General Engineer
Naval Reactors Laboratory Field Office
General Engineer (applicable to all engineering disciplines)
Naval Reactors is responsible for research, design, construction, testing, operation, maintenance, and ultimate disposition of naval nuclear propulsion plants. Naval Reactors has field offices at all major facilities conducting naval nuclear propulsion work including a government owned contractor operated (GOCO) laboratory, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, located outside of Schenectady, NY.
Naval Reactors Laboratory Field Office (NRLFO) is hiring multiple engineers (Navy Civilian Positions) of all engineering disciplines to work in one of the following groups at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory location:
Technology Development & Testing
Reactor Plant Design
Fleet Support
Environment Safety, and Health
New Construction and Site Operations
Facility Remediation and Decommissioning
Duties
- Conduct tours and assessments of site operations concerning contractor’s strategies, and workplace safety and health management, including how the contractor establishes risk controls and management processes that promote sustainable safety and management practices.
- Conduct tours and assessments of site operations including execution of test experiments and maintenance supporting the site infrastructure to ensure the work is performed compliantly and efficiently.
- Independently assess the prime contractors planning and execution of various projects supporting the mission of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP).
- Review proposals to evaluate the technical adequacy and justification to ensure they meet the needs of NNPP.
- Perform analysis of contractor work methods and procedures, manpower, planning and scheduling for future work, quality control systems and other aspects.
- Conclude reviews by drafting formal written reports for senior management with conclusions and recommended corrective action.
Training & Development
Engineers hired will receive an initial training program providing fundamental skills, if not already possessed, to oversee the mission of the laboratory including:
Project Management
Reactor Plant Design
Environmental Laws and Regulations
Occupational Safety & Health
Radiological Controls
Program history & principles
In addition to formal training, engineers receive mentoring from senior executives, opportunity to work on a wide variety of technical work, and occasional travel to other Program sites.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from an accredited college or university (May 2026 graduates welcome to apply). See 1-5 below for additional details.
- For entry level positions, Superior academic performance (typically >3.0 GPA)
- U.S. Citizen
- Ability to obtain a security clearance
- Successful completion of drug test
- Successful completion of a professional engineering degree. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher) 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. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR
- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or license 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 more information about EI and EIT registration requirements, please visit the National Society of Professional Engineers website at: http://www.nspe.org. OR
- 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, and Puerto Rico The FE examination is not administered by the U. S. Office of Personnel Management. For more information, please visit: http://www.nspe.org/Licensure/HowtoGetLicensed/index.html. OR
- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph 1 (above). The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph 1 (above). OR
- 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 bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least one 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.
Pay and Benefits
NRLFO offers a competitive pay and benefits including:
- Excellent promotion potential. Depending on experience, starting salary for entry level positions will be $56,282-$69,271 for a bachelor’s degree and $63,678-$84,727 for a master’s degree. Starting salary for non-entry level positions will range from $76,035-$197,200.
- Flexible work schedule including compressed schedules and situational telework
- Ability to apply for the student loan repayment program
- 2.5 weeks (13 days) of annual leave per year and 4 weeks annual leave after 3 years employment
- 2.5 weeks (13 days) sick leave per year
- 11 Federal holidays
- Federal Employees Retirement System including matching Thrift Savings Plan, basic annuity, and social security
- Generous health, dental, and vision plans; flexible spending accounts
- How to Apply? Email your resume and copy of your transcripts to James Upson (james.upson@unnpp.gov).
- Must apply by March 12, 2026.
- Additional Information: https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/missions/powering-navy