Principal Advisor for Operations

Background

This position is located in Office of the Executive Director for Operations, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Headquarters, Rockville, MD.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proud to be ranked among the best places to work for compensation, work-life balance, and performance for mid-sized agencies in the Federal Government.

The NRC protects public health and safety and advances the nation’s common defense and security by enabling the safe and secure use and deployment of civilian nuclear energy technologies and radioactive materials through efficient and reliable licensing, oversight, and regulation for the benefit of society and the environment.

Duties

The Principal Advisor for Operations serves as a senior advisor providing authoritative expertise, strategic direction, and executive-level guidance on agency-wide strategic planning, performance management, organizational effectiveness, and communications initiatives.

The Principal Advisor also provides leadership on complex, high-impact matters; advises senior agency officials on policy and governance issues; and leads efforts to advance organizational priorities, modernization initiatives, and performance improvement strategies.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provide authoritative advice and recommendations to senior agency leadership on strategic planning, performance management, governance, organizational effectiveness, and policy matters affecting agency operations and mission objectives.
• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous enhancement of agency-wide strategic planning and performance measurement processes. Establish and oversee integrated planning approaches, stakeholder engagement strategies, and performance management practices that support agency priorities and Federal requirements.
• Evaluate proposed policies, regulations, directives, and organizational initiatives to assess strategic, operational, and governance implications. Develop and present executive-level recommendations and implementation strategies to address complex agency challenges.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams and high-level initiatives involving organizational transformation, regulatory modernization, benchmarking, and advanced technology integration. Conduct complex analyses, synthesize findings, and provide actionable recommendations to support senior leadership decision-making.
• Represent the agency in senior-level engagements with Federal agencies, professional organizations, industry stakeholders, and other external partners. Establish collaborative relationships, communicate complex strategic and policy matters, and facilitate alignment among diverse stakeholders.

Qualifications

This job is in the Excepted Service.

This opportunity is open to current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s hiring rules and pay scales and current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

Applications will be accepted from current Federal employees on permanent or competitive term appointments and applicants eligible for non-competitive authorities.

In order to qualify for this position, you must have at least ten years of specialized experience in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.

Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate extensive experience leading or advising on complex, agency-wide strategic initiatives involving strategic planning, organizational performance, governance, policy development, or organizational transformation. Specialized experience includes providing authoritative advice to senior executives on matters of significant organizational impact; leading cross-functional or multidisciplinary initiatives; developing and implementing strategic plans and performance management frameworks; evaluating complex policy or organizational issues; and representing an organization in high-level interactions with internal and external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Demonstrated expertise in developing, implementing, and evaluating strategic plans, organizational performance management frameworks, and governance initiatives for a large, complex organization.
• Extensive experience providing authoritative advice and recommendations to senior executives on strategic planning, organizational effectiveness, policy development, governance, and performance improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and enterprise-wide initiatives involving organizational transformation, modernization, strategic analysis, and implementation of complex organizational priorities.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including experience presenting complex strategic, technical, programmatic, and policy issues to senior executives, governing bodies, and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships, influence executive decision-making, and achieve consensus among senior leaders, Federal agencies, industry representatives, and other stakeholders on issues of significant organizational importance.

A description of how you possess the specialized experience described above, 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 questions to provide additional information pertaining to the specialized experience and ideal candidate criteria.

Education

There are no education requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Visit www.nrc.gov Review the NRC Career Opportunities page, click on “Apply Now” then “Search for New Opportunities” and click on “view a list of current NRC vacancies at USAJOBS.” Or, click on the apply button/link on this site to be taken to NRC ‘s USAJOBS.gov employment page. Find the Principal Advisor for Operations Announcement Number DEST-13022761-26-TB and apply on-line by August 13, 2026. Note: The official Job Opportunity Announcement found on USAJOBS will provide precise information about the qualifications requirements and the exact documents to be submitted for you to be evaluated.

Your complete application must include your resume, responses to all required vacancy questions, and any required documents that prove your eligibility to apply. If you are viewing this opportunity after August 13th please visit NRC’s website and discover additional opportunities for which you might be interested.