NUCLEAR ENGINEER

Summary

You will serve as a NUCLEAR ENGINEER in the Nuclear Test Engineering Division, Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF) San Diego Detachment.

Duties

You will work directly for and serve as the San Diego Detachment representative of a Nuclear Chief Test Engineer (CTE) who is responsible for nuclear reactor plant test program preparations.

You will carry out the responsibilities identified in the applicable (submarine or surface ship) general Reactor Plant Overhaul and Repair Specifications for off-station work.

You will act as an authority in resolving problems of a crucial and technically complex nature, and as such, must have proven performance and experience as a qualified Shift Test Engineer.

You will be required to anticipate problems and take corrective action which, if not identified in the early stages, would likely lead to serious consequences, such as problems involving performance reliability and public safety.

You will determine exact reactor plant status at the start of the work shift and formally brief Ship’s Force and shipyard personnel on planned reactor plant operations and tests.

You will serve as the single shipyard authority for determining that all necessary preparations are complete for maintenance and testing.

You will ensure safe operation of the reactor plant by assuring all operations are performed in accordance with approved procedures and expected plant responses as indicated by instrumentation or reports from watchstanders are obtained.

You will qualify and maintain a qualification supporting emergency response within the Reactor Plant Technical Branch and responds as required as part of the Radiological Emergency Response Organization.

Qualifications

Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector as a professional engineer analyzing and modifying procedures, assessing standards or contracts for nuclear testing or maintenance of naval nuclear reactor plants, or naval propulsion plants, to identify, and correct operational deficiencies for quality assurance. This position requires a Selective Placement Factor. You must be a qualified Shift Test Engineer. Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series AND https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

Evaluations

When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and application package, along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following competencies: INFLUENCING/NEGOTIATING WRITTEN COMMUNICATION ACCOUNTABILITY PROBLEM SOLVING SYSTEMS TESTING AND EVALUATION NUCLEAR ENGINEERING This recruitment will utilize the following technical assessment tools: Structured Resume and Structured Interview. You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. All eligibility, qualifications, and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

How to apply Click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Complete resume. Your resume must show relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments. Resumes are restricted to no more than 2 pages. Illegible/unreadable resumes will not be considered. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. The following information should be provided in your resume: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week if experience was less than full time (35-40 hours per week), pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience. TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume. 2. Documentation that supports all of the claims made in your resume and assessment questionnaire Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. Your complete application must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 07/28/2026to receive consideration. Applications received after 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 07/28/2026 will generally not be accepted. If more than one resume is received, only the last resume received and processed will be reviewed. Please do not submit multiple resumes. For additional information on viewing your application status, click https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information or Agency Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all information in their resume, assessment questionnaire, and supporting documents are legible and accurate. Human Resources will not modify a resume or change an applicant's answer to a question, even upon request.

Other information This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program. Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement. A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments. This position requires rotating shift work. This position is subject to work an uncommon tour, including nights, weekends, and holidays to meet mission requirements. Overtime or night differential pay and/or unusual duty hours may be required. This position requires exposure to high noise levels. If you are unable to apply online and request information about the Alternate Application process, please contact the Department of Navy's Employment Information Center. During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions in the local commuting area. Depending on the hiring organization and the position being filled, job requirements (e.g., security clearance, travel, drug testing, financial disclosure filing, bargaining unit status, etc.) may vary. Other hiring managers filling similar positions may offer relocation expense reimbursement and/or may offer recruitment incentives for new employees, depending on funding availability and in accordance with policy. If you opt-in and are referred on a certificate, your resume will be available to other hiring managers for 180-days from the date the job announcement closes. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf ICTAP Applicants: To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority as an ICTAP candidate, displaced Federal employees must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a rating in the highly qualified category (score 85) or higher. ICTAP candidates must provide copies of all of the following documentation at the time of application: 1) agency notice; 2) most recent performance appraisal; and 3) most recent SF-50 or notification of personnel action that includes position, grade level, and duty location. Applicants who do not provide this documentation will not receive consideration as an ICTAP candidate. For more information about ICTAP eligibility please review the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/ Military Spouse Preference applicants will be placed at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined Best Qualified (BQ). A BQ military spouse possesses knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies comparable to others who meet the competitive referral criteria for the specific position. PPP applicants will be placed at the FPL, if determined Well Qualified (WQ). To receive priority consideration, the FPL must be the same grade level or equivalent of the retained grade or the grade held immediately prior to separation.