DIRECTOR, NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES DEPARTMENT

at  US Defense Threat Reduction Agency

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQS):

Applicants must submit written statements (narrative format ) describing accomplishments that would satisfy the ECQs. You must address each ECQ separately. You are required to respond to all five ECQs. If you fail to do so, you will be rated as ‘ineligible.’ Additional information on the ECQs is available at www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp. Each accomplishment should be clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of programs managed, and results of your actions. Please limit your written statements to two pages per ECQ. Do not exceed a total of 10 pages for ECQ narratives.
ECQ 1 - LEADING CHANGE: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.
ECQ 2 - LEADING PEOPLE: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization’s vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.
ECQ 3 - RESULTS DRIVEN: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.
ECQ 4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.
ECQ 5 - BUILDING COALITIONS: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.
MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (MTQ): All applicants must submit written statements (narrative format) of accomplishments that would satisfy the MTQs. You must address each MTQ separately. Please limit your written statements to 2 pages per MTQ.
1. Demonstrated ability to effectively lead, manage, and direct professional, scientific, and technical members in the successful accomplishment of diverse nuclear weapons programs across all technical disciplines of countering weapons of mass destruction (WMD), with emphasis on nuclear-related science and technology.
2. Demonstrated ability to collaborate across Services, Federal agency partners including the National Nuclear Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Strategic Command and other Combatant Commands, international partners, and mutual stakeholders toward successful mission accomplishment.
3. Experience in program formulation, defense, and execution, including all phases of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution cycle or an equivalent budgeting system.
SPECIAL NOTE: Current and former career SES employees or graduates of a SES Candidate Development Program who have been certified by OPM are NOT required to address the ECQs; however, you must address the MTQs for consideration for this position. (All other candidates MUST submit ALL required documentation).

EDUCATION

The incumbent must possess aDegree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics OR Combination of education and experience - education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
This is an Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S) Workforce Critical Acquisition Position (CAP) in the Engineering & Technical Management, Science and Technology functional area. The Executive will be required to become certified in the Practitioner tier within 5 years. The Executive is required to acquire a minimum of 40 continuous learning (CLPs) ever fiscal year as a goal and 80 CLSs being mandatory within 2 years.

DUTIES

The Director, NT performs the following major functions:

• Provides overall leadership, guidance, and management within the Department with focus on the DTRA ’One Team’. Responsible for effective communications up, down and across the organization.
• Ensures effective execution of Equal Employment Opportunity policies, goals, and objectives. Ensures supervisors and managers evaluate and take actions that are consistent with overall EEO/diversity goals. Ensures DTRA maintains an equal and consistent approach in determining applicant/employee qualifications, selections, assignments, training, promotions, details, discipline, and awards.
• Leads and directs the DTRA Nuclear Science and Technology Program to deliver technologies to: characterize the full spectrum of nuclear weapons and radiological dispersal device effects for targeting, consequences of execution, and survivability; locate and identify nuclear and radiological threats; rapidly and reliably conduct post-detonation nuclear forensics; ensure critical DoD nuclear weapons, systems, and national infrastructure can accomplish their designated missions when exposed to a nuclear weapons effects environment by developing nuclear standards, experimental testing in nuclear environments, conducting nuclear survivability assessments, and developing radiation-hardened micro-electronics; and develop treaty and verification technologies to support strategic arms reductions treaties, improve capability to detect and identify low-yield and deceptive nuclear testing, and monitor production signatures.
• Responsible, through the DTRA Director, to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and the Joint Staff for nuclear standards and policies, vulnerability assessments, and tests that are within the scope of the Agency’s mission. The Executive coordinates with peers at the Department of Energy on matters related to nuclear weapon systems survivability and effectiveness by providing support in the area of nuclear weapons effects and target damage assessments, and participates with the Departments of Energy and Homeland Security on matters related to detection of nuclear threats and the development of an enhanced global nuclear detection architecture.
• Provides scientific and technical program leadership, management, supervision, and direction to military and civilian scientists, engineers, and program managers engaged in a wide variety of science and technology programs and projects; ensures application and consideration of all elements required for mission accomplishment, to include requirements validation, technology infusion, planning, programming, budgeting, directing, coordinating and managing; reviews proposed new programs and projects and determines broad objectives, milestones, and initiatives; reviews and evaluates feasibility and suitability for new or changed programs and projects from a technological and programmatic viewpoint; determines the relative priority and technical emphasis to be placed on emerging programs; works with major resource sponsors to develop initiatives for exploitation of modern technology.
• Responsible for maintaining state-of-the-art awareness in all areas that are relevant to the technical responsibilities of the department and maintains a program for refining and advancing the state of knowledge in anticipation of DoD requirements for nuclear and radiological technology.
• Under the direction of the DTRA Director, leads DTRA technical support on nuclear science and technology matters relating to congressional activities, interactions with senior government officials, representatives of foreign governments, industry, and academia. The Executive develops and provides technical programmatic briefings to a variety of government, civil, and allied audiences.
• Serves as the DoD/DTRA focal point and manages the DTRA portion of the Radiation Hardened Microelectronics Program, ensuring DTRA efforts meet all major milestone requirements and ensuring ionizing radiation simulator support is available to meet DoD needs.
• Serves as the DTRA principal on the Weapons Effects Strategic Collaboration under the 1958 United States/United Kingdom Mutual Defense Agreement. The Executive coordinates DoD technical nuclear weapons effects issues and programs with peers at the National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Strategic Command, and United Kingdom principals and oversees and ensures the smooth and continuous exchange of information via the Joint Atomic Information Exchange Group.
• Advises the Director, RD; the DTRA Director; where appropriate, the Office of the Secretary of Defense; and Service representatives on all aspects of radiation policy and biomedical effects of nuclear weapon detonations, including research in support of the Nuclear Test Personnel Review Program.