Electrical Engineer
What you'd do
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 position will serve as a technical specialist responsible for assigned elements of emergency management systems and applications and to provide expert advice to senior colleagues and BPA officials responsible for broad program operations within the areas of expertise.
Major duties
As an Electrical Engineer, you will: Drive Long-Term System Strategy - Shape the future of BPA's grid technology. You will champion the strategic vision and develop long-term roadmaps for our suite of software tools, predicting future operational needs and ensuring our control center systems remain state-of-the-art. Architect Advanced Grid Applications - Design and coordinate the technical requirements for the vital software applications used in our control centers. Your work ensures that the tools dispatchers rely on to match power generation with load, run real-time power simulations, and manage grid stability remain seamlessly integrated. Serve as the Go-To Technical Advisor - Step into a highly visible consulting role. You will provide expert-level technical guidance to senior colleagues and BPA leadership, advising on how complex operating platforms, databases, and application suites depend on and communicate with one another. Bridge Physical Hardware and Monitoring Software (SCADA) - Ensure absolute accuracy in our control rooms. You will troubleshoot telemetry data and align physical substation equipment with our advanced monitoring software, providing dispatchers with an incredibly reliable, real-time picture of grid health. Innovate Next-Generation Operational Tools - Turn operational challenges into smart solutions. By combining your understanding of system operations with advanced engineering principles, you will design and deploy creative, custom software tools that make daily grid management safer and more efficient. Lead External Collaborations & Vendor Management - Act as the technical bridge between BPA and external partners. You will translate complex operational needs into clear technical specifications, evaluate vendor proposals, and manage development contracts-directing the rigorous testing that guarantees third-party software meets our high standards. Safeguard Critical Infrastructure - Protect the grid from modern threats. You will design and implement robust cybersecurity protocols directly into our operating systems, ensuring our critical infrastructure complies with strict federal reliability standards. Represent BPA on the Regional Stage - Extend your influence beyond BPA. You will actively represent our Transmission Services team at regional conferences and technical working groups-collaborating with major organizations like the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) to align tool deployments and power-sharing strategies across the Western Interconnection.
What you need to qualify
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: 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- 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- 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- 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: A qualified candidate's 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 is defined as experience in 1) assisting with multi-functional development projects in software analysis, design, development, and implementation for a new system or major enhancement to an existing system; 2) investigating, evaluating, and selecting tools and methods for improving productivity and software quality throughout the life cycle; 3) assisting in ensuring that applications are thoroughly tested, documented, and security certifications are obtained prior to deployment. "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 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.
Before you apply
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