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Powerplant Operator

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Reclamation
Columbia-Pacific Northwest Region, Grand Coulee Power Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Powerplant Operator. Make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.

Duty Location: Grand Coulee, Washington

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/28/2023 to 08/17/2023
Salary
$57.19 to - $57.19 per hour
Pay scale & grade
BB 00
Location
11 vacancies in the following location:
Grand Coulee, WA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation expenses are authorized with the exception of the Guaranteed Home Sale Provision or first-post-of-duty relocation expenses are authorized, as applicable. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law December 2017, suspends the moving expense deduction and the exclusion from income of qualified employer reimbursements of moving expenses that was allowed under previous tax laws. Employer reimbursements for moving costs are now generally taxed at the same rate as ordinary income.
Appointment type
Permanent - Permanent Appointment
Work schedule
Full-time - This is a FULL-TIME position. Selectees will work 12-hour shifts - nights, weekends, and holidays.
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
BOR-CPN-23-DE-12064878-MC
Control number
740023200

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Duties

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- Inspection and safe operation of all equipment at assigned station
- In coordination with and at the request of the Powerplant Dispatcher/Powerplant Dispatcher Assistant, manually operates the generating and pump units and their auxiliaries and numerous plant auxiliary systems.
- Operates Switchyard and dam equipment.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
You must be suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents).
You must submit eligibility documents for veterans consideration (see Required Documents).
You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications).
You will be required to obtain a successful pre-employment physical examination by a licensed physician certifying your ability to perform the duties of this position. A physical exam may not be required if a comparable agency approved examination was performed within the last 12 months. The cost of the exam will be reimbursed by the agency.

Qualifications

Your application materials must demonstrate sufficient experience and training to perform the duties of this position without more than normal supervision. Qualifications will be determined on the basis of information submitted within your resume and responses to the assessment questions. For information about qualifications for Federal Wage System positions please, visit OPM.

Minimum qualifications for trades and labor positions are determined by evaluation of job elements. You must meet at least 2 points on the screen-out element(s) and obtain an average of at least 2 points on all of the job elements in order to be considered qualified for this position.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). 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 Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 08/17/2023.

Education

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

Additional information

Position is being advertised concurrently under vacancy announcement BOR-CPN-23-MP-12064877-MC. Applicants interested in applying under both announcement numbers, must submit application packages for each.

Work Schedule: Will work a rotating 12-hour shift (Days & Nights) and will work a schedule of 7 days on-duty/off-duty (Wednesday to Tuesday).

You may be required to serve an initial probationary period. Current, permanent Federal employees who are selected from this announcement may be required to serve a probationary period.

Reclamation has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and you may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information, visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive.

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

This position is designated as a LOW RISK position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated SF85 Background Investigation (T1 or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment.

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov

This is a bargaining unit position represented by a Union.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

***This is NOT a virtual position.***

How you will be evaluated

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

Category rating and selection procedures will be used to evaluate applications from this announcement. If an applicant meets the basic qualification requirements, his/her on-line responses to the vacancy assessment questionnaire will be used to determine the quality and extent of his/her experience, education, training, etc., for placement in one of the following categories: 1) Best Qualified, 2) Well Qualified, and 3) Qualified. Qualified candidates will be assigned a numerical score on a scale of 70-100. The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher). The assessment questionnaire will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Human Resources (HR) will review resumes and submitted documents, if applicable, to ensure your meet the basic qualification requirements. HR will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided in the assessment questionnaire. The assessment questionnaire will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Applicants determined best qualified will be referred to the selecting official.

You will be further evaluated on the following Job Elements through resume content and your responses to the application questionnaire:
JOB ELEMENT 1: Ability to do the work of a Powerplant Operator without more than normal supervision. (SCREEN-OUT)
JOB ELEMENT 2: Ability to interpret instructions, procedures, and schematic/wiring diagrams.
JOB ELEMENT 3: Knowledge of safety and safe clearance procedures.
JOB ELEMENT 4: Knowledge of the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.
JOB ELEMENT 5: Knowledge of technical practices.

The application questionnaire can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12064878

Your answers will be verified against information provided in your resume. Your resume must clearly support the responses to all the questions by addressing experience, education, and/or training relevant to this position. You must make a fair and accurate assessment of your qualifications. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than what is apparent in the description of your experience, competencies, skills, and/or education/training (or that your resume/application is incomplete), you could be rated ineligible or your score could be lowered.

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