This position is located with Bonneville Power Administration, in the Transmission Field Services (TF) organization within the Transmission Services (T) business line of BPA.
A successful candidate in the Lineman position will perform work under the supervision of a Lineman Foreman. The degree of supervision will depend upon tasks performed and working conditions.
Summary
This position is located with Bonneville Power Administration, in the Transmission Field Services (TF) organization within the Transmission Services (T) business line of BPA.
A successful candidate in the Lineman position will perform work under the supervision of a Lineman Foreman. The degree of supervision will depend upon tasks performed and working conditions.
Perform construction and maintenance work (including hot line maintenance) on either wood pole or steel tower lines including excavations and footings, framing and erecting towers and poles, hanging insulators and hardware, and stringing, sagging, and clipping conductor.
Replace or repair damaged steel towers, wood poles, crossarms, and conductors; relocate towers and poles; inspect and treat wood poles; and replace insulators.
Perform, or occasionally supervise, right-of-way maintenance work such as brush and weed control, cutting or topping danger trees, seeding cover crops for erosion control.
Repair access roads and install or repair bridges, culverts, fences, and gates.
Maintain microwave towers, antennas, and airway lighting installations; perform maintenance tasks in substations, involving overhead line work and other tasks requiring the use of line maintenance equipment.
Patrol transmission lines and report conditions of lines.
Take clearances and occasionally perform switching at unattended substations and line sectionalizing disconnect switches.
Complete associated paperwork and complete reports required of the above listed tasks.
When the Lineman is performing hot line work, supervision will be direct and detailed. When the work situation does not involve hot line work, emergencies, or conditions of similar scope, the Lineman will complete tasks under more general supervision. Work is performed in compliance with government regulations, BPA safety rules, and the BPA-CPTC Collective Agreement. This is a union position.
Under the Employee Referral Bonus program, certain BPA employees may be eligible for a monetary award for referring outside candidates for this difficult-to-fill position. The referring employee must complete the form BPA F 33300.01e and email it to careers@bpa.gov by midnight of the closing date of the job posting.
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.
Key Requirements:
You must be a United States Citizen.
This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
You will be required to report in person to the official duty location.
Conditions of Employment:
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.
Establish a residence in accordance with negotiated requirements, that is within one hour or less commuting time under normal weather and road conditions, to the duty station headquarters.
Extended periods of travel may be required.
This position requires a pre-employment medical exam, at BPA expense, prior to appointment due to the physical requirements of the position.
If exposed to health hazards, have periodic physical examinations as prescribed by competent medical authority at BPA expense. (Employees will work in close proximity to substances such as solvents, PCB's, chemicals, etc., which may have effects on health unless prescribed handling procedures are followed.)
Become familiar with and follow the safety practices of the BPA Accident Prevention Manual.
Possess valid First Aid Card, CPR Card, and an electrical worker's permit or obtain within 30 days after appointment.
Possess valid commercial driver's license (CDL) with all endorsements that are required to operate TLM equipment from state of residence. Traffic citations indicating poor driving habits may disqualify applicants.
Subject to call for emergency work at any time.
Obtain certification on the equipment associated with line maintenance if assigned to use or operate.
Operate motor vehicles normally used in line maintenance and construction.
Obtain certification as a flag person.
As part of the job requirements, the Lineman shall be required to apply restricted use pesticides, and, at the discretion of the Manager, may be required to obtain a pesticide applicators' permit. The Administration shall provide the necessary training for such a permit.
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 successfully perform the work of a Lineman is defined as performing construction and maintenance work (including hot line maintenance) on either wood pole or steel tower lines including excavations and footings, framing and erecting towers and poles, hanging insulators and hardware, and stringing, sagging, and clipping conductor without more than normal supervision. Failure to meet this Screen out Element will result in an ineligible rating.
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:
The Lineman works outdoors in all kinds of weather conditions; and may work for long periods in cold, wet, or icy weather, and high winds.
Work is often performed on steel or wood structures at considerable heights, and on or near energized conductors or equipment.
The employee often works in awkward positions, supported only by a safety belt, or a safety belt and climbers. In other instances, the Lineman may work on precipitous slopes, and rugged or brushy terrain.
When repairing conductors, the Lineman may ride in a trolley on the conductor, high above the ground. The Lineman may climb to considerable heights many times a day.
The employee may walk long distances over rugged terrain and work in locations inaccessible to mobile equipment.
