Senior Technical Advisor Risk Assessment and Analysis

• Hiring Agency: Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Department: Other Agencies and Independent Organizations
• Location: Rockville, Maryland
• Hiring Path: Fed Competitive
• Number of Openings: 1
• Security Clearance: L Access Authorization

This position is located in Division of Risk Assessment and Safety Systems, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. The supervisor is Jennifer Whitman. This position is subject to Confidential Financial Disclosure reporting requirements. This position is subject to security ownership restriction reporting requirements.

The successful candidate will provide authoritative technical advice and assistance to the Director, Division of Risk Assessment and Safety Systems (DRSS), Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR), as a Senior Level Advisor on a broad variety of technical, regulatory and safety matters.

Serves as the agency's authority in performing and coordinating the evaluations and resolution of technical and regulatory issues related to reliability and risk assessment of the design and operation of nuclear facilities. Such duties include but are not limited to:
Serves as NRR's senior technical expert for risk assessment and analysis. Advises senior management on highly complex safety issues associated with all aspects of the design and operation of nuclear facilities.

Develops guidance on and provides independent and expert evaluation of the NRC and industry's utility of risk assessment in regulatory matters. Performs independent risk assessment studies of, or leads and directs teams charged with resolving, significant and complex technical issues associated with the design and operation of nuclear facilities.

Independently pursues resolution of highly complex issues of safety significance which involve coordination and communication within many parts of the agency. Coordinates crucial agency interactions with external entities, both government and industry, relating to risk assessment, and presents and defends NRC technical positions, concerns, objectives, and requirements. Represents the office at government, academic, and industry conferences, seminars, and meetings.

Reviews proposed regulations, policies, reports, memoranda, and other agency documentation relating to or potentially impacting activities in the area of risk assessment, and provides comments, analysis, or suggestions as appropriate that will improve the agency's safety focus. Counsels office and agency management regarding the likely effect of regulatory or policy actions in or related to risk assessment.

Reviews NRC regulations, information notices, research studies, etc, and identifies those with potential for significant impact on the organization's use and application of risk assessments, based broad knowledge and in-depth understanding of reactor safety and the office's mission, functions, technical resources, and capabilities.

Independently consults with senior engineering management and staff in both assigned and originating organizations regarding issues identified, develops authoritative analyses and recommendations, and counsels senior management regarding needed changes in office level technical activities, priorities, or resource allocations to ensure the office maintains proper focus on the most safety significant issues.

Basic Requirements:

A. 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) electric 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

B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their…