Summary

This position is located with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), in the Eastern Engineering group (TPCF), of Customer Service Engineering (TPC), System Planning (TP), Transmission Services (T).

As a senior Electrical Engineer, you are the key technical partner for our utility customers. You will lead complex projects to expand and strengthen the Pacific Northwest's power grid, serving as the expert liaison for integrating new energy resources. Apply to be a leader in regional energy.

Duties

As an Electrical Engineer, you will:

• Lead Strategic Grid Expansion: Act as the lead engineer and subject matter expert in developing comprehensive plans to modify and expand the BPA transmission system. You will work collaboratively with customers and internal teams to create innovative solutions that provide the best value for all parties.
• Serve as the Primary Technical Authority: Represent BPA as the main engineering point of contact for interconnection requests from public utilities, private companies, and generation developers. You will serve as the trusted consultant and expert advisor on all technical aspects of planning and expansion projects.
• Drive Complex Negotiations: Prepare and negotiate the technical details of engineering and construction agreements for expanding or modifying BPA's transmission network. You will be the final authority on the technical aspects of both short and long-term contracts.
• Manage Key Customer Relationships: Own the technical relationship with our customers. This includes leading investigations into power outages, proposing reliability improvements, and ensuring all of BPA's teams work together to provide timely and complete solutions to customer requests.
• Develop Next-Generation Solutions: Use your expert judgment and resourcefulness to solve unique and complex issues facing the grid. You will analyze system parameters, review proposals for impacts on the transmission system, and develop business cases for innovative solutions.
• Ensure Grid Reliability and Safety: Serve as a subject matter expert, working with interconnected utilities to develop joint plans that reinforce the transmission system. You will analyze the impact of mandatory reliability standards on customers and ensure compliance, keeping the grid secure and stable.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answer to these questions is not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.

When you apply you will be asked a series of questions to determine your eligibility for employment and your qualification for this position specifically. You must answer all of these questions completely and truthfully.

Key Requirements:

• You must be a United States Citizen.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
• You will be required to report in person to the official duty location.

Conditions of Employment:

• After employment, this position may be subject to periodic physical examinations, as prescribed by competent medical authority and at BPA expense, if exposed to health hazards.
• A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work. Current Federal employees or other individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

-OR-

B. Combination of Education and Experience college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

1. Professional Registration or Licensure Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. -OR-
2. Written Test Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. -OR-
3. Specified Academic Courses Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. -OR-
4. Related Curriculum Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

For more information on how to meet the Basic Requirements please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf

In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must also meet the specialized experience requirements as listed below.

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 grade level (GS-12) in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience 1) performing engineering analysis of electric transmission systems to develop plans for system reinforcements, expansions, or interconnections; and 2) drafting technical specifications for construction or transmission service agreements, and providing engineering support for customer-related issues such as system reliability, outages, or contract delivery points.

"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.

Time-in-Grade: Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement to receive consideration.

CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This vacancy has a positive education requirement. In order to be rated as qualified, you must provide copies of your college transcripts. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Department of Education Accreditation Search to verify school accreditation.

Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system.

Failure to provide copies of your college transcripts may result in a rating of "Ineligible".

Additional information

• The salary is based on a Special Rate Table, Numbers 0753, 0754, 0755: https://apps.opm.gov/SpecialRates/
• This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE

Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budget availability and in accordance with federal regulations.

BPA strives to ensure a safe and positive work environment.

We also understand the importance of work/life balance and offer a variety of programs and policies designed to create more flexible, responsive work environments supportive of commitments to community, home and family members. BPA also supports employees' overall wellness through its Be Well program, which helps employees adopt healthier lifestyles and feel better about their work/life balance. The program supports five key areas of life: career, community, financial, physical and social.

Under the Employee Referral Bonus program, certain BPA employees may be eligible for a monetary award for referring outside candidates for this difficult-to-fill position.

The referring employee must complete the form BPA F 33300.01e and email it to [redacted] by midnight of the closing date of the job posting.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific b