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Powering the Pacific Northwest: Shape the Future of Clean Energy Transmission as a Transmission Electrical Engineer

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is a cornerstone of the Pacific Northwest, delivering clean, reliable, and sustainable hydroelectric and wind energy across a vast, high-voltage transmission grid. To keep this vital infrastructure running safely and efficiently, we are seeking forward-thinking innovators. As a Transmission Electrical Engineer, you will not be locked into a single track. Instead, you will have the unique opportunity to participate in our professional engineering rotation program-gaining hands-on experience across multiple specialized departments while directly contributing to the modernization, safety, and reliability of one of the nation's largest utility networks.

Whether you are optimizing system performance, simulating grid behaviors, or safeguarding critical digital assets, your work will directly impact millions of homes and businesses. If you are ready to apply your technical expertise to complex, real-world challenges and expand your career horizons, this role is your gateway to grid-level impact.

Here are the six most dynamic and high-impact duties of this position, optimized to challenge and inspire highly qualified engineering professionals:

• Accelerate Your Expertise Through a Multi-Disciplinary Rotation ProgramBroaden your technical horizons by rotating through at least three distinct engineering specialties within BPA. This structured program allows you to collaborate with diverse teams of specialists, expand your understanding of the entire high-voltage transmission system, and choose the career path that best fits your strengths and ambitions.

• Plan and Optimize the High-Voltage Grid of TomorrowConduct critical planning studies and feasibility analyses to shape the future of our transmission infrastructure. You will evaluate the necessity of new generation facilities, perform complex electrical calculations, determine optimal grid operating limits, and recommend the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly design approaches for high-voltage energy delivery.

• Model and Simulate Grid Resilience in Real TimeUtilize state-of-the-art software to digitally simulate the regional power grid under various operational stress levels. By analyzing thermal behavior, voltage limits, and grid stability during sudden system events, you will develop the technical procedures and operating limits necessary to prevent outages and guarantee uninterrupted power.

• Harden and Engineer Mission-Critical Control SystemsProvide vital engineering support to our 24/7 system control centers. You will design, implement, and maintain high-availability hardware and software networks, manage automated grid control systems, and apply robust cybersecurity measures-including intrusion detection and system security patching-to defend critical physical infrastructure from digital vulnerabilities.

• Lead Complex System Designs, Testing, and IntegrationsDirect the design, modification, and field integration of high- and low-voltage power distribution equipment. You will apply sound engineering judgment to resolve technical hurdles such as equipment footprint constraints and thermal management, while personally witnessing performance tests and making on-the-spot adjustments to validate equipment safety.

• Act as a Technical Consultant and Representative for Regional InitiativesServe as a technical advisor to internal colleagues, equipment manufacturers, and contractors. You will represent BPA at industry conferences, coordinate multi-agency projects with federal, state, and local partners, and help align our engineering standards with regional safety and regulatory guidelines.

Conditions of employment

In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answer to these questions is not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration

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.

• 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.
• 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.
• This position maybe subject to FERC SOC non-discrimination rules and restrictions prohibiting disclosure of certain information to Power Merchant Function employees. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Standards of Conduct (SOC): The incumbent may be required to have a working knowledge of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Standards of Conduct (SOC) to ensure fair competition in the open access transmission market though compliance with its basic principles. The FERC SOC basic principles require BPA's Transmission Function employees and its affiliated Power Merchant Function employees to function independently and abide by non-discriminatory information access and prohibited disclosure regulations for transmission-related information that is not equally available to all customers. In addition, the incumbent may be required to complete BPA's mandatory SOC training.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENT:
A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
-OR-
B. Combination of Education and Experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

1. Professional Registration or Licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. -OR-
2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. -OR-
3. Specified Academic Courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. -OR-
4. Related Curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

For more information on how to meet the Basic Requirements please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf

In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must also meet the specialized experience requirements as listed below.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
GS-09: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience 1) Applying basic electrical engineering concepts to assist higher-level engineers with routine technical tasks related to the design, modification, or analysis of electrical systems or equipment; and 2) Assisting in engineering evaluations or studies by collecting, compiling, and reviewing technical data, drawings, or specifications against established criteria.

You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

• Two years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree, or master's, or equivalent graduate degree; your education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. -OR-
• Combination of education and experience as described above. Less than one year of specialized experience may be combined with graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e., credit hours beyond the first year of full-time study may be credited).

GS-11: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: experience 1) Performing conventional electrical engineering analyses and calculations for the design, operation, or modification of equipment or systems on a high-voltage transmission system, applying established precedents and standard practices to solve problems; 2) Designing or reviewing designs for electrical systems or equipment of limited scope and complexity, such as designated portions of larger projects, using established design criteria; and 3) Performing engineering evaluations of technical data for conventional equipment to determine if it meets specified requirements and assisting with troubleshooting tasks on existing electrical systems.

You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

• Three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree, or Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree; your education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. -OR-
• Combination of education and experience as described above. Less than one year of specialized experience may be combined with graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e., credit hours beyond the first two years of full-time study may be credited).

"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.

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 USA Hire Competency Based 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 (CTAP): 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 (08/22/2026) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13034518

USAHire: 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.