Electrical Engineer (Programming)

Summary

This position is located with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), in the Energy management Systems (JDE), Grid Ops Application Services (JD), Information Technology (J).

A successful candidate in the Electrical Engineer (Programming) position will provide technical system support, programming, and administration for BPA's critical Energy Management Systems (EMS). The position will provide full life-cycle support for multiple critical EMS used in support of BPA's Control Centers.

Duties

Help

At the full performance level, as an Electrical Engineer (Programming), you will

• Code, test, configure, stage, migrate, maintain, and document various vendor and in-house applications to provide solutions that support business requirements.
• Define requirements and robust solutions to support the modification, integration, and migration of BPA's EMS system to new software versions.
• Plan and coordinate system and functional enhancements in coordination with system users and technical staff involved with impacted systems.
• Provide technical evaluation, including weighted recommendations, on potential technology solutions.
• Perform engineering calculations to resolve electric power problems.
• Evaluate reasonability of telemetered and calculated power system data.
• Analyze data beginning at its source and traversing through data flow paths to troubleshoot data quality issues.

These positions are located in either Spokane, WA or Vancouver, WA:

Vancouver, WA is a splendid place to live because of its picturesque downtown area full of trendy shops, delicious restaurants, and exclusive breweries. There are several breathtaking nature parks, miles of bike trails, and amazing panoramic mountain views! Vancouver is the perfect place for anyone who loves to be outdoors and really enjoys nature!

Spokane, WA is a welcoming Northwest city where nature and community meet. Set along the Spokane River and surrounded by mountains and lakes, Spokane offers four beautiful seasons of outdoor adventures just minutes from downtown. The city's vibrant arts scene, local restaurants, and affordable cost of living make it easy to enjoy both work and life. Whether you're exploring the riverfront, skiing nearby slopes, or relaxing at one of the many local parks, Spokane is a place where your career and lifestyle can thrive together.

Requirements

Help

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:

• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
• 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.
• This position may be subject to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Standards of Conduct (FERC SOC) non-discrimination rules and restrictions prohibiting disclosure of certain information to Power Merchant Function employees.
• May be required to obtain and maintain a state issued driver's license.

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

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: In addition to the meeting the basic requirement, a qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service.

GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-09). Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience: 1) applying electrical engineering principles to evaluate, test, and troubleshoot electric power systems, telemetry data, or automated control and monitoring systems such as SCADA; and 2) writing, testing, configuring, and modifying software code or applications using programming languages (such as C++ and C#) to support operational technology and system data integration.

You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

• Three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree, or Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree; your education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. -OR-
• Combination of education and experience as described above. Less than one year of specialized experience may be combined with graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e., credit hours beyond the first two years of full-time study may be credited).

GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-11). Specialized experience is defined as experience: 1) writing, testing, configuring, and maintaining software code and applications (using programming languages such as C++ and C#), databases, and display interfaces to support operational technology and system data integration; and 2) performing electrical engineering calculations, analyzing telemetered power system data, and troubleshooting issues within automated control and monitoring systems such as SCADA or Energy Management Systems.

There is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-12 grade level.

"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.

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

• This position meets the definition of the Special Salary Rate for generation and/or transmission of electrical power. The salary is based on a Special Rate Table, Number 0754 (Vancouver, WA) -or- 0755 (Spokane, WA): https://apps.opm.gov/SpecialRates/
• This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
• 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.

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.

Expand Hide additional information

Candidates should be comm