General Engineer (Recent Graduate)

Department of Energy Headquarters; Germantown (MD); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Energy Headquarters in Germantown, MD offers the Recent Graduates Program, a one-year developmental opportunity within the Office of Nuclear Energy. Recent Graduates may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a term or permanent position in the civil service upon program completion.

As a GS-9/GS-11 General Engineer, you will support program management for the NASA Strategic Partnership Program by developing scopes, budgets, schedules, and milestones for Radioisotope

Job description

Open: October 3, 2026 — Closes: October 12, 2026

Summary

This position is part of the Office of Nuclear Energy - Headquarters, Department of Energy. The Recent Graduates Program is a dynamic, one-year developmental program that promotes careers in the Federal Government to recent graduates. Recent Graduates who successfully complete Program requirements may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a term or permanent position in the civil service.

Major Duties

Nuclear energy is one of the most resilient, environmentally sustainable, and reliable energy sources on the grid today. The Office of Nuclear Energy works to advance nuclear energy science and technology to meet the nation's energy, environmental, and economic needs. As a GS-9 General Engineer (Recent Graduate) you will: Support program management for the NASA Strategic Partnership Program by developing scopes, budgets, schedules, and milestones for Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS). Perform engineering analyses, evaluate technical proposals for nuclear infrastructure initiatives, and assist senior engineers on complex Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) projects. Review and evaluate engineering plans, specifications, inter-agency agreements (IAAs), and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) to resolve discrepancies and ensure technical accuracy. Participate in interagency and international working groups-coordinating among DOE headquarters, national laboratories, NASA, and field elements and prepare regular technical status reports. As a GS-11 General Engineer (Recent Graduate) you will: Serve as technical specialist managing the NASA Strategic Partnership Program-establishing scopes, budgets, schedules, milestones, and procurement packages to support Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS). Analyze engineering requirements, evaluate new proposals for nuclear infrastructure initiatives, and resolve difficult technical challenges related to Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs). Manage and review inter-agency agreements (IAAs), memoranda of understanding (MOUs), and technical policies, resolving conflicting requirements across engineering disciplines to maintain project alignment. Represent the program office in domestic and international working groups (e.g., US-UK working groups), coordinate across DOE labs and NASA, and present technical status reports to diverse audiences. CONVERSION REQUIREMENTS: DOE has the option to non-competitively convert a Recent Graduate to a permanent or term position upon successful completion of program requirements. This is not automatic, nor guaranteed. Conversion is at the discretion of the hiring manager and employing office. To be eligible to be converted to a permanent or term position you must: Be a US Citizen or National Be recommended for conversion by your manager or supervisor. Complete all training and development requirements within the 1-year appointment period. Successful completion of 1 year of continuous service. Demonstrate successful job performance of at least a "Fully Successful" or equivalent on performance appraisal. Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualification standards for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted (which may include a positive education requirement). all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf A Recent Graduate may be converted to the highest General Schedule (GS) grade level qualified for at time of conversion. Recent Graduates converted to a term position in the competitive service may subsequently be non-competitively converted to a career or career-conditional appointment without further competition.