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 an ELECTRICAL RIGGER, you will:

• Operate power-driven equipment such as hydraulic trailers, pumps, gas and diesel engines, generators, chain saws, and many varied hand tools of the rigging trade.
• Operate hydraulic pumps and jacks. Uses rollers, cribbing, cranes, block and tackle, and heavy hauling equipment.
• Build wooden footings. Places, stabilizes, and aligns equipment on foundations and special bases. Assists electrical crews in assembly and disassembly of equipment and associated components.
• Load and unloads, cribs and blocks heavy equipment onto trucks, trailers, and railcars using hydraulic rams, rollers, and winch trucks or cranes.
• Tie down heavy machinery on railcars for shipment. Splices and swages a variety of wire and fabric rope slings and chokers, and installs new lines on winches, cranes, and hoists.
• Operate rigging tool trucks equipped with winches for loading, unloading, and moving heavy equipment and material, under the close guidance of the supervisor and/or safety watcher, in areas of restricted clearance and substation switchyards.
• Operate combinations of trucks and trailers and specialty equipment such as heavy hauling lowboy trailers with capacities in excess of 500,000 pounds.
• Operate various sizes of hydro cranes and forklifts with capacities through 30,000 pounds.
• Inventory and maintain rigging truck tools, equipment, and materials and arranges for repair or replacement of worn or damaged items.
• Lay out and prepares tools such as hydraulic pumps, jacks, rollers, block and tackle, and cribbing.
• Keep required reports.
• Obtain necessary permits for movement over the highways of loads which exceed height, length, width, or weight limit regulations.
• Perform miscellaneous duties as assigned, such as yard cleanup, outfit cranes, clean tool trucks and trailers, retirements, moves vehicles, shop machinery, equipment, furniture, partitions, etc.
• Required to work with and remove hazardous waste.

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.
• Become familiar with and follow the safety practices of the BPA Accident Prevention Manual.
• Obtain within 1 year after appointment, and maintain continuously thereafter, Red Cross First Aid Training and CPR training.
• Possess a restricted electrical workers permit or obtain within 30 days after appointment and maintain continuously thereafter.
• Possess a valid state driver's license. Possess a valid commercial drivers license (CDL) from state of residence. Possess a U.S. Motor Vehicle Operator Authorization or obtain within 30 days after appointment. Additional endorsements on valid driver's license may be required to operate assigned vehicles in compliance with state regulations. Traffic citations indicating poor driving habits may disqualify applicants.
• Operate motor vehicles, including sedans, pilot cars, pickups, tool trucks, stakebed trucks, and bucket trucks.
• Become certified on aerial lift and other equipment if assigned to use or operate.
• Subject to call for emergency work at any time.
• Participate in all training activities such as training related to hazardous waste handling, oil spill containment and cleanup, and other environmental activities.
• Be able to wear protective apparel such as respirators when required for worker safety.

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: The ability to do the work of the position without more than normal supervision to operate a full range of trucks and equipment, including gasoline and diesel-powered semi-tractors and trailer combinations, that are used for the movement and stationing of heavy electrical equipment such as transformers, circuit breakers, and reactors, including rigging tool trucks equipped with winches for loading, unloading and moving heavy equipment and material in areas of restricted clearance and substation switchyards, and load and unloads heavy equipment onto trucks, trailers, and railcars using hydraulic rams, rollers, and winch trucks or cranes. 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. (includes blueprint reading)
• Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair, etc.
• Knowledge of Materials
• 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:

• Operate a full-range of trucks and equipment, including gasoline and diesel powered semi-tractors an/or trailer combinations, with GVW up to 500,000 pounds, that are used for the movement and stationing of heavy electrical equipment such as transformers, circuit breakers, and reactors.
• Operate rigging tool trucks equipped with winches for loading, unloading and moving heavy equipment and material in areas of restricted clearance and substation switchyards.
• Operates various sizes of hydraulic cranes and forklifts and miscellaneous equipment.
• Operates chain saws and many varied hand tools of the trade.
• Load and unloads heavy equipment onto trucks, trailers, and railcars using hydraulic rams, rollers, and winch trucks or cranes. Secures such equipment for shipping.
• Fabricates and splices rope swings and chokers and installs new lines on winches, hoists, cranes, etc.
• Builds wooden footings. Places, stabilizes, and aligns equipment on foundation and special bases.
• Drives 60% of the time, depending upon location, in all weather conditions. Travels over rough, uneven and steep terrain.

PHYSICAL CONDITIONS:
Incumbents must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others.

"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/12855080

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'.