Readiness Assurance Professional, Level VI

Akima; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 115,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Akima in Oak Ridge, Tennessee is seeking a Readiness Leader to provide strategic leadership for the CNS Readiness Assurance Program at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The ideal candidate should have a BA/BS along with 20 years experience, including 10 years in DOE-specific roles.

This technical expert will be responsible for operational readiness and execution of readiness reviews, ensuring that startups meet the rigorous standards of safety. Strong problem-solving and mentoring abilities are essential.

The position is on-site and requires the ability to obtain a DOE Q clearance.

Qualifications

• 20 years of direct experience, with 10 years of DOE-specific experience.
• Ability to obtain/maintain DOE Q clearance.
• Pre-employment drug screen and medical examination may be required.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic technical leadership for the CNS Readiness Assurance Program.
• Serve as technical expert ensuring operational readiness.
• Lead readiness reviews to verify operational readiness.

Skills

Technical leadership

Problem-solving skills

Ability to mentor

Education

BA/BS Degree

MA or MS Degree

Job description

Akima Infrastructure Services, LLC (AIS), is actively seeking Engineering, Professional, Technical, and administrative support personnel as part of our staff augmentation team supporting the Department of Energy at the Y‑12 National Security Complex located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and the Pantex Plant located in Amarillo, Texas. To join our team of outstanding professionals, apply today!

Successful candidates will be employees of AIS, a premier government contractor charged with employing highly motivated and well-qualified personnel who can advance Y-12's core mission to ensure a safe, secure, and reliable U.S. nuclear deterrent, which is essential to national security. Though employed by AIS, the employee will take day‑to‑day direction and assignments from Y-12 staff employed directly by the security complex. Pay, benefits, Human Resources, and Employment Management functions are provided by AIS.

Qualified applicants must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age, and able to meet pre‑employment requirements including any required physicals, drug screen, and/or background investigation to satisfy clearance requirements from the Department of Energy.

Responsibilities

This senior level position is fully responsible for providing strategic technical leadership and expertise for the CNS Readiness Assurance Program (RAP) with a focus on the startup of Weapon Facilities and Weapon Related Processes. This program provides technical direction for the startup and restart of complex nuclear and high‑hazard non‑nuclear facilities, activities, and operations as well as performing detailed technical reviews of CNS Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports, Technical Safety Requirements, Process Hazard Analysis and supporting documentation.

The Readiness Leader (RL) provides self‑directed, multi‑disciplinary technical leadership to ensure that startups and restarts of a wide range of specialized operational systems are accomplished meeting operational readiness expectations.

• Serve as the technical expert for operational readiness ensuring that physical and administrative boundaries are defined and review level determinations are completed.
• Resolve technical problems and make decisions and recommendations to the project team and senior management.
• Ensure that integrated planning across multiple organizations and individuals is accomplished to identify the set of tasks needed to attain operational readiness.
• Ensure that tasks required for attaining operational readiness are fully accomplished with high‑quality products that can withstand the scrutiny of contractually required operational readiness verification reviews.
• Serve as the team leader or team member of review teams that perform readiness reviews to verify operational readiness or Safety Basis Implementation Validation Reviews to verify that the requirements, assumptions, and controls from safety basis documents (DSA and TSR) are correctly captured in the documents and are fully implemented.
• Provide expert‑based training on the CNS Readiness Assurance Program to a variety of individuals including facility, operations, program and project managers and mentor less experienced staff.

Accountable To The

• Project or Program Manager and Site Manager for startups being operationally ready prior to the conduct of a readiness review.
• Production, Facility, Operations, and/or Mission Engineering Manager for completing IVRs for Safety Basis changes subject to the IVR process.
• Site Manager or delegate for completing readiness reviews.

Authorized To

• Represent the Readiness Assurance Program in meetings.
• Establish expectations with appropriate managers responsible for meeting defined readiness performance criteria and provide technical direction to other Readiness Assurance staff.

Qualifications

• BA/BS Degree plus 20 years of direct experience with 10 years of DOE‑specific experience required, or an MA or MS Degree plus 18 years of direct experience with 10 years of DOE‑specific experience.
• Ability to obtain/maintain a DOE Q clearance.
• DOE Q clearance preferred.
• Pre‑employment Drug Screen – external applicants selected for this position are required to successfully complete a post‑offer, pre‑employment drug test.
• Medical Exam(s) – job related pre‑placement medical examinations may be required for this position.
• This position may require the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. If determined as such, this position would be identified as a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require participation in an ongoing random drug testing program in addition to the pre‑employment drug screen.

Job ID

2026-24064

Work Type

On‑Site