Requirements
Conditions of employment
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.
Special Conditions of Employment:
- Satisfactory completion of each trainee step and associated related training is mandatory for advancement to the next step and retention in the trainee program. