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Executive Support Specialist

Department of Energy
Western Area Power Administration
Office of the Chief Executive Officer

Summary

This position is part of the WAPA Headquarters. As an Executive Support Specialist, you will be supporting Western Area Power Administration's Administrator & CEO and Senior Executive Team.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply by 07/07/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 7, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—This is an onsite position. Telework eligible ONLY for situational telework at the discretion of management and as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$99,800 - $154,280 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
NCS/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
26-WA-00752-12990829-MP
Control number
874596700

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Duties

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As an Executive Support Specialist, you will:

  • Synchronizes activities and builds agency-wide relationships at multiple levels to enable the Administrator and senior executives to maintain situational awareness of regional and headquarters programs and activities which contribute to the accomplishment of WAPA's mission.
  • Planning and managing long- and short-range priorities, tracking program actions, overseeing administrative operations, and formulating/managing the Administrator's Office budget.
  • Drafting responses on complex/controversial issues, conducting studies, resolving conflicts in schedules/messaging, and recommending improvements to administrative processes and workflows.
  • Interacting with senior leaders, negotiating actions, drafting executive correspondence, coordinating meetings, and maintaining confidentiality in politically and organizationally sensitive environments.
  • Leads WAPA's Senior Administrative Assistant Team, provides upward and peer leadership, acts as liaison with DOE HQ, and exercises independent judgment to support executive-level program areas, generally resolving matters before elevating to Chief of Staff.
  • Thoroughly reviewing, proofreading, and verifying data and records for accuracy, formatting, and discrepancies in the context of email and written correspondence; travel arrangement and processing vouchers; arranging and deconflicting meeting scheduling over multiple time zones; coordinating meetings and events.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period. Employees serving on a probationary or trial period may be terminated at any time during the probationary or trial period for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service.
  • 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.
  • In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service.

To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service in the following:

  • Applying analytical methods to evaluate and improve administrative or program operations.
  • Supporting administrative functions such as scheduling, meeting coordination, correspondence, and tracking commitments.
  • Interpreting administrative policies, procedures, or regulations to resolve routine issues.
  • Communicating with internal and external stakeholders to support administrative or program actions.
  • Assisting with records management, budget tracking, travel coordination, or other administrative support tasks.

To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service in the following:

  • Managing executive-level administrative programs, including planning, prioritizing, and tracking actions for senior leadership.
  • Preparing or coordinating sensitive or high-profile executive correspondence or responses. Coordinating executive meetings or events, including agendas, logistics, materials, and action-item tracking.
  • Serving as liaison with DOE, Federal agencies, Tribal governments, utilities, or other key stakeholders.
  • Overseeing or supporting executive administrative processes such as performance management, awards programs, hiring/onboarding, travel, or budget formulation.

Time-in-Grade: Current career or career-conditional GS employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional GS employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current career or career-conditional federal employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

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.

Education

For this position, education cannot be substituted for experience.

Additional information

  • This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
  • For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.telework.gov.
  • Applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) when applying or competing for a job due to a medical condition or to exercise religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this vacancy announcement.
  • If selection is made at a lower grade, promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed.
  • The selectee for this position may be eligible to receive a recruitment or relocation incentive. You will need to sign an employment agreement to be eligible for this incentive.
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs are not authorized.
  • This position may be eligible for creditable service towards annual leave. Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. DOE may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.

The Department of Energy uses an application tracking system to evaluate the scores provided from the USA Hire Assessment to place you into an initial quality category. These categories are "Best Qualified", "Well Qualified", and "Qualified."

Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Offices or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will review the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications.

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', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork

All qualified Non-competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion and VEOA applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified".

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (07/07/2026) of this announcement.

USA Hire: To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12990829.

Western Area Power Administration

Join the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) Team - Discover Your Next Adventure!

At WAPA, we do more than keep the lights on. As part of the Department of Energy, we are a collective of innovators and problem-solvers dedicated to reliable, cost-based federal hydroelectric power.

Why WAPA?
We market and transmit wholesale electric power generated from 57 federally owned hydroelectric power plants across a 15-state region with over 17,000 miles of transmission lines. As one of the nation's largest transmission providers, WAPA brings wholesale power to market, at cost-based rates, to preference customers such as public utilities and cooperatives, municipalities, national security facilities, and irrigation districts.

Our priority is your career growth and development, with comprehensive training and professional opportunities in a supportive environment. Enjoy competitive salaries, a robust retirement plan, health benefits, flexible schedules, and a work-life balance that values your well-being.

Power Your Career with WAPA
Ready to be part of our dynamic team? Apply to our current openings and take the first step towards a rewarding career that empowers both the West and your future.

Your skills. Our legacy. A shared Future. Are you in?

Agency contact information

Ashley Tabotabo
Email
tabotabo@wapa.gov
Address
WAPA Headquarters
12155 W. Alameda Pkwy
Lakewood, CO 80228
US

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