Emergency Management Specialist
National Nuclear Security Administration
Posted: January 14, 2026 (1 day ago)
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National Nuclear Security Administration
Department of Energy
Location
Salary
$169,279 - $197,200
per year
Type
Closes
Base salary range: $104,604 - $135,987
Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-13. Senior expert or supervisor.
Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).
This job involves leading efforts to locate lost or stolen radioactive materials and supporting federal agencies in responding to nuclear threats, including on-call deployments to emergencies worldwide.
A good fit would be someone with strong experience in emergency planning and team leadership who thrives in high-pressure situations and can collaborate across government organizations.
The role requires readiness for short-notice travel and maintaining top-level expertise in nuclear safety protocols.
This position is part of the Office of Nuclear Incident Response.
A successful candidate in this position will serve as a Nuclear Search Program Manager and nationally recognized authority/principal expert, overseeing NNSA's search for lost, missing, or stolen radiological material and assisting the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United State Secret Service (USSS), and the Department of Defense (DoD) in locating and interdicting radiological/nuclear weapons of mass destruction.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA Demonstration Project pay band or GS grade level in the Federal service, i.e., NQ-03 or GS-14 equivalent.
Specialized experience for this position is defined as: applying knowledge of effective emergency response procedures and the specialized assets applicable to nuclear or radiological incident response to ensure the development, implementation, and management of an effective Incident Response Program.
Mastery knowledge and skill in the application of command, control, communication, and coordination principles to execute NEST response missions worldwide.
Examples of Specialized Experience: Experience leading the development and application of emergency operations procedures and programs. Experience engaging with U.S.
government Departments and Agencies responsible for national security and public health and safety emergency response missions.
Demonstrated ability to enhance team cohesion and successfully navigate inter- and intra-organizational dynamics in a high-paced operational environment.
"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience.
Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations.
Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.
You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section.
If you are eligible for career transition assistance plans such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the definition of "well qualified" which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Major Duties:
As an Emergency Management Specialist, you will: Serve as an on-call Senior Response Official for DOE/NNSA Nuclear Emergency Support Team field response and home teams, takes on-call duty as required, typically for one week each month.
Remain prepared to deploy on short notice, to possibly austere environments.
Develop/maintain a detailed understanding of the mission spaces of the Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST) (countering WMD Operations, U.S.
Nuclear Weapons Accident/Incident, and Public Health & Safety) and the role of NSP assets and capabilities within these mission spaces.
Plan, direct, execute, and manage NSP programs, including development of procedures, policies, plans, and any other applicable requirements.
Serve as the recognized technical advisor, providing expert advice on complex NSP requirements, and serve as spokesperson at regional and nationwide meetings, committees and working groups to propose, defend and/or analyze NSP performance criteria.
Implement NSP standards, regulations, best practices, training, and procedures. Train to, and maintain, all qualifications for such purposes, including deployment to national level exercises.
Maintain and improve operational readiness and minimize negative impacts on personnel, environment, and DOE facilities.
Plan, lead, coordinate, and execute the DOE/NNSA Nuclear Emergency Support Team's (NEST) drills, exercises, evaluations, trainings, assessments; and oversees the execution of response activities associated with NEST incidents.
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