Electrical Engineer
Vancouver, WA - USA
Job Summary
This position is located with Bonneville Power Administration in the Asset Reliability and Maintenance (TEZM) organization of Technical Services (TEZ) Engineering and Technical Services (TE) Transmission (T) Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).
A successful candidate in the Electrical Engineer position will serve as a lead engineer performing substation and transmission line maintenance technical services work or performing asset performance assessment work in the TEZM organization.
As an Electrical Engineer you will:
- Serve as a technical subject matter expert in Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) and asset health modeling for high-voltage substation and transmission line assets across the TEZM organization.
- Establish asset performance metrics condition assessment criteria and risk-evaluation strategies to guide replacement and maintenance decisions for asset management and field service teams.
- Plan and direct root cause failure analyses (RCFA) equipment diagnostic investigations and age exploration studies alongside field crews and technical specialists to refine preventive maintenance practices.
- Lead the evaluation and adoption of new technologies diagnostic tools and asset management systems (e.g. Cascade) to improve RCM program effectiveness and operational reliability.
- Represent the organization on inter-utility groups professional engineering committees and standards bodies to evaluate high-voltage equipment performance and update industry maintenance standards.
- Provide functional team leadership for engineers and technical staff performing technical services and asset assessment ensuring alignment with TEZM strategic goals priorities and deadlines.
- Balance and coordinate team workload providing technical coaching guidance on problem-solving methods and peer review to ensure high-quality timely deliverables.
- Facilitate team communications and continuous improvement assisting the team in identifying training needs refining work processes and conveying technical findings and consensus to leadership.
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.
- This position does not support remote work. You will be required to report physically to the official reporting worksite as specified by the supervisor but no less than 2 days per pay period.
- The salary is based on a Special Rate Table Number 0754: be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
BASIC REQUIREMENT:
A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable the program must: (1) lead to a bachelors 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 bachelors 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 bachelors 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.)
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidates online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level enter grade in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience in providing electrical engineering support and guidance to internal engineering or technical staff on Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) principles and asset management strategies for high-voltage substation equipment and transmission line assets to evaluate asset health risk and performance including 1) conducting root cause failure analyses equipment diagnostic investigations or age exploration studies on high-voltage components to develop preventative maintenance recommendations design changes or replacement criteria; and 2) leading or coordinating technical team activities such as guiding engineering/technical staff balancing workloads conducting peer reviews or representing an organization on inter-utility/industry technical committees.
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.
This vacancy has a positive education 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 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.
- The salary is based on a Special Rate Table Number 0754: job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process please contact the Staffing Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement. USAJOBS Help Center Reasonable accommodation policy
Reasonable Accommodation for USAHire: If you believe you have a disability (i.e. physical or mental) covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position after notification of the adjudication of your request you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.
Veterans Information: USAJOBS Help Center - Veterans
Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Telework: Service Registration: - Who must register: 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.
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.
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.
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 benefits offered.
Required Experience:
IC