Operations Training Specialist

Energy Northwest; Richland (WA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Energy Northwest is seeking a qualified professional to lead and enhance Columbia Generating Station (CGS) training programs. The role involves delivering technical instruction across classroom, plant, and simulator settings, administering tests, and tracking learner progress to ensure regulatory compliance and accreditation.

You will design, revise, and oversee training materials, maintain auditable records, and collaborate with line management to ensure training aligns with plant procedures

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor of Science in a technical field and four years of operation or operations training experience at a nuclear plant.
• RO/SRO license or equivalent plus six to eight years in operations training may substitute for some requirements.
• Experience with regulatory compliance and accreditation processes is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Implement Operations Training Programs using approved materials across classroom, plant, and simulator settings.
• Assess learner achievement via tests, remediation, and counseling.
• Maintain training records and ensure accessibility to line management.
• Design and revise training materials to meet regulatory and industry standards.
• Monitor program effectiveness and benchmark against industry guidance.

Skills

Operations training

Instructional skills

Test administration

Student performance analysis

Simulation training

Education

Bachelor of Science in a technical field

RO/SRO license/certification

High school diploma/GED

Tools

Training materials design

Auditable records system

Job description

Through mastery of skills and extensive subject matter knowledge, conducts the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of Columbia Generating Station (CGS) licensed operations training programs in accordance with the CGS Systematic Approach to Training model and applicable plant procedures. Drives station and personnel performance improvement through the use of training. Assures training programs comply with all regulatory requirements and support continued accreditation by the National Academy of Nuclear Training. Maintains knowledge of plant operations, disciplinary skills and techniques, commensurate with the responsibility to develop and conduct effective, high-quality training.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Implement Operations Training Programs by:

• Providing technical instruction utilizing approved training materials and applying appropriate learning strategies in classroom, plant, and simulator training settings.
• Administering written tests to measure achievement of training lesson learning objectives.
• Monitoring student performance by analyzing and interpreting test data, performing student remediation, and providing appropriate student counseling.
• Preparing and transmitting auditable training records to designed records repository in a timely manner.
• Ensuring line organization training needs are met and records of training and qualification are available to line management/supervision as a guide to assign work.
• Establishing instructor credibility and integrity by responding both verbally and nonverbally to trainee feedback and needs using tools such as questions, body language, etc. Adapting to the needs of the group, the individual, the training content and setting, demonstrating empathy and understanding.
• Using communication strategy that maximizes learner understanding and accomplishment of the skills and knowledge being taught.
• Demonstrating effective presentation skills that include good organization of content, appropriate use of verbal and body language, gestures, movement, eye contact, and use of time.
• Demonstrating competence in presenting instruction using a variety of instructional methods including lecture, facilitated group activities and discussion, individual activities, group practice, demonstrations hands-on, on-the-job and simulator.
• Determining the extent to which learners have achieved stated learning objectives and identify unexpected outcomes both positive and negative, which have resulted from learner participation.
• Assessing learner participation in activities and discussion; monitoring learner performance during practice activities, discussion and exercises and assessing final performance at the end of instruction.

2. Develop and Maintain Operations Training programs by:

• Performing needs analysis, job analysis, and task analysis to determine the basis for training.
• Designing and developing new training materials based on the results of analysis to assure training program content meets participants’ needs.
• Revising training programs to maintain instructional and technical accuracy based on participants’ feedback, incumbents’ performance, changes to industry standards, modifications to plant procedures, plant design changes, and instructional experience.
• Ensuring training programs comply with applicable requirements, have correct technical content, and meet participant needs.
• Reviewing, interpreting, and integrating applicable regulations, INPO Training Guidelines, licensing requirements, FSAR commitments, and corporate policies/directives into applicable training programs.
• Performing instructional and technical reviews of new and revised training materials.
• Synthesizing information from analysis to establish the basis for learning objectives, test items, lesson and program design.
• Analyzing data from review by technical and instructional experts to determine appropriate revisions or modifications to the instruction to ensure problems are remedied.
• Accurately evaluating the performance and effectiveness of the crew and the individual through observation and review of documented activities.
• Providing total task accomplishment through concern for all areas involved no matter how small; orientation to attend to and skill in accurately monitoring the performance and effectiveness of crew and equipment through the attention to detail and the review of documented activities in the simulator.
• Possessing and using effective interpersonal teamwork and diagnostic skills to contribute effectively as a member of the instruction/evaluation simulator team during both normal and abnormal simulated plant conditions.
• Demonstrating and promoting effective communications, using both verbal and nonverbal methods.
• Communicating different leadership styles and team interactions and adjusting actions to work effectively with these differences.

4. Oversee the Operations Training Programs by:

• Monitoring the physical condition of program training materials to ensure they are current and technically correct.
• Identifying, implementing, and directing changes to task lists, training matrices, training program descriptions, course catalogs, and training materials.
• Observing and evaluating the effectiveness of training and training related activities, conducted by other section training specialists.
• Advising Training and line management of the need for training program adjustments and improvements.
• Assessing training program industry alignment by benchmarking programs with other utilities.
• Comparing training programs to industry standards, guidelines, and regulations and formulating actions to maintain high program quality and effectiveness.
• Collaborating with line management and supervision to schedule and conduct training.
• Assisting management to ensure training programs continually meet training accreditation objectives and criteria and are implemented in an efficient and effective manner.
• Interacting with training supervisors, managers, plant supervisors and managers, other training personnel, subject matter experts, and job incumbents demonstrating the ability to understand, empathize, and remember in situations such as interviews for analysis or evaluation, instructional sessions, and meetings or committees.
• Preparing written information in an established format and style that clearly communicates to other training and plant personnel for documents such as lesson materials, test items, course descriptions, program descriptions, and reports to management on training initiatives.
• Developing individual work plans that allow time to be used effectively and efficiently to accomplish many work activities in a specified time period. Maximize use of time and ensure consideration of dependent and independent work tasks support personnel responsibilities and critical path.

5. Maintain minimum instructional and technical qualifications for the position by:

• Attending seminars, professional meetings, and industry training workshops.
• Attending or being exempted from attending initial instructional skills training.
• Attending quarterly Instructor Skills Continuing Training.
• Participating in structured in-plant activities to keep current with technical issues.
• Assisting management to ensure training programs are kept current with line organization changes and current industry technical developments.
• Assessing personal skills and abilities to make decisions on how to effectively and efficiently accomplish work tasks and Energy Northwest business methods.
• Understanding how individual actions and decisions can positively and negatively affect the ability of the total organization to meet its requirements to regulatory agencies and to the public.

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Requires a Bachelor of Science in a technical field from an accredited college or university AND four years of experience in the operation or operations training of a commercial or Naval nuclear power plant.

OR RO/SRO license/certification AND High school diploma/GED AND six years of experience in the operation or operations training of a commercial or Naval nuclear power plant.

OR High school diploma/GED AND eight years of experience in the operation or operations training department of a commercial or Naval nuclear power plant.

Certified Nuclear Navy Instructor experience (such as time served teaching at Navy Nuclear Prototype), and qualifications (Engineering Watch Supervisor and Engineering Officer of the Watch) will be considered in lieu of RO/SRO license/certification.

Incentive Compensation

This position is eligible for an annual at-risk compensation (ARC) incentive plan. Incentives are earned based on agency performance against defined metrics and goals which follow eligibility rules within the ARC plan document.