Health Physicist

This position is located in the Office of Nuclear Material Safety & Safeguards, Division of Materials Safety, Security, State & Tribal Programs, Medical Safety & Events Assessment Branch.

The supervisor is Chris Einberg.

  
This  position is Bargaining Unit with the National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 208.

This position IS subject to Confidential Financial Disclosure reporting requirements.

This position IS subject to security ownership restriction reporting requirements.

You must include an unofficial or official copy of your college and/or university transcripts with your application.  Transcript must include the School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). Education must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of credibility of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency.  If you have multiple degrees (e.g., BS, MS, PhD) please submit transcripts for each degree.  Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation.

Basic Requirements:

1. Degree: natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus.

   or

2. Combination of education and experience — courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or other education; or certification as a health physicist by the American Board of Health Physics, plus appropriate experience and other education that provided an understanding of sciences applicable to health physics comparable to that described in paragraph A.

A successful candidate will serve as a Health Physicist in NMSS in areas of radiation protection activities related to licensing and regulation of facilities and materials associated with the processing, transport, and handling of nuclear materials, including uranium recovery activities, decommissioning, and the fuel used in commercial nuclear reactors. Has responsibility for defining and developing needs, interfaces and resources for regulations and supporting guidance associated with the possession, use, transport, transfer, and disposal of byproduct, source, and special nuclear material. Provides technical review and management of projects which will generate health physics internal and external dosimetry models that are needed to develop criteria and standards to provide technical bases for licensing decisions. Interacts with Federal, State, and local agencies and organizations, national and international standards setting organizations, and members of the public to accomplish Agency mission and represent NRC actions as appropriate. The assignments are technically and managerially difficult and very complex in that knowledge and
experience are required in many multi-disciplinary scientific fields including health physics (internal and external dosimetry, environmental pathway analysis, nuclear instrumentation, radiation biology and physics) as well as statistics and/or epidemiology.

In order to qualify for this position, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GG-13) in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.  

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

1. Broad and extensive knowledge of the principles, theories, and practices of health physics/radiological protection related to the licensing, inspection, and implementation of regulatory oversight pertaining to the National Materials Program to enable the safe and secure use of radioactive materials in medical, industrial, and academic applications for beneficial civilian purposes.

EXAMPLE: Describe your specific training, education and experience that demonstrates your knowledge of the principles, theory, and application of health physics sufficient to review associated plans, surveys, and reports; determine radiological and safety impacts of proposed decommissioning operations; and develop regulatory criteria, guidance, and technical positions.)

2. Knowledge of the principles and theories in the fields of health physics, including but not limited to radiation physics, radiation biology, internal and external dosimetry, radiation detection and measurement and/or medical health physics.

(EXAMPLE: Describe specific training, education, and experience that demonstrates an understanding of NRC rules and regulations, and regulatory programs related to radiation protection aspects in the licensing and inspection of byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials.  Discuss how the work you have been engaged in, such as managing projects, reviewing regulatory programs, developing licensing actions or policy, implementing regulations, and preparing guidance or technical reports, or participation in working groups lead to your understanding of regulatory programs and application of NRC regulations involving radiation protection issues.  Include an indication as to the approximate number, type, and complexity of the projects in which you have been involved that are related to the above regulations and regulatory programs.

3. Ability to plan, coordinate and manage complex projects and perform independent evaluations and reviews of programs involving a number of technical disciplines.

(EXAMPLE:  Describe your specific training and experience that demonstrates your ability to: formulate project goals and objectives; perform independent reviews or  development of safety, programmatic and/or policy issues; develop statements of work and project task plans; develop project resource estimates; evaluate proposals; evaluate and report progress against established milestones taking corrective action as required; review deliverables/project reports; complete projects within approved schedules while meeting objectives, and provide guidance and direction to personnel of diverse technical backgrounds for projects of high technical difficulty and complexity. Describe your experience in performing special, time-sensitive projects which resulted in high quality products.)

4. Ability to clearly communicate complex technical analyses, issues, and recommendations, both orally and in writing. 

(EXAMPLE:  Describe your specific training and experience that demonstrates your ability to: prepare safety and environmental evaluations, technical reports, and presentations; lead complex technical discussions; develop concise, balanced, and well-founded recommendations based on complex and diverse opinions and facts; establish effective working relationships with subordinates, peers, and government and industry officials; and develop and implement successful approaches to problem solving and conflict resolution.  Provide specific accomplishments, recognition and examples of work assignments which required you to present, coordinate, and resolve issues with representatives of Federal agencies, private industry, States, academia, elected officials, media, and members of the public.)

Specialized experience is defined as: experience applying the principles of nuclear safety, radiation protection, and NRC regulations and guidance related to the medical use of byproduct material.