Clarification from the agency

Bonneville Power Administration employees with competitive status, currently on a career or career-conditional appointment. Apprentices in the last year of the program are encouraged to submit an application to indicate duty locations for which they want to be considered for permanent placement.

As a System Dispatcher (Relief), you will:

• Maintain voltage levels by operating or ordering the operation of transformer taps, capacitors or reactors, generators, and transmission lines.
• Control loading of transmission lines and substation equipment by operating or ordering the operation of substation and generating plant equipment.
• Analyze abnormal transmission system conditions and trouble to solve problems relating to the continuity of service and restoration of generation, transmission, and customer loads.
• Determine the feasibility of removing transmission lines and substation facilities from service and approves switch orders to accomplish same.
• Direct prearranged and emergency switching. Direct proper tagging of equipment and properly tags own equipment.
• Dispatch switchmen, technicians, craftsmen, engineers, transmission line and substation maintenance personnel and others during emergencies.
• Issue Clearances, Hold Orders, and equipment tags on electrical facilities for the protection of BPA workers. Obtain Clearances and Hold Orders from foreign utilities. Issue Clearances and Hold Orders to dispatchers and other personnel of foreign utilities.
• Maintain dispatchers' Group Display Board.
• Keep designated management and other personnel informed regarding critical operation problems.
• Make accurate and complete entries in the dispatch log.
• Cooperate with System Dispatchers of other interconnected power systems in coordinating reactive and power flow problems and general dispatching relations. Cooperate with other BPA dispatchers regarding inter-related operating problems.
• Keep records of power generation and interchange for BPA power system and maintains miscellaneous records.
• Plan outages when assigned to the Outage Dispatcher function.
• Make recommendations to the Manager regarding need for changes in operating instructions, dispatching procedures, relay schemes, communication facilities, and power system transmission lines and substation equipment.
• Perform the numbers function when assigned.
• Monitor and operate field equipment by supervisory control.
• Instruct other dispatchers, apprentices, and other personnel assigned for training.
• Perform other tasks as assigned.

Conditions of employment

When you apply you will be asked a series of questions to determine your eligibility for employment and your qualification for this position specifically. You must answer all of these questions completely and truthfully.

• This position requires an initial drug test prior to appointment and random drug or drug and alcohol testing thereafter. Failure to test or a positive result on random drug or drug and alcohol tests conducted after appointment may result in removal from Federal employment.
• This position requires a pre-employment medical exam, at BPA expense, prior to appointment due to the physical requirements of the position.
• After employment, this position may be subject to periodic physical examinations, as prescribed by competent medical authority and at BPA expense, if exposed to health hazards.
• Apprentices in the last year of the program are encouraged to submit an application to indicate duty locations for which they want to be considered for permanent placement.
• You must be a United States Citizen.
• A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work. Current Federal employees or other individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check.
• Change shifts on short notice or continue on duty in absence of relief.
• Within 30 days after appointment and continuously thereafter, must possess a valid BPA Electrical Worker Permit and a Standard Clearance Certification.
• Become familiar with, follow, and enforce the safety practices of the BPA Accident Prevention Manual.
• Work Relief when required
• Subject to call for emergency work at any time.
• Maintains required system dispatcher/operator reliability certifications (e.g., NERC, WECC)
• Subject to Random Drug tests.
• This position has been designated as requiring a PUBLIC TRUST background. A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work. Current Federal employees or other individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities, as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to this position.

Applicants must meet the requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations (X-118C).Although a specific length of time and experience is not required for most trade and labor occupations, you must show through experience and training that you possess the quality level of knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of the position at the level for which you are applying. Qualification requirements emphasis is on the quality of experience, not necessarily the length of time.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the job elements and screen out listed below. This job has a screen-out factors which will be used to determine minimum eligibility for this job. Applicants who do not receive a minimum of two points on this screen-out element(s) will be found ineligible.

The screen-out element for this position is: Ability to do the work of the position without more than normal supervision in the operation of electrical and electronic equipment associated with operating and dispatching of a large interconnected power system to maintain voltage schedules by operating transformer taps, capacitors, or reactors, and generators. Failure to meet this Screen out Element will result in an ineligible rating.

In addition to the screen-out element you will be evaluated on the following Job Elements through your resume and responses to the on-line assessment questionnaire:

• Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision
• Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (other than blueprints)
• Dexterity and Safety
• Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair, etc.
• Operation of Equipment Relevant to Trade
• Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, artistic)
• Use of Measuring Instruments

If your knowledge and ability in the SCREEN OUT factor above is not sufficient, you will receive no further consideration. In preparing your application, describe in detail the experience and training which you have had that specifically prepared you for this job and to perform the duties described for this job. Experience should be clearly described and documented in your resume. The qualifications reviewer will not assume performance of such duties by Job Titles alone.

WORKING CONDITIONS:
Works indoors on rotating shifts. During system emergencies work is very stressful. Works for long periods of time using CRT screens. Work is sedentary but occasionally requires climbing ladders.

PHYSICAL CONDITIONS:
Incumbents must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. The duties are performed on rotating shifts. Physical demands include climbing a system group display board ladder. Mental strain may result from the responsibility of following exacting procedures under emergency conditions. The System Dispatcher must be able to give complete, concise, and clear directions and elicit full detailed information by use of the telephone. The System Dispatcher must have good distance vision in one eye and the ability to read printed material the size of typewritten characters. They must be able to distinguish the basic colors, specifically red, orange, yellow, brown, blue, green, and purple in order to distinguish electrical components and to read and adjust color video display terminals. They must have the ability to hear the conversational voice. Incumbents must be in good physical condition sufficient to safely perform the duties of the position.

"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.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications. Your full resume will be made available to the hiring manager if you are referred.

How you will be evaluated

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

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 determine if you meet the minimum qualifications necessary for this position. Then, the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will conduct a quality review of your resume and self-assessment to determine if your qualifications meet the criteria for referral to the selecting official.

You may preview the online assessment questionnaire here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12855683

Selection will be based on skills and competencies, not educational credentials or self-reported experience.

Semi-Annual Rating/Ranking:

Semi-annual rating/ranking will be conducted in February and July for the following craft positions:

• Electrician Foreman I, II, and III (Maintenance and Construction)
• Lineman Foreman I and III
• Chief Substation Operator III

NOTE: Applications for the above positions must be received by no later than 11:59 p.m. (EST) February 8, 2026 to be included in the February 2026 semi-annual rating/ranking process. Bid applications received between February 9, 2026 and June 30, 2026 will be rated/ranked by subject matter expert (SME) panel during the July 2026 semi-annual rating/ranking period. Bid applications received between July 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026 will be rated/ranked by subject matter expert (SME) panel during the January 2027 semi-annual rating/ranking period.

Bid Applications submitted for positions not included in the semi-annual rating/ranking schedule will be rated/ ranked by SME panel only after a manager's request to fill the position is received in BPA's HR Service Center, Recruitment and Placement workgroup, HA-1.

Applications that are rated/ranked must receive a rating of "best qualified" (transmuted score of 80, or higher) to be referred for hiring consideration. Those who received a "best qualified" rating will retain this ranking for up to five (5) years from the date of rating. Applicants must submit a new annual bid list application each year during the 5-year rating period to receive consideration for each year.

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'.