Electrical Engineer

Summary

This position is located with Bonneville Power Administration, in the Eastern Engineering group (TPCF) and Western Engineering (TPCV), of Customer Service Engineering, System Planning, Transmission Services. As a senior Electrical Engineer, you are the key technical partner for utility customers. You will lead complex projects to expand and strengthen the Pacific Northwest's power grid, serving as the expert liaison for integrating new energy resources. Apply to be a leader in regional energy.

Duties

Powering the Future of the Pacific Northwest: Be the Connection The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is at the heart of the Pacific Northwest's energy landscape, responsible for ensuring an adequate, efficient, and reliable power supply for the region. As a Senior Customer Service Engineer, you are not just an employee; you are the primary technical authority and trusted business partner connecting BPA with its utility customers and generation developers. You are the vanguard, shaping the future of the regional power grid by leading the integration of resources while ensuring the system remains safe, stable, and economically sound. As an Electrical Engineer, you will: Lead Strategic Grid Expansion: Act as the lead engineer and subject matter expert in developing comprehensive plans to modify and expand the BPA transmission system. You will work collaboratively with customers and internal teams to create innovative solutions that provide the best value for all parties. Serve as the Primary Technical Authority: Represent BPA as the main engineering point of contact for interconnection requests from public utilities, private companies, and generation developers. You will serve as the trusted consultant and expert advisor on all technical aspects of planning and expansion projects. Drive Complex Negotiations: Prepare and negotiate the technical details of engineering and construction agreements for expanding or modifying BPA's transmission network. You will be the final authority on the technical aspects of both short and long-term contracts. Manage Key Customer Relationships: Own the technical relationship with our customers. This includes leading investigations into power outages, proposing reliability improvements, and ensuring all of BPA's teams work together to provide timely and complete solutions to customer requests. Develop Next-Generation Solutions: Use your expert judgment and resourcefulness to solve unique and complex issues facing the grid. You will analyze system parameters, review proposals for impacts on the transmission system, and develop business cases for innovative solutions. Ensure Grid Reliability and Safety: Serve as a subject matter expert, working with interconnected utilities to develop joint plans that reinforce the transmission system. You will analyze the impact of mandatory reliability standards on customers and ensure compliance, keeping the grid secure and stable.

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: 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- 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- 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- 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: 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-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience 1) performing engineering analysis of electric transmission systems to develop plans for system reinforcements, expansions, or interconnections; and 2) drafting technical specifications for construction or transmission service agreements, and providing engineering support for customer-related issues such as system reliability, outages, or contract delivery points. "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

This vacancy has a positive education requirement. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Department of Education Accreditation Search to verify school accreditation. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Depa