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Posted: January 28, 2026 (0 days ago)

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Attorney

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Other Agencies and Independent Organizations

Fresh

Location

Salary

$121,785 - $187,093

per year

Type

Closes

March 31, 2026

SES Pay Grade

Base salary range: $147,649 - $221,900

Typical requirements: Executive-level leadership experience. Senior executive qualifications required.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This job involves providing legal advice and support to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on nuclear energy regulations, licensing, safety, and enforcement matters.

The role requires handling complex legal issues like reactor operations, waste management, and security for licensed facilities.

A good fit would be an experienced attorney with a background in regulatory or administrative law who enjoys working independently on high-stakes government projects.

Key Requirements

  • At least one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level or equivalent in federal, state, or private legal practice
  • Strong ability to interpret and analyze federal laws, statutes, regulations, and cases related to nuclear regulation
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills for providing legal opinions and advice
  • Experience in administrative law, regulatory practice, security/enforcement, or environmental law
  • Litigation experience in civil, criminal, trial, or appellate proceedings
  • Knowledge of NRC-specific areas like licensing, backfitting, fee rules, cybersecurity, and decommissioning
  • Ability to work independently on complex legal assignments in adjudicatory or advisory contexts

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Office of the General Counsel. Division and supervisory information will be determined at time of selection.

This position level is subject to Confidential Financial Disclosure reporting requirements. This position level is subject to Security Ownership Restriction reporting requirements.

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.

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following: Ability to provide legal advice and support to the General Counsel, the Commission, and the Commission staff on all aspects of: Licensing and regulation for materials, fuel cycle, spent fuel storage and disposal, fuel packaging and transportation, and decommissioning activities; New or amended NRC regulations, guidance, and policy statements for the NRC's reactors, materials, and fuel cycle, waste, and disposal programs; backfitting/issue finality; the NRC Agreement State Program, and Tribal policy; the annual fee rule, fee disputes and fee waivers; Reactor licensing and regulation for operating reactors, new reactors, advanced reactors, reactor license transfers, license renewal, design certification, reactor decommissioning, and research and test reactors; and/or Cybersecurity, safeguards, and physical security of NRC-licensed facilities and materials, allegations of wrongdoing, investigations, and enforcement of agency requirements.

Ability to effectively identify, interpret and analyze Federal laws, statutes, regulations, and cases as they relate to agency adjudicatory processes and complex legal issues in various areas of law.

Excellent written and oral communication skills, particularly in connection with providing legal opinions and advice.

Experience in administrative law, security and enforcement practice, regulatory practice, or environmental law, and possess litigation experience (civil, criminal, trial, and/or appellate) in one or more of those practice areas.

A description of how you possess the specialized experience and ideal candidate language should be addressed in your resume or in the space provided for your supplemental response.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as: Specialized experience GG 13: includes experience that is defined as attorney or judicial work experience in a federal or state government legal office, federal or state judiciary, or the private practice of law, which provided the candidate with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the work of these positions.

Minimally qualified candidates will have multiple years of work experience, including substantial regulatory and statutory interpretation and/or litigation experience sufficient to perform with an adequate degree of independence or with assistance on complex and major assignments.

GG 14: includes experience that is defined as attorney or judicial work experience in a federal or state government legal office, federal or state judiciary, or the private practice of law, which provided the candidate with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the work of these positions.

Minimally qualified candidates will have multiple years of work experience, including substantial regulatory and statutory interpretation and/or litigation experience sufficient to perform independently on complex and major assignments.

Typically, at least one year of this work experience should be comparable in complexity and responsibility to the kind of work normally assigned at the grade 13 or 14 levels in the Federal government, or equivalent.

Major Duties:

Below are the major duties needed to perform the position.

Depending on placement, duties will be performed with a high degree of independence and will include representation in agency adjudications or before administrative tribunals, providing advice in non-adjudicatory contexts, and advising and providing legal services related to: The licensing and regulation of nuclear materials, fuel cycle facilities, spent fuel storage and disposal, decommissioning activities for reactors and materials sites, and other related activities; New or amended NRC regulations, guidance, and policy statements for the NRC's reactors, materials, and fuel cycle, waste, and disposal programs; backfitting/issue finality; the NRC Agreement State Program, and Tribal policy; the annual fee rule, fee disputes and fee waivers; The licensing and regulation of nuclear power and non-power reactors, including issuance, renewal, and transfer of licenses, construction permits, early site permits, combined licenses, operating licenses, and manufacturing licenses; issuance of standard design approvals and standard design certifications and associated legal review activities for new reactors; and reactor operator licensing; and Cybersecurity, safeguards, and physical security of NRC-licensed facilities and materials; and reactor and materials enforcement matters, to include allegations of wrongdoing, investigations, and related agency adjudications.

Reviews technical documents to determine their legal sufficiency; performs difficult original legal research; develops solutions to novel and complex legal issues; provides legal opinions and advice; and identifies and addresses policy matters, including consideration of relevant risks.

When in a litigation role, prepares and conducts difficult and complex cases before Atomic Safety Licensing boards, Presiding Officers, and the Commission.

Prepares motions and briefs; obtains witnesses and develops their testimony; negotiates with petitioners, intervenors, licensees, applicants, attorneys, members of the public, and Federal and State and local agencies; conducts direct examination on highly technical-scientific subjects; and makes persuasive arguments during oral hearings.

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Posted on USAJOBS: 1/28/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 1/28/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: OGC-2026-0004