Continuity Watch Officer
What you'd do
This position is located in Division of Emergency Preparedness and Responses. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies within the agency. The supervisor is Anthony Bowers. Candidates hired at Grade 13 will be eligible for a non-competitive promotion to Grade 14 upon successful completion of the Continuity Watch Officer certification program and meeting other qualifications/eligibility requirements.
Major duties
The successful candidate will perform the full range of servicing as a technical authority, exercise coordinator, and watch officer responsible for maintaining continuous situational awareness of events affecting NRC licensed facilities, agency operations, and national continuity requirements. Performs an initial assessment of operational notifications, determining safety or security significance, initiating NRC response protocols, and ensuring accurate, timely communication with NRC leadership and interagency partners during routine, emergent, or crisis conditions. Such duties include but are not limited to: Receives, reviews, and analyzes event reports submitted under pertinent parts of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations; obtains clarifying information from licensees to determine safety/security significance and potential radiological consequences; initiates notifications to NRC management, federal agencies, and stakeholders for significant events. Maintain continuous situational awareness of domestic and international events-including all-source intelligence-and serve as the initial technical authority for emergency declarations and NRC response actions. Serves as the NRC technical representative in designated operations/continuity facilities (e.g., the Alternate Site Continuity Center, NRC Operations Center, Region IV Incident Response Center); applies independent judgment to determine NRC actions and elevate issues to maintain agencywide situational awareness. Operates, maintains, and tests secure and nonsecure telecommunications systems, IT networks, and emergency operations facilities to ensure operational readiness; reports to designated facilities during hazardous weather, continuity activations, or office closures to support sustained continuity of operations (COOP) and continuity of government (COG) operations. Support development and coordination of continuity and incident response program training and exercises in accordance with Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP); designs scenarios and evaluates effectiveness; conducts critiques and recommends improvements to reporting processes, response procedures, equipment, and interagency coordination to enhance COOP and incident response readiness. Handle sensitive, Safeguards, and classified information; apply operational security (OPSEC) and federal security policies; and coordinate with NRC leadership and interagency partners during routine and emergency operations.
What you need to qualify
In order to qualify for this position, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as: performing operational event assessment, maintaining situational awareness, and supporting continuity and incident-response programs. This experience includes evaluating licensee event reports, determining safety or security significance, initiating notifications to leadership and interagency partners, and operating secure and nonsecure communications systems and emergency facilities. The applicant has developed and executed continuity and incident-response training and exercises, produced accurate operational reports and briefings, maintained Continuity (COOP/COG) readiness, and handled sensitive, Safeguards, and classified information in accordance with operational security (OPSEC) and federal security requirements. The applicant has coordinated with internal and external partners and demonstrated sound judgment in high-pressure or time-critical situations. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following: Demonstrated ability to receive, analyze, and assess operational event reports; determine safety/security significance; and initiate appropriate NRC notifications and response protocols. Experience maintaining continuous situational awareness of domestic/international events and acting as a technical point of contact during emergent or crisis conditions. Demonstrated ability to operate, test, and maintain secure and nonsecure communications systems, IT networks, and emergency operations facilities to ensure operational readiness. Experience leading, developing, or coordinating continuity and incident-response exercises, training, and planning products. Demonstrated ability to prepare, review, and publish operational reports and briefings, ensuring accuracy, clarity, technical correctness, and compliance. Experience operating under high-pressure or time-critical conditions, handling sensitive and classified information, and applying OPSEC, security, and continuity policies. A description of how you possess the specialized experience as well as how you meet the qualifications desired in an ideal candidate must be addressed in your resume. Applicants may also use the supplemental vacancy question to provide additional information pertaining to the specialized experience and ideal candidate criteria. PLEASE BE CLEAR AND CONCISE. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Before you apply
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