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.

As the Deputy Director, Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-power Production and Utilization Facilities (DANU), you will assist the Director, in leading and managing the performance of licensing and oversight of advanced reactors and non-power production and utilization facilities (NPUFs), including research reactors, testing facilities, and medical radioisotope facilities. 

You will conduct the design reviews and initial licensing reviews for advanced reactors and NPUFs submitted under 10 CFR Parts 50 and 52. 
You will provide technical leadership and insights from engineering, systems analysis, and consequence analysis to the reviews of licensing actions, preparation of regulatory guidance documents, resolution of policy issues, development of operator licensing examinations, and conduct of safety and security inspections. 
You will also support international coordination programs for the oversight of advanced reactors and NPUFs and consult on the export and import of nuclear technology and material.

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Provide programmatic leadership and direction and performs engineering-related safety reviews of applications for design certification, combined licenses, and new reactor preapplication activities, to ensure that proposed submittals and applications meet the applicable requirements, and there is a reasonable assurance of safety, security, and protection of the environment when the new nuclear plants are designed, built, and operated.
• Lead change in all aspects of the regulatory framework to develop new guidance and to optimize and modernize established processes.
o Simultaneously conduct numerous first-of-a-kind licensing activities for non-light water reactor technologies and non-power production and utilization facilities (NPUFs)
o Licensing, oversight, and event response for diverse portfolio of regulated research and test reactors
o Resolving numerous, complex technical issues spanning both power reactors and NPUFs
o Negotiating and driving risk-informed decisions, considering highly diverse and conflicting views provided by internal and external stakeholders.
o Recruiting, training, and developing staff and first-line supervisors to support implementation of a modern, risk-informed advanced reactor program.
o Applying agency corporate processes to build programs appropriately and to agilely align budgets with an evolving landscape.
o Transforming tools, guidance, and communications approaches to support successful achievement of program goals

• Provide technical expertise to support regional activities, special projects, programs, and policy activities. Reviews are in support of topical reports, consensus standard changes, or new reactor designs.
• Implement corporate management strategies consistent with the Agency’s Strategic Plan.
• Develop and implement recruitment, development, and retention strategies to achieve a high-quality diverse workforce with the skills needed to accomplish program goals and objectives. Identify 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.
• Request and utilize financial resources effectively and efficiently to accomplish agency mission and goals.
• Ensure 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.
• Evaluate staff and organizational effectiveness in accomplishing assigned tasks, and trouble-shoots problems that arise in accomplishing the goals and objectives of the agency. Develop and implement more efficient and streamlined methods and procedures to accomplish the goals and objectives of the agency.

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.

All applicants must submit an online resume and online written statements (narrative or bullet format acceptable) describing your accomplishments against each of the ECQs. You must address each ECQ separately and are required to respond to all ECQs. Abbreviated responses to the ECQs, such as "significant experience" or "see resume" do not provide enough information and should not be used. You will not be considered for this position if you leave any of the ECQs and vacancy questions 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.

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. Please limit your written statements to the space provided (8,000 characters) per PTQ, attached examples will not be accepted.
PTQ 1 - Broad knowledge and understanding of scientific and engineering disciplines sufficient to assess significant reactor safety and security issues and vulnerabilities associated with the design, licensing, and operation of nuclear reactor facilities.
PTQ 2 - Broad knowledge and understanding of national nuclear policy, the regulatory program and process, and the regulated industry, including understanding of current risk-informed decision-making expectations, as well as technological and security issues and their implications.
PTQ 3 - Broad knowledge of nuclear safety standards, regulations, codes and guides and their implementation to assure that the operation of licensed reactor facilities will not endanger the health and safety of the public or the environment.

Education

0801 Series:
1. Degree: To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering; 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 -- 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.
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.

1301 Series:
1. 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
2. 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.

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 Deputy Director, Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-power Production and Utilization Facilities (DANU) NRR/DANU-2023-0013 and apply on-line by October 10, 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 10th please visit NRC’s website and discover additional opportunities for which you might be interested.