Reactor Inspector - Direct Hire Notice For Ri, Rii, Riii & Riv

These positions are being filled via Direct Hire Authority.

Positions are located in the Engineering Branches in the following offices:

Region I, Division of Operating Reactor Safety, King of Prussia, PA

Region II, Division of Reactor Safety, Atlanta, GA

Region III, Division of Operating Reactor Safety, Lisle, IL

Region IV, Division of Operating Reactor Safety, Arlington, TX

These positions are in the Bargaining Unit with the National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 208.

As a Reactor Inspector, you will participate in formal classroom training and other developmental activities to gain certification as an NRC inspector.  You will serve as a region-based inspector inspecting and evaluating a wide variety of licensee engineering programs, performance, and support activities for reactor facilities in such areas as design verification, plant modifications, and equipment evaluation, maintenance, performance and testing, with particular emphasis on 1) mechanical systems and components, or 2) electrical systems and components.  You will be responsible to plan, conduct, report, and coordinate findings associated with inspections of light-water reactors, in accordance with the NRC Inspection Manual.

Such duties include but are not limited to:

1. Planning and preparing for the scope of assigned inspections to obtain sufficient information through direct observation and verification of licensee activities.
2. Performing routine and complex inspections, allegations reviews, event response inspections, or area of emphasis inspections of reactor facilities to observe and assure conformance to NRC rules and regulations, inspection procedures, and orders.
3. Preparing written reports of inspection findings to document whether the facility is being operated safely, whether the licensee's management control program is effective, and whether regulatory requirements are being satisfied.
4. Performing miscellaneous duties in support of the region-based inspection program, including enforcement and performance assessment.

Selectees will be assigned to work in the Region I Office in King of Prussia, PA or the Region II Office in Atlanta, GA or the Region III Office in Lisle, IL or the Region IV Office in Arlington, TX based upon geographic preference indicated in their application.

In addition to meeting the basic education requirements for professional engineering positions, as described below in the Education section, to qualify for this position at the advertised grade levels, you must meet the following:

For GG-11: Generally, two to three years of post-bachelor's degree specialized experience, at least, one of which is equivalent to the GG-9 level OR 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a PhD degree OR a PhD OR equivalent doctoral degree in the degree fields as described.  Combinations of education and experience may be acceptable.

For GG-12: Generally, four years of post-bachelor's degree specialized experience or at least 2 years of post master's degree professional engineering experience, one year of which is equivalent to the GG-11 level, where you have applied relevant professional engineering disciplines.

For GG-13:  Generally, five+ years of post-bachelor's degree specialized experience or at least 3+ years of post master's degree professional engineering experience, one year of which is equivalent to the GG-12 level, where you applied relevant professional engineering disciplines.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as work experience in materials/mechanical engineering OR electrical engineering sufficient to perform inspections at a nuclear power plant. 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.

The ideal candidate will have experience performing inspections in at least one of the of the following areas as described below:

A.  Materials/mechanical engineering including: weld design and field installation; non-destructive and destructive examination of piping, plant equipment, and welds; degradation mechanisms; aging management; root cause evaluation of equipment, material, and weld failures; evaluation of degraded components for continued service including evaluation of wear rates, crack propagation, and impacts on component and safety system function; and temporary and permanent repairs. The ideal candidate also possesses the following:

1. Demonstrated ability to independently identify or evaluate materials-related design and performance issues involving a variety of nuclear power plant mechanical equipment and to resolve such issues in a timely manner.
2. Demonstrated knowledge of the theory, principles, and practices of welding and non-destructive examination (NDE) of piping and mechanical components.
3. Demonstrated knowledge of nuclear power plant in-service inspection programs for mechanical piping and components.  Such knowledge may be demonstrated by experience related to surface examination techniques and volumetric examination including phased array ultrasonic testing, eddy current and radiography technologies.
4. Demonstrated ability to evaluate material degradation including determining degradation mechanisms, fracture mechanics application, evaluating operability of impacted components, or evaluating or implementing mitigation or repair strategies.  
5. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

B. Electrical engineering, including components, systems and networks as they pertain to power generation, plant controls, cyber security and/or fire protection at a nuclear power plant.  The ideal candidate also possesses the following:

1. Demonstrated ability to independently identify and evaluate complex technical design and performance issues involving a variety of nuclear power plant electrical and control equipment and to resolve such issues in a timely manner.
2. Demonstrated knowledge of the theory, principles, and practices of electrical engineering including load flow, protective relaying, degraded grid voltage, and short circuit calculations.
3. Demonstrated knowledge of electrical systems and/or cyber security at nuclear power plants.
4. Demonstrated ability to evaluate adverse issues related to electrical or control system design at a nuclear power plant. Emphasis will be placed on practical experience resolving corrective actions using engineering design processes, analysis, and operability/functionality evaluations related to electrical engineering issues, as well as control and revision of design basis documents and calculations.
5. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

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.  The NRC encourages applicants to provide extensive job experience details in your resume.  Applicants may also use the supplemental vacancy question to provide additional information pertaining to specialized experience and ideal candidate criteria.

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.  Regardless of the grade level of the vacancy, candidates for Federal Government professional engineering positions must meet certain basic professional knowledge requirements.

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 website:  OPM Qualification Standards for 0800 Professional Engineering Positions

You must include an unofficial copy of your college and/or university transcripts with your application.