About This Position
As an Interdisciplinary Engineer, you will serve as civil or electrical engineering technical authority at the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) Headquarters. The incumbent will serve as a senior technical expert responsible for providing scoping development, implementation and oversight for complex transmission line projects. The incumbent will also serve as WAPA's technical expert for any design questions related to the construction and maintenance of high voltage transmission lines.
Qualifications
Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirement AND Specialized Experience/Education requirements as noted below. Basic Requirements: 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.
Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions. 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.
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.)
In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirements for the 0850/0855 Series, applicants must meet the specialized experience 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-13] in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Applying advanced design concepts, principles and practices used for high voltage transmission lines including using PLS-CADD to develop drawings and specifications used for new construction, upgrades or modifications to new or existing transmission lines.
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. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
Major Duties
As an Interdisciplinary Engineer, you will: Serve as WAPA technical Project Representative responding to technical questions, during establishment and organization of design teams as a program/project engineer, Technical and Business Liaison. Advise, guide and control the planning, design, construction, maintenance and decommissioning of high voltage transmission line projects and processes. Prepare and present briefings to senior management, regulators, and HQ staff on complex engineering programs and project status.
Resolve complex engineering program and project issues, including operational problems, through collaboration with technical experts within or outside the organization and serve as the technical authority for design process improvement and implementation. Review and analyze project designs, drawings, proposals, changes, scopes of work, specifications and construction cost estimates for high voltage transmission lines. Develop and prepare transmission line construction project designs, drawings, systems and material specifications, performance requirements, project costs and time estimates.
Develop conceptual transmission line corridors, plan and profile drawings for use in conceptual design discussions. Coordinate and perform in-field assessments and audits relating to transmission line design and maintenance issues. Technically direct dedicated contractor staff responsible for engineering project execution and interpret design documents to oversee overall project execution.
Review and approve contractor goals, objectives, work breakdown structures, detailed scope descriptions, risk management approaches, milestone descriptions, budgets, and staffing requirements. Execute engineering program/project activities in compliance with Federal, State, and local regulations, laws, and standards. Travel to Regions as required to provide technical support as well as advise on defining project scope and formalizing design data.
Perform other duties as assigned.
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.
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. Security clearance and associated requirements - non-sensitive/low risk. The incumbent must be at least 18 years of age, able to operate a government vehicle, obtain and maintain Defensive Drivers certification and have a valid state driver's license.
Defensive Driver's Training will be completed upon employment. Must be able to obtain and maintain Project Management Professional (PMP) or Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers FAC-P/PM certification. Must be able to obtain and maintain the required DOE/WAPA certification to serve as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR).
Incumbent is required to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450), upon entering the position and annually. Professional Engineer (PE) licensure desired. Required to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Must wear Arc Rated protective clothing when in proximity to exposed energized circuits.
Education
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S.
Department of Education. 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 Department of Education website.
DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system. Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How You Will Be Evaluated
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. 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). The Department of Energy uses an application tracking system to evaluate the scores provided from the SME resume review 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 Office 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): Decision Making General Engineering Project Management Technical Competence 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 (04/17/2026) of this announcement. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12933358.
Additional Information
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across the Department Of Energy. 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. Promotion Potential: This position is at the full performance level. The selectee for this position may be eligible to receive a recruitment 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: General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.
Special pay table 0753.
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.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes: Your two (2) page RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the 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). Transcripts. 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. Submit one or more of the following to support your eligibility(s) to apply to this job announcement: Current and former Federal employees: Most recent non-award SF-50 (Standard Form 50 - Notice of Personnel Action). To properly verify status eligibility, your SF-50 must show the following.
If you do not submit an appropriate SF-50, we cannot verify your status eligibility. Full position title; appointment type; occupational series; pay plan, grade, and step; tenure code; and service computation date (SCD). If your current position SF50 does not indicate you have competitive service status or does not reflect the pay plan and grade of the highest position you have held in the competitive service,
in addition to your current SF50, you must provide your previous SF-50s that provide the proof of competitive status and highest grade held on a permanent basis. . If you do not submit an appropriate SF-50, we cannot verify your status eligibility. Veterans: 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. Individuals with Disabilities: Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing your eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u). For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
Certain Military Spouses: Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders authorizing you to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage). For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center. Other non-competitive or special appointing authorities: provide documentation which supports your eligibility.
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.