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Power System Dispatcher

Department of Energy
Western Area Power Administration
Sierra Nevada Region (SNR), System Operations and Control (N4100)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is part of the WAPA-SNR-Sierra Nevada Region. As a Power System Dispatcher, you will be responsible for the real-time operations of Bulk Power Systems (BPS) performing real-time actions during normal and emergency conditions to ensure the stable and reliable operation of the Bulk Electric System (BES).

**This is not a remote position. The selectee will be required to be physically present at the Folsom, CA duty location.**

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
06/07/2024 to 06/17/2024
Salary
$133,877 to - $191,900 per year
Pay scale & grade
AD 3 - 4
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Folsom, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy (situational).
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel of up to 5-10% annually is required; with overnight travel possible during all or part of that time.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
4
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
24-WN-00369-12440068-DE
Control number
794803900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, Nationals, or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

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As a Power System Dispatcher at the full performance level, you will:

  • Create and maintain accurate logs to document operations, including instructions given, information received, and actions taken. Record pertinent dispatcher actions, decisions, and observations neatly and accurately
  • Monitor and operate power system equipment considering public safety and proper operation within equipment capabilities.
  • Operates AC-DC-AC converter stations and places associated converter equipment in service and removes equipment from services via the Energy Management System (EMS).
  • Prepare, check, and direct routine and emergency switching in accordance with WAPA's Power System Switching Procedure.
  • In the event of a BPS or lower voltage system disturbance or unplanned outage, completes outage and incident reports within time parameters.
  • Utilize EMS and other advanced applications to control, record, modify parameters, verify, and analyze BPS and lower voltage systems operational data.

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.
  • The incumbent must be at least 18 years of age, able to obtain and maintain Defensive Drivers certification and have a valid state driver's license. Defensive Driver's training will be completed upon employment.
  • The employee must obtain and maintain at least the following North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) certification: Transmission Operator.
  • If the incumbent does not hold a valid NERC certification at the time of appointment, it must be obtained within 180 days from the date of hire. Failure to be able to obtain the required NERC certification may result in disciplinary action up to removal from appointment.
  • This position is subject to the DOE substance abuse program, a negative test result will be required before an offer of employment becomes final, and the applicant selected will be subject to future random testing.
  • The position requires a pre-appointment and annual physical exam at Federal expense.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized Experience Requirements for the AD-3 level:

To qualify for the AD-3 level, you must have 1 year of power system operator experience, equivalent to the AD-2/GS-09 level, with centralized SCADA/EMS control or E-TAG (Electronic Tag) processing orOASIS (Open Access Same Time Information System) processing and decision-making responsibilities to maintain adherence to NERC reliability standards of a power system with 100-kV or higher voltage transmission lines, substations, and interconnections to other utilities.

Specialized Experience Requirements for the AD-4 Level:

To qualify for the AD-4 level, you must have 1 year of power system operator experience, equivalent to the AD-3/GS-11 level, with centralized SCADA/EMS control or E-TAG (Electronic Tag) processing andOASIS (Open Access Same Time Information System) processing and decision-making responsibilities to maintain adherence to NERC reliability standards of a power system with 100-kV or higher voltage transmission lines, substations, and interconnections to other utilities.

"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.

Education

For this position, education cannot be substituted for experience.

Additional information

The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

  • This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
  • For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.telework.gov
  • If selection is made at a lower grade, promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed.
  • The selectee for this position may be eligible to receive a recruitment or relocation incentive. You will need to sign an employment agreement to be eligible for this incentive.
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs are not authorized.
  • This position may be eligible for creditable service towards annual leave. Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. DOE may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
  • If you are tentatively selected for this position, you will be required to have a physical examination at Federal expense that will determine whether you are qualified to perform the duties of the position. An offer of employment will depend upon your successfully passing the physical examination.
  • You must test negative for illegal drugs before placement in the position, and will be subject to random drug testing thereafter. If a determination of the use of illegal drugs is confirmed, non-selection or disciplinary action, up to and including removal from Federal service, may result.

How you will be evaluated

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):

  • Compliance
  • Decision Making
  • Decisiveness
  • Technical Competence
  • Technical Credibility


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 in the Well Qualified category (or higher).

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (06/17/2024) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12440068

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