The Lineman frequently uses hand tools, such as axes and hot sticks, or power tools such as chain saws, for extended periods of time. T
The work environment will occasionally include high noise levels and/or exposure to hazardous substances (i.e., solvents, PCB's, chemicals, etc.) that could, if precautions are not followed, pose a health risk.
Approved respiratory and safety equipment shall be worn when hazardous substances are being handled.
Emergencies, critical system conditions, or outage limitations may require that work be done at night and/or under time restraints.
System priorities may require extended periods of overtime including working weekends. When assigned to a live-line bare hand crew the Lineman may be in continuous travel status.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Essential Functions (those duties encompassed in a job which are indispensable and comprise the gist or substance of the job):
Performs construction and maintenance work (including hot line maintenance) on either wood pole or steel tower lines including excavations and footings, framing and erecting towers and poles, hanging insulators and hardware, and stringing, sagging and clipping conductors.
Replaces or repairs damaged steel towers, wood poles, crossarms, and conductors; relocates towers and poles; inspects and treats wood poles; and replaces insulators.
Performs, or supervises, right-of-way maintenance work such as brush and weed control, cutting or topping dangerous trees, seeding cover crops for erosion control.
Repairs access roads and installs or repairs bridges, culverts, fences and gates.
Maintains microwave towers, antennas, and airway lighting installations; performs maintenance tasks in substations, involving overhead line work and other tasks requiring the use of line maintenance equipment.
Patrols transmission lines and reports conditions of lines.
Takes clearances and occasionally performs switching at unattended substations and line sectionalizing disconnect switches.
Completes associated documentation required of the above listed tasks.
Drives 25-30% of the time in all weather conditions.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
Become certified to take a clearance within 30 days after reporting for duty.
Occasionally, fly in helicopter or fixed wing aircraft in the performance of assigned duties.
Obtain and maintain live-line bare hand certification (requirement for live-line bare hand crew members only).
"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.
Education
There are no specific education requirements or substitution of education for experience for this position.
Additional information
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budget availability and in accordance with federal regulations.
BPA strives to ensure a safe and positive work environment.
We also understand the importance of work/life balance and offer a variety of programs and policies designed to create more flexible, responsive work environments supportive of commitments to community, home and family members. BPA also supports employees' overall wellness through its Be Well program, which helps employees adopt healthier lifestyles and feel better about their work/life balance. The program supports five key areas of life: career, community, financial, physical and social.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Category Rating Procedure: You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Once the application process is complete, your resume, supporting documentation, and questionnaire/assessment responses will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications. If you are minimally qualified for this job, your responses to the self rating assessment(s) will be evaluated and you will be placed into one of three predefined quality categories. These categories are Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified.
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. Preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or above (or equivalent).
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 85.0 or higher.
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (05/10/2026) of this announcement.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
To apply for this position, you MUSTprovide a complete application package which includes:
Your two (2) page RESUMEshowing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume.
Transcripts, ifspecific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement.Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
Veterans' Preference documentation,ifapplicable, DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information.
Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation,if applicable(e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.
To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation.
You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date.
You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://login.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to
If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.
Bonneville Power Administration
P.O. Box 3621
Portland, OR 97208
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The status of your application will be updated in USAJOBS as it is evaluated.
You can check the status by logging into USAJOBS. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application changes by logging into your USAJobs Account and editing the Notification Settings.
You will be contacted directly if an interview is required.
Please check that your USAJOBS profile contact information is current and correct each time you apply to a job--this will ensure we are able to contact you as quickly as possible.
In addition to changing your status online, we will send you e-mail notifications at each major step in the process, to include: application received, eligible or not eligible, referred or not referred, selected or not selected.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you MUSTprovide a complete application package which includes:
Your two (2) page RESUMEshowing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume.
Transcripts, ifspecific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement.Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
Veterans' Preference documentation,ifapplicable, DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information.
Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation,if applicable(e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.
To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation.
You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date.
You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://login.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to
If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.
Bonneville Power Administration
P.O. Box 3621
Portland, OR 97208
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The status of your application will be updated in USAJOBS as it is evaluated.
You can check the status by logging into USAJOBS. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application changes by logging into your USAJobs Account and editing the Notification Settings.
You will be contacted directly if an interview is required.
Please check that your USAJOBS profile contact information is current and correct each time you apply to a job--this will ensure we are able to contact you as quickly as possible.
In addition to changing your status online, we will send you e-mail notifications at each major step in the process, to include: application received, eligible or not eligible, referred or not referred, selected or not selected.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
