Interdisciplinary Engineer

Summary As an Interdisciplinary Engineer, you will provide leadership in the planning, design, review, liaison, & coordination of control & protection systems for substations and switchyards. ***This is not a remote position. You will have to physically report to the Folsom, CA or Lakewood, CO duty locations.*** Learn more about this agency Duties As an Interdisciplinary Engineer, you will: Develop protection schemes; prepare and reviews settings for protective relays; provide engineering analysis of power system disturbance reports and recommends 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. Develop and review WAPA's protective relaying philosophies and practices. Prepare and recommend design standards, guidelines, and procedures concerning control and protection applications for WAPA and other industry groups. Provide technical direction and guidance to other employees as assigned. Provide technical expertise and coordination assistance to WAPA Regional maintenance offices by analyzing and resolving substation operational and maintenance problems. Requirements 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. 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. Qualifications This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for all positions in the 0800 Series:https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf 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: To qualify for the GS12 - Applicants must have one (1) year (52 weeks) of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS11) in the federal service in ALL of the following areas: Analyzing short circuit currents, system voltage levels, power system impedances, transient phenomena, or other power system conditions. To qualify for the GS13 - Applicants must have one (1) year (52 weeks) of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS12) in the federal service in ALL of the following areas: Analyzing short circuit currents, system voltage levels, power system impedances, transient phenomena, or other power system conditions; AND Developing and analyzing protective relaying schemes. "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. 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. 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 This vacancy specifically states that certain educational requirements must be met (also known as a "positive educational requirement"), you must provide documentation supporting any education claims in your application. 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. 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. Promotion Potential: This position's Full Performance Level is a GS13. 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. Expand Hide  additional information 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. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.