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Student Trainee

Department of Energy
Bonneville Power Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in Transmission Services (T) of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).  The position involves periods of pertinent formal education and periods of employment in the natural resource specialist occupational field as a part of a formal student employment program.  Assignments are designed to expand the employee’s understanding of concepts and underlying principles and/or program requirements and procedures.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
12/09/2020 to 12/22/2020
Salary
$31,208 to - $43,294 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 04
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Spokane, WA
FEW vacancies
Vancouver, WA
FEW vacancies
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
75% or less - The position may require recurring travel up to several times a month.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Internships
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules - Work Schedule may be Full-time or Part-time.
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DOE-BPA-21-14281-INTERN
Control number
586707700

This job is open to

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Students

Current students enrolled in an accredited high school, college or graduate institution.

Clarification from the agency

Students who are currently enrolled or have been accepted for enrollment in a degree seeking program (diploma, certificate 4 year college or university, graduate, professional school, etc.) - All U.S. Citizens, Nationals, and Foreign Nationals who meet both Immigration and Annual Appropriations Laws. - This Pathways Internship will have a tentative start date in May/June of 2021. If you graduate before September 2021 you will not be eligible for this Pathways Internship Program.

Duties

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As a Student Trainee (Natural Resources Specialist), you will:

  • Assist higher-grade specialists in carrying out the work of the organization by performing a variety of standard tasks.
  • Use established formulas to make routine calculations.
  • Search readily available data from prescribed sources such as files, reports, or regulations and recognizes and corrects obvious discrepancies and data omissions.
  • Compile, analyze, and present data in accordance with established methods and formats.
  • Review vegetation management standards, procedures, instructions, and information (SPIFs).

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • See "Other Information" section regarding Selective Service requirements.
  • Selectee may be subject to a 1 year probationary period.

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.
    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.
  • 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.

PATHWAYS PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Must be in good academic standing (GPA of a 2.0 or higher).
  • Must be enrolled in at least a half-time course load, as defined by your educational institution.
  • Must submit a copy of your current transcripts and/or letter of acceptance as proof of your enrollment. If selected, official transcripts/proof of enrollment must be submitted prior to establishing a start date.
  • Your entire time as a Pathways Intern will be considered your probationary/trial period.
  • As a Pathways Intern you may have rotational assignments in various organizations.
  • As a Pathways Intern you are expected to work during your summer, winter and spring breaks unless otherwise coordinated with your manager.

PATHWAYS PROGRAM COMPLETION:

BPA has the option to convert an intern to a permanent position upon program completion. This is not automatic nor guaranteed. It is at the discretion of the employing office. Interns may be converted to the General Schedule (GS) level qualified for at the time of conversion. To be eligible for conversion, an intern must:

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Complete at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the internship program before completion of their educational program/degree. 
  • Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualification standards for the position to which the intern will be converted. 
  • Meet requirements as specified in the Participant's Agreement.
  • Perform their job successfully and be recommended by the organization to a permanent position.
  • Relocation may be authorized with conversion.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.


SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT:

GS-04: To qualify, you must have completed 2 full academic years of post-high school study OR an associate's degree. (1 full academic year is equivalent to 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours.)

Although not required your application and resume should demonstrate that you possess the following knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies (KSACs). Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your application how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the KSACs identified below. Cite specific examples of employment or experience contained in your resume and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position.

  • Biology: Knowledge of the environment, plant and animal living tissue, cells, organisms, and entities, including their functions, interdependencies and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
  • Computer Skills: Uses computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work.
  • Knowledge of Standards: Knowledge of standards that either are compliant with or derived from established standards or guidelines.
  • Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
  • Teamwork: Fosters commitment and team spirit; encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; manages group processes; works with others to achieve goals.
  • Reading: Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.

"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

Your educational goals must include obtaining a professional degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

You must submit a copy of your current transcripts for proof of education and enrollment. If you are not currently enrolled, but have been accepted for future enrollment you must submit a copy of your acceptance letter with your application.

DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system.

NOTE: This Pathways Internship will has a tentative start date in May/June of 2021. If you graduate before September 2021 you will not be eligible for this Pathways Internship Program.

This vacancy has a positive education requirement. 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".

Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 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.

Additional information

  • The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
  • Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
  • More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
  • Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
  • 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.

EEO Policy:  http://www.usajobs.gov/eeo
Reasonable Accommodation Policy:  http://www.usajobs.gov/raps
Veterans Information:   http://www.usajobs.gov/vi
Telework:  www.telework.gov
Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/

BPA strives to ensure a safe, positive, inclusive work environment, supported by Leadership Behaviors. For more information on Leadership Behaviors visit: www.bpa.gov/goto/LeadershipBehaviors

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.

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 place you into an initial quality category via OPM's Category Rating procedures. These categories are "Best Qualified", "Well Qualified", and "Qualified. Then, the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will conduct a quality review of your application and supporting documentation to ensure you have been placed into the appropriate quality category.

Your application is rated based on the extent and quality of your experience, education (when applicable), and training as described in your resume and applicant assessment. Your credentials are measured against the established duties of the position at the grade level(s) being advertised.

 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 scoring in the Well Qualified category (or higher).

 If you are a Veteran Preference eligible candidate, you will be listed at the top of whichever quality category your rating places you in. CP/CPS veterans are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except professional and scientific positions at GS-9 and higher.

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


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