Nuclear Engineer.

About the role

Shape the future of clean energy as a Lead Nuclear Engineer with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). This critical position oversees the region's only commercial nuclear energy facility, the Columbia Generating Station, ensuring safe, cost-effective, and reliable carbon-free power generation for millions of households and businesses in the Pacific Northwest.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-impact technical, policy, and economic initiatives, guiding multidisciplinary teams and coordinating complex projects to shape BPA's nuclear oversight.
• Provide expert oversight of all phases of nuclear plant operations and maintenance, including fuel management, engineering, nuclear safety, and chemistry, ensuring world-class operational standards.
• Optimize clean energy delivery to the regional grid by coordinating scheduled power output to ensure a reliable, seamless supply of carbon-free electricity.
• Collaborate with senior leadership and key stakeholders, serving as a primary technical advisor and liaison with plant operators, executive boards, and federal, state, and local regulatory officials.
• Ensure rigorous regulatory compliance by evaluating, monitoring, and guiding adherence to strict state and federal safety and environmental regulations.
• Champion financial efficiency and stewardship by analyzing multi-million dollar construction, maintenance, and decommissioning budgets to identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Drive performance benchmarking by developing and analyzing performance databases to compare nuclear facility operations and financial health against national industry standards.
• Step into key leadership roles by acting on behalf of the Contract Generating Resources Manager during their absence, providing high-level administrative, policy, and technical guidance.

Requirements

You must be a United States Citizen. This employer participates in the e-Verify program. Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements. You will be required to report in person to the official duty location.

• Complete the Office of Government Ethics Standard of Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OFGE450e) within 30 days of employment and annually.

Qualifications

Basic Requirement: Degree in Engineering from a program accredited by ABET, or a combination of education and experience demonstrating a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering and a good understanding of engineering sciences and techniques.

Alternate qualifications include:

• Professional registration or licensure as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or Professional Engineer (PE).
• Successful completion of the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or equivalent.
• At least 60 semester hours of courses in physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences, including those specified in the basic requirements.
• A bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field (e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry) with at least one year of professional engineering experience under supervision.

Specialized Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service, defined as:

• Professional engineering experience supporting operations, maintenance, modification, or oversight of a commercial nuclear power generating facility.
• Experience applying engineering principles, nuclear industry standards, and regulatory requirements to evaluate the safety, reliability, performance, and operations of a commercial nuclear power plant.
• Experience with the nuclear fuel cycle and fuel loading requirements to support oversight of a commercial nuclear power plant's fuel loading strategy.

Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You must provide copies of your college transcripts to be rated as qualified.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits, including:

• Programs and policies supporting work/life balance, such as flexible work environments and wellness initiatives (e.g., BPA's Be Well program).
• Hiring incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates based on budget availability and federal regulations.