Interdisciplinary

About the Position: This position is located at White Sands MSL RGE, SURV, VULN ASSESS DIR IONIZING RADIATION FACILITIES DIVISION NEUTRON EFFECTS BRANCH with a duty location of White Sands, New Mexico. Serves as an Interdisciplinary Position. (merit)

About the Position: This position is located at White Sands MSL RGE, SURV, VULN ASSESS DIR IONIZING RADIATION FACILITIES DIVISION NEUTRON EFFECTS BRANCH with a duty location of White Sands, New Mexico. Serves as an Interdisciplinary Position. (merit)

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Summary

About the Position: This position is located at White Sands MSL RGE, SURV, VULN ASSESS DIR IONIZING RADIATION FACILITIES DIVISION NEUTRON EFFECTS BRANCH with a duty location of White Sands, New Mexico. Serves as an Interdisciplinary Position. (merit)

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Overview

Accepting applications

Open 10/19/2026 to 10/30/2026

Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

White Sands Missile Range, NM

No matching locations found.

Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Salary
$89,508 - $138,370 per year
Pay scale & grade

NH 3
Promotion potential
None



Learn more about pay scale and grade


Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.

Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Appointment type
Permanent

Occupations and job series

• 0801 General Engineering
• 0830 Mechanical Engineering
• 0840 Nuclear Engineering
• 0850 Electrical Engineering
• 0855 Electronics Engineering
• 1310 Physics
• 1320 Chemistry

Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No

Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Secret
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement number
SDSE-26-13079484 -MP
Control number
889111200

This job is open to
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Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.





Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.





Land and base management

Current or former employees of a base management agency.





Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference





Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.



Clarification from the agency

See "Who May Apply" in the "Qualifications" section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position.

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Duties
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• Conduct Reactor operations and test setups ensuring compliance and regulatory requirements are met.
• Plans, guides or reviews Reactor planned test of an unprecedented nature.
• Authority to terminate any Reactor operations.
• Analyze design, performance, and environmental standards for contracts covering the design, manufacture, and testing of reactor facility improvements to safety, security, and operability.
• Formulate good principles, techniques, and safety practices of nuclear reactor operation.
• Periodically reviews program goals and objectives.
• Coordinates with the FBR Facility Supervisor to ensure resolution of all work-related problems.
• Monitors and analyzes reactor performance data and maintains continual surveillance over all FBR operations to insure complete compliance with all Department Army Technical Specifications.
• Implements solutions to diverse, highly complex problems across multiple areas and disciplines.
• Originates new reactor design modifications and formulates new operational concepts as appropriate to accommodate the continuously changing experiment specifications.
• Originates and conducts experimental tests to determine and evaluate parameters of the reactor.
• Once certified as an FBR operator, maintain certification by performing at a minimum two (2) significant reactivity manipulation each calendar quarter.
• Must be able to apply for Radiation Material Handler, Forklift, First Aid /CPR, and Confined Space Entry certification.
• Perform hands on reactor and facility maintenance to include but not limited to lubrication, Special Nuclear Material handling, tool handling, and/or periodic system inspections.
• Periodically work in a radiation environment where exposure will be monitored via dosimetry when conducting maintenance and mission support.
• Complete all necessary training to apply for PI-538 flash X-ray operator certification.
• Able to enroll and maintain Personal Reliability Program (PRP) certification per Army Regulation 50-5.
• Complete all necessary training as outlined in the FBR’s Training Plan to achieve Reactor Operator, Reactor Leader, or Senior Reactor Leader certification.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance or access for the duration of employment. A background investigation and credit check are required.
• This position requires the completion of a pre-employment Physical Examination and an annual examination thereafter to ensure the continued, required level of physical health and ability or fitness to perform the duties of the position.
• The duties of this position meet the criteria for compliance with Federal and Department of the Army Drug Free Workplace Programs. This position is subject to a pre-employment screening, and random testing thereafter.
• This position has a requirement to lift up to 50 lbs. in the regular performance of duties.
• Appointment to this position is subject to a one year probationary period unless the appointee has previously met the requirements as described in 5 CFR Part 11. While probationary the incumbent can be terminated with limited appeal rights.
• This position has a Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel requirement of 25% of the time.
• Position requires the enrollment in, be able to meet and maintain all requirements of the Personnel Reliability Program (PRP) (PRP/SCI: D - Controlled Position for Nuclear Weapons).
• Required to complete all Army, White Sands Missile Range and Fast Burst Reactor Facility training as identified by Facility Supervisor and /or Director.
• ATEC/AEC uses salary control points within broadband ranges to differentiate position levels. Therefore, the starting salary for this position will be capped at $138,370.00 (including locality).
• This is an Army Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Workforce position. Selectee must meet position requirements for Test and Evaluation certification within 60 months as of entrance on duty.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

• Current Civilian Employees of the Command
• Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
• Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
• Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
• Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
• Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
• Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and specialized experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1.) Demonstrate proficiency in delivering technical customer support, maintaining test fixtures, or operating Flash X-ray diagnostic systems.; 2.) Demonstrate proficiency in executing nuclear reactor safety evaluations or conducting critical assembly testing.; 3.) Review electrical schematics and troubleshoot electronic devices which can include, radiation detectors, cabling, programmable logic controllers, or National Instrument (NI) cards.; and 4.) Ability to follow all established operational, emergency, and maintenance procedures.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower level/grade position in the federal service (NH-02/GS-11).

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

• Nuclear Engineering
• Planning and Evaluating
• Strategic Thinking
• Test and Evaluation

In addition to meeting the specialized experience above, to qualify for this position, you must also meet one of the basic requirements listed below:


EDUCATION REQUIREMENT for General Engineer (0801) Mechanical Engineer (0830) Nuclear Engineer(0840) Electrical Engineer (0850) and Electronics Engineer (0855) Series:


A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (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


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 applications to one of the branches of engineering. 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), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.


2. Written Test - Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination, or any other written test required for professional registration, by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico.


3. Specified academic courses - Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in A above. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program.


4. Related curriculum - Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions.

1310 Series Basic Education Requirement for a Physicist:


A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in physics, or related degree that included at least 24 semester hours in physics. The courses must have included a fundamental course in general physics and, in addition, courses in any two of the following: electricity and magnetism, heat, light, mechanics, modern physics, and sound

OR


B. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major in physics totaling at least 24 semester hours, plus appropriate experience or additional education. The courses must have included a fundamental course in general physics and, in addition, courses in any two of the following: electricity and magnetism, heat, light, mechanics, modern physics, and sound.

OR


1320 Series Basic Education Requirement for a Chemist:


A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics

OR


B. Combination of education and experience -- course work equivalent to a major as shown in A above, including at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/ and https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation

Additional information

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest.
• Direct deposit of pay is required.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• This is a Science, Engineering and Analysis Career Field position.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
• The U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) is participating in an alternate personnel system known as the Acquisition Demonstration Project (AcqDemo). Among other features, the Demonstration Project replaced GS grade levels with occupational families and pay bands. The band NH-03 is equal to the former GS-12 Step 01 through GS-13 step 10. ATEC uses salary control points to allow for differentiation in the level of p