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Public Utilities Specialist

Department of Energy
Bonneville Power Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Power Account Services (PSS), Northwest Requirements Marketing (PS), Power Services (P), Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).

The purpose of the position is to serve as a Public Utilities Specialist responsible for providing contract development, analysis, and negotiation support.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
02/01/2023 to 02/15/2023
Salary
$61,275 to - $96,375 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Portland, OR
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
23-BPA-33641-11823393-DE
Control number
703224500

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Duties

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As a Public Utilities Specialist, you will:

  • Conduct analyses of customer account data to enable managers to understand customers, their issues and concerns and to enable both the Customer Account Team and management to anticipate sensitivities to current and future BPA and business initiatives.
  • Write amends and revises Requirements Marketing contracts.
  • Maintain coordination with Customer Account Team members, legal counsel and implementing organizations; assures that internal procedures and policies, including back-office reviews and policies, are followed.
  • Perform utility related technical analyses such as rate impact analysis and customer specific analyses and scenario development.
  • Work to achieve a comprehensive understanding of customer needs and issues to maintain a positive and mutually beneficial business relationship with customers.
  • Assist in contract discussions and negotiations, providing expertise, analyses and insight.
  • Research product, policy, rate and contract issues for specific customer circumstances.
  • Apply BPA policies and procedures to a variety of routine and non-routine customer situations.
  • Provide expertise to managers on the resources and operations of various customers.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
  • 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.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

GS-09: 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-07) in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as: Apply knowledge and understanding of the laws, policies, regulations, concepts, principles, practices and precedents applicable to support modifying and implementing energy or transmission contracts.

You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:
  • Master's or equivalent graduate degree; or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or a LL.B. or J.D. if related; 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 year of full-time study may be credited). One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours the graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. If the graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study is not available, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) is used. When crediting education that requires specific course work the number of hours of related courses required, as a proportion of the total education, is prorated.

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 is defined as: Apply knowledge and understanding of the laws, policies, regulations, concepts, principles, practices and precedents applicable to support establishing, modifying, and implementing, energy or transmission contracts.

You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

  • Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or a LL.M., if related; 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). One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours the graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. If the graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study is not available, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) is used. When crediting education that requires specific course work the number of hours of related courses required, as a proportion of the total education, is prorated.

"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.

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.

Education

If substituting education for specialized experience you must submit proof of your qualifying education.

Failure to provide college transcripts may result in a rating of 'Ineligible'.

Additional information

This position is located in Portland, OR which boasts huge spans of amazing trees, foliage, landscape, and everywhere you look you can appreciate beautiful greenery! It is known as the most bike-friendly city in America, has a train system that greets you at the airport spanning across the city, and is home to the Portland International Rose Garden, the oldest in the country! Portland is the one place where you will find lively festivals, energetic music, mouthwatering food, and for you basketball fans, the Portland Trail Blazers are a 7 minute walk from the HQs building! There is always something new to experience in this eco-friendly town!

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.

If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.

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/

Hiring 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, 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

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

Once the application process is complete, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications. If you are minimally qualified for this job, your responses to the self-assessment questions (True/False, Yes/ No, Multiple Choice questions) will be evaluated and you will be placed into one of three pre-defined quality categories under Category Rating procedures. These categories are "Best Qualified", "Well Qualified", and "Qualified. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Contracting/Procurement
  • Negotiation
  • Problem Solving
  • Technical Competence


Application of Veterans' Preference: If you are a 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.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified", which is defined as scoring 85.0 or higher.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (02/15/2023) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11823393

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