Interdisciplinary Engineer (Electrical or Electronics)

Summary

This position is part of the WAPA Headquarters. As an Interdisciplinary Engineer (Electrical or Electronics), you will be a trainee performing developmental duties in the planning, design, review, and coordination of control and protection systems for substations and switchyards. ***This is not a remote position. You will have to physically report to the Lakewood, CO duty location.***

Duties

Duties shown are at Full Performance Level (GS12) ... As an Interdisciplinary Engineer (Electrical or Electronics), you will: Develop protection schemes; Prepare and review settings for protective relays; Provide engineering analysis of power system disturbance reports and recommend corrective action; Provide necessary coordination with other organization segments; Perform system studies to determine short circuit currents, system voltage levels, power system impedances, transient phenomena, and other power system conditions; Recommend overall ratings for major power system equipment and specialized equipment, including phase shifting transformers, series capacitor banks, static var systems, and other power electronic devices; Provide expertise and coordination assistance to WAPA Regional maintenance offices by analyzing and resolving substation operational and maintenance problems.

Requirements

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. 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. 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. Security clearance and associated requirements - Moderate. When in the field, the incumbent is required to wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Additionally, Arc Rated protective clothing is required when in proximity to exposed energized circuits. This position requires the ability to operate a Government vehicle. The incumbent must be at least 18 years of age, able to obtain and maintain a Defensive Driver's certification and have a valid state driver's license. Defensive Driver's Training will be completed upon employment. Salary based on Special Rate table 0753.

Qualifications

To be found qualified, you must meet the basic requirement AND minimum qualification requirements for the grade level(s) in which you apply. BASIC REQUIREMENT: You must meet one of the following: 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. (You must submit licensure or registration.) 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. (You must submit documentation) 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. 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.) MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level(s) in which you are applying. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience for this position is defined as: For the GS-05: No specialized experience requirement at the GS-05 level. Applicants must meet the Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for the 0800 Series as described above. You may also qualify for the GS-05 if you will complete all degree requirements as described above within 120 days of the closing date of this announcement. For the GS-07: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05) in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as: Applying practical knowledge in the principles, techniques, and practices of electrical/electronics engineering. You may also qualify for the GS-07: If you have successfully completed of one full year of graduate level education; -OR- If you have obtained a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement; -OR- If you have a combination of experience and education as described above. For the GS-09: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07) in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as: Applying practical knowledge in the principles, techniques, and practices of electrical/electronics engineering; Providing engineering analysis of power system disturbance reports and recommends corrective action. You may also qualify for the GS-09: If you have two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree, if related; -OR- If you have a combination of superior academic achievement and one (1) year of appropriate professional experience; -OR- If you have a combination of experience and education as described above. "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); 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. Physical Demands: The work is mainly sedentary, but there is some walking, climbing, and bending during field trips and when testing. Work Environment: Most work is performed in an office setting, although occasional field work will be performed outdoors. Work may occasionally be performed at HV and EHV substation/transmission line sites involving hazards requiring special safety precautions around energized circuits and equipment.

Evaluations

Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Office will review the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications. Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required competencies. SMEs will review ONLY the first two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume). Only applicants meeting or exceeding the minimum required level of proficiency will move forward. Structured Interview Review: 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 a subject matter expert (SME) structured interview. A structured interview is an assessment method designed to measure job-related competencies of candidates by systematically inquiring about their behavior in past experiences and/or their proposed behavior in hypothetical situations. If applicable, you may be contacted to schedule an interview with the SMEs. Only applicants meeting or exceeding the minimum required level of proficiency will move forward. Rule of Many 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 SME Structured Resume Review and the SME Structured Interview rating assessment(s) will be scored. You will be ranked in score order plus any Veterans' preference points. All candidates who score above a predefined cut score will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. All applicants tied at the cut line will be referred. If additional candidates are needed, groups of three per vacancy will be referred. Application of Veterans' Preference: If you are a preference eligible candidate, you will be listed ahead of non-preference eligibles with the same score. Preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are listed at the top of the certificate in the order of their ratings unless the job is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or above (or equivalent). Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Accountability Design Electrical Engineering Interpersonal Skills Learning Oral Communication Problem Solving Self Management Strategic Thinking Teamwork Technical Competence Written Communication 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 (08/03/2026) of this announcement. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13015050.

How to apply 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. The application process is as follows: You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/. 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://my.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://www.usajobs.gov/Help/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://www.usajobs.gov/Help/ 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.

Other 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. Promotion Potential: This full performance level of this position is GS-12. 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. Salary negotiation may be available for those candidates who are new to Federal service. Salary range shown (GS05, step 1 - GS09, step 10) is from Special Rate table 0753.