation and consensus among parties engaged in joint or parallel efforts.

A detailed description of how you possess the specialized experience as well as how you meet the qualifications desired in an ideal candidate; including types and complexity of projects or work assignments you have undertaken and your specific role (e.g., lead, contributor, etc.) that demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the area, should be addressed in your resume and supporting documentation.

Education

0801 Basic Requirements--Engineering:
1. 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.
OR
1. Combination of education and experience
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.
0180 Basic Requirements--Psychology
Degree: major or equivalent in psychology for all specializations except clinical psychology and counseling psychology. These two specializations have additional educational requirements, as stated below:
• Clinical psychology: For positions at grades GS-11 and above, satisfactory completion of all the requirements for the doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) directly related to full professional work in clinical psychology is required.
• Counseling psychology: For positions at grades GS-9 and above, satisfactory completion of 2 full academic years of graduate study directly related to professional work in counseling psychology, or satisfactory completion in an accredited educational institution of all the requirements for a master's degree directly related to counseling psychology is required.

How to Apply

Visit www.nrc.gov Review the NRC Career Opportunities page, click on “Apply Now” then “Search for New Opportunities” and click on “view a list of current NRC vacancies, please visit USAJobs EXIT.” Find the Senior Technical Advisor for Advanced Human Factors Job Announcement Number NRR-2023-0036 and apply on-line by October 2, 2023. We strongly encourage you to read the entire announcement before you submit your application for this position so that you correctly submit all necessary materials and documentation, online, per the How to Apply section of the official announcement. If you are viewing this opportunity after October 2nd please visit NRC’s website and discover additional opportunities for which you might be interested.