Summary

This position is located with Bonneville Power Administration in Real Time Study (TORS) organization of Real Time Operations (TOR), Transmission System Operations (TO), Transmission Services (T).

A successful candidate in the Real-Time Operations Electrical Engineer position will perform real-time, current day, and next day Operations Studies/Analysis.

Duties

As an Electrical Engineer, you will:

• Conducts engineering studies for electrical power systems.
• Uses existing power flow models or develops new algorithms to test system performance.
• Participates in and supports the design or development of unique or leading-edge technology for the study of the Electrical Power System.
• Analyzes and interprets real-time, current-day, and next-day analysis results
• Conducts electrical engineering testing and evaluation.
• Determines readiness of study tools for use in the real-time study of the electrical system.

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.
• This position has been designated as requiring a PUBLIC TRUST background. 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.
• Work is performed seven days per week, 365 days a year, in 12-Hour Rotating Shifts.
• The incumbent is required to obtain NERC System Operator certification by the end of the initial training period. Maintaining NERC certification is a requirement of this position.
• Continuing training at the Vancouver, WA, site will be required each subsequent year to maintain qualifications and meet regulatory compliance requirements. Travel is required for 2-5 days on a quarterly basis.
• The position is identified as a BPA Transmission Function employee under the FERC SOC non-discrimination rules and is required to complete BPA's mandatory Standards of Conduct (SOC) training.
• The position is identified as one of the DOE Mission Essential Functions (MEFs) responsible for providing continued operation of a safe and reliable transmission system under altered or degraded operating conditions. During an event, the incumbent is required to report to a remotely located facility when the primary duty station is not available.

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:

GS-11: 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-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience 1) assisting in conducting system performance tests to identify systems anomalies and investigate anomaly causes; 2) participating in validity analysis and findings to support the development of mitigation actions or other operational procedures; 3) supporting the test, checkout, and readiness of systems, equipment, or study tools for use in the real-time study of the electrical system.

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: 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-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience 1) conducting engineering studies that demonstrate understanding of High Voltage (115 kV and above) electrical power systems and/or Power Systems stability concepts which include demonstrate understanding of the methods to maintain the reliability of a Power System; 2) using existing models or developing new algorithms to test system performance as it applies to power systems; 3) determining readiness of powerflow study tools for use in the real-time study of a high voltage transmission electrical system.

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. 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. In order to be rated as qualified, you must provide copies of your college transcripts.

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, Number 0754 and 0755: https://apps.opm.gov/SpecialRates/
• This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE

Benefits

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