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Technical Advisor (Engineer)

Department of Energy
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is ranked within the top 5 mid-size agencies through the Partnership for Public Service’s Best Places to Work in the Federal Government Rankings! This Technical Advisor (Engineer) position is located in the Office of the Commissioner. For more information visit: Office of the Commissioner.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/23/2024 to 07/30/2024
Salary
$163,964 to - $191,900 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - Some travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
FERC-DHA-2024-0012
Control number
801139500

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Duties

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The incumbent of this position serves as a Technical Advisor (Engineer) to the Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Under broad administrative direction of the Commissioner and with latitude for exercising independent judgment and initiative, the incumbent renders advice on significant engineering and economic issues affecting the Commission's regulatory functions over the electric power and other industries in the United States; their market dynamics and the corresponding complexity of the Commission's workload and regulatory programs and objectives by the Congress, the courts, the states and regulated industries and the general public.

  • Advises the Commissioner on economic, engineering, and policy issues involving the operations of the Commission and having a major impact on the regulated industries and the general public.
  • Coordinates and oversees research, analysis, economic, and technical support in cases pending before the Commission and the Courts. Advises the Commissioner on studies, Congressional resolutions, and proposed legislation and prepares/edits speeches that the Commissioner may make before Congressional Committees, industry associations or technical committees.
  • Prepares correspondence, position papers, and legal memoranda interpreting the Federal Power Act, Executive Orders, Presidential Directives, and other statutes which dictate the Commission's responsibilities; explaining Commission policy, rules, procedures and regulations; and advising on general regulatory problems, both national and international in scope.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • A one-year probationary period may be required.
  • A background investigation is required.
  • This is not a bargaining unit position.
  • Generally, male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • This position has an education requirement, you must submit transcripts.
  • Relocation expenses will not be paid.
  • You may be required to divest certain energy-related securities.

You must meet all eligibility and qualification (experience and/or education) requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

To view the eligibility and qualification requirements of a Technical Advisor (Engineer), GS-0801, please visit:  General Engineer, 0801 | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (ferc.gov)

In addition to the education required for this position, you must have one full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-14 level. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience independently reviewing, analyzing, and evaluating complex engineering issues affecting the energy industry to ensure consistency with the Commission’s policies, regulations, and other federal laws and requirements.

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 any volunteer experience.

Please do not cut and paste the position description, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Education

This position has an education requirement and therefore, transcripts are required. Failure to submit a copy of your transcripts at the time of application will result in your application being marked incomplete and you will not receive further consideration.

Education requirement for the General Engineer

Degree: professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

Additional information

Our employees ranked FERC as a top 5 mid-size agency in both Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) and Effective Leadership according to the Partnership for Public Service’s Best Places to Work in the Federal Government!  In addition, FERC was also ranked #1 in Work-Life Balance and we are proud to offer telework and workplace flexibilities in accordance with agency policy.

If selected for this position, you will be required to:

  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
  • Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. FERC also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
  • Attend a mandatory ethics training. We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC’s supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities. To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of these securities may be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C. 201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment.  
  • Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.

How you will be evaluated

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

  1. Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your resume and any supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements for the position. Your resume must address the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities, and other characteristics):

    --Engineering

    --Research and Analysis

    --Communication

  2. The online assessment is used to evaluate your relevant education and experience in relation to the required competencies for this position.
  3. If you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, your application will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration. Veterans’ preference and category rating procedures do not apply for this announcement under Direct Hire Authority regulations. For more information, visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/direct-hire-authority/#url=Overview.
  4. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. Please note - only your resume and cover letter will be forwarded to the selecting official.

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