Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees with competitive status; Former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; CTAP/ICTAP eligibles; Veterans with VOW, VEOA, VRA or 30% disability; Military Spouses; Individuals with Disabilities Schedule A; Peace Corps, Vista (AmeriCorps) eligibles; Those eligible under an OPM interchange agreement or other special appointing authority.

There are several High Voltage Electrician (Maintenance) positions available with Bonneville Power Administration in different locations throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.  A successful candidate in this position will perform installation and adjustment (construction) or maintenance and repair (maintenance) of electrical equipment in Substations. The construction aspects of a High Voltage Electrician task include erection of new facilities or removal of old facilities. The maintenance aspects include routine inspection, modification, troubleshooting, and repair of facilities. Equipment serviced may be electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, pneumatic, and/or electronic. High Voltage Electricians work from sketches, drawings, blueprints, wiring diagrams, and instruction books. Normally, a High Voltage Electrician will perform either construction or maintenance tasks. However, the employee may be required to perform any duty of the craft concerning electrical equipment in substations. The High Voltage Electrician usually reports to a High Voltage Electrician Foreman but occasionally may work independently. The High Voltage Electrician performs all duties in compliance with government regulations, BPA safety rules, and the BPA-CPTC Collective Agreement.

As an Electrician you will:

• Maintain and repair (maintenance) major electrical equipment in substations. When equipment fails, perform emergency repairs.
• Perform diagnostic testing to inspect parts and equipment.
• Perform work in shops on equipment components including bushings, motors, small power tools, etc. Assemble, install, and modify control and relay panels for substations.
• Assemble and erect steel racks and towers to support equipment.
• Install and change antennas, reflectors, transmitting or receiving devices, emergency power supplies, and other equipment located in microwave or radio stations.
• Takes clearances and performs switching to isolate a piece of equipment for repair.
• Conduit and trenches for equipment are installed under the service yard. Cables are pulled through the conduit. Complete associated documentation require

Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
• Selectee must be able to meet the physical requirements of the job.
• Selectee may be required to successfully complete a probationary period.

This announcement is also being advertised under Merit Promotion as announcement DOE-BPA-19-13444-MP.

Requirements:

• If exposed to health hazards, have periodic physical examinations as prescribed by competent medical authority at BPA expense. (Employees will work in close proximity to substances, such as lead, acids, solvents, or PCB's, which may have effects on health unless prescribed handling procedures are followed).
• Become fully knowledgeable of and follow the safety practices of the BPA Accident Prevention Manual.
• Establish a residence in accordance with negotiated requirements, that is within one hour or less commuting time under normal weather and road conditions, to the duty station headquarters.
• Possess within 1 year after appointment, and maintain continuously thereafter, a First Aid Card and a CPR card.
• Possess a clearance certificate and an electrical worker's permit or obtain them within 1 year of appointment and maintain continuously thereafter.
• Possess a valid state driver's license at the time of employment. Once employed the incumbent will also be required to provide proof of a valid commercial driver's license (CDL) with all endorsements that are required to operate substation maintenance and construction equipment from the state of residence within 120 days after appointment. Traffic citations indicating poor driving habits may disqualify applicants.
• Be certified on aerial lift or other equipment if assigned to use or operate.
• Take First Aid refresher training, when possible.
• Subject to call for emergency work at any time.
• Drive two and four-wheel drive vehicles, which may include towing various equipment trailers, normally used in substation maintenance and construction.
• Be able to wear protective apparel such as respirators when required for worker safety.
• During the first year, new hires will be required to successfully complete the Power System Electrician orientation training. This includes evaluating employees on both written and performance tests.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS: 

• All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities, as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to this position. Applicants must meet the requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations (X-118C).

Although a specific length of time and experience is not required for most trade and labor occupations, you must show through experience and training that you possess the quality level of knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of the position at the level for which you are applying. Qualification requirements emphasis is on the quality of experience, not necessarily the length of time.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the job elements and screen out listed below.

This job has one screen-out factor which will be used to determine minimum eligibility for this job. Applicants who do not receive a minimum of two points on the screen-out element will be found ineligible. The screen-out element for the High Voltage Electrician, BB-2810-00 position is:

Element 1: ABILITY TO PERFORM THE WORK OF A HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICIAN WITHOUT MORE THAN NORMAL SUPERVISION. (SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT. Failure to meet this requirement will result in an ineligible rating).

-AND-
 
In addition to the screen-out element above, you will be evaluated on the following job elements through your resume and responses to the on-line assessment questionnaire:

Element 2: Knowledge of Electrical Equipment

Element 3: Theory and Instruments (Electrical) Used in Shop and Trade Practices

Element 4: Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, and artistic)

Element 5: Ability to Use Electrical Drawings

Element 6: Ability to Use and Maintain Hand Tools (Electrical Work)

Element 7: Troubleshooting (Electrical)
 
   
"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.
  
Working Conditions: Working conditions vary depending on tasks. Most work is performed outside in all weather conditions, but some work is done inside under normal shop conditions. Work is performed around energized equipment, such as switchboards containing critical control circuits where carelessness could cause a serious system disturbance or outage. Work is done in energized Substations at various heights in excess of 100 feet, such as on steel framework, platforms, and ladders adjacent to energized high-voltage equipment. The Electrician must frequently work on surfaces which are slippery due to insulating oil or ice. Installing conduit, pulling cable, working in oil circuit breaker (OCB) tanks, etc., involves working in restricted and cramped quarters. Approved respiratory and safety equipment shall be worn when hazardous substances are being handled (oil, acid, and solvent fumes, etc.). At times, work may be physically demanding. The work environment will occasionally include high noise levels or exposure to hazardous substances (i.e., mercury, acids, solvents, PCB's, etc.) that could, if precautions are not followed, pose a health risk. Potential exposure to radiation could occur if assigned to work at the WNP2 plant (Ashe and Hanford). Emergencies, critical system conditions, or outage limitations may require that work be system wide, done at night or under serious time pressures. System priorities may require extended periods of overtime including working weekends and holidays. When assigned to Construction the Electrician may be in continuous travel status.

Note: Applicants must possess at appointment, and maintain thereafter, a valid U.S. State issued Motor Vehicle Operator License (Driver's License) in order to drive and operate U.S. government owned and leased vehicles and equipment. If selected, you will be required to provide a copy of your non-employment driving abstract dated within the last 90 days, and covering the previous 36 months to prove you have good indication of driving. Traffic citations indicating poor driving habits may disqualify applicants. Once employed the incumbent will also be required to provide proof of a valid commercial driver's license (CDL) with all endorsements that are required to operate substation maintenance and construction equipment from the state of residence within 120 days after appointment

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

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

The Department of Energy uses an application tracking system to evaluate the responses you provide in the applicant assessment questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications necessary for this position. Then, the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will conduct a quality review of your application and supporting documentation to determine if your qualifications meet the criteria for referral to the selecting official.

We will also verify that you are eligible for Merit Promotion positions by reviewing your previous Federal employment.  If you are eligible to apply to Merit Promotion announcements based on Veteran or other non-competitive statuses, we will verify your supporting documentation prior to referral. 

In the merit promotion selection process, due weight will be given to incentive awards and performance appraisals. Current federal employees must have at least a fully successful or equivalent performance rating to receive consideration for this position.

If you are eligible for career transition assistance plans such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the definition of "well qualified" which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.