Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals. Note: Federal employees with permanent status or individuals eligible for special appointing authorities may also apply to Job Announcement #25-R-SC-312423-MPA-FM More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

The Engineering Technician (High Voltage electrical) serves under the general supervision of a manager of the Systems Engineering Division (SED).  The employee is responsible for providing maintenance on high voltage systems.

In this position, you will:

• Prepare plans, specifications, and cost estimates for small, in-house electrical projects.
• Test and troubleshoot aspects of the Smithsonian-owned high voltage controlling and distributing systems in high voltage vaults, and underground and overhead power lines to include infrared thermography, transformer and switchgear testing, and motor circuit evaluation as part of the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) program.
• Analyze, draw conclusions, evaluate and report on complex system operation and functions and problems in high voltage electrical system maters that have not been explored previously.
• Write an evaluation report of findings and recommendations.

Conditions of employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
• May need to complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Conditions of Employment

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

• A valid state driver's license is required.
• Call back and emergency overtime are regular requirements of this position.
• Work requires travel away from the normal duty station on a regular basis.
• Must be able to distinguish colors and shades of colors.
• May be required to participate in respirator and other health programs that relate to the exposure of dust, asbestos, lead, etc.
  
  For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions on OPM website.

Qualifications

Experience:

Grade 9: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system.  For this position Specialized experience is defined as performing routine maintenance on high voltage systems; preparing plans, specifications and cost estimates for in house electrical projects including load computation and distribution system lay out.

Grade 11: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system.  For this position Specialized experience is defined as independently analyzing and resolving complex problems on high voltage systems; writing detailed engineering specifications for contracts to maintain and repair high voltage systems; and being part of a team that has performed major overhaul of high voltage systems.

Grade 12: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Service or comparable pay band system.  For this position Specialized experience is defined as leading teams in performing advanced testing and troubleshooting on high voltage systems.

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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Or Education: 

Grade 9 ONLY: Education is generally not applicable for the substitution of the 1 year of specialized experience. However, two full years of graduate education or a master's degree may be credited in those few instances where the graduate education is directly related to the work of the position.

Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants for this position may be evaluated in multiple stages. The first stage is an evaluation of your responses to the online multiple-choice questions that assess your experience, education, and/or training for the job related competencies below:

• Knowledge of National Electrical Codes, building codes, and National Electrical Safety Codes, NFPA 70E and Electrical theory.

• Knowledge of high voltage electrical systems to technically evaluate complex engineering proposals. 

• Ability to perform all tasks associated with high voltage systems.

• Ability to communicate in writing on matters concerning electrical systems in regard to plan reviews, training aids, testing of system applications, and other complex technical issues.

Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria:

• Best Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job related competencies above.
• Better Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and satisfies most of the job related competencies above.
• Good Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job related competencies above to a substantive degree.

This 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 category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher. Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position.

Important Note:

Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.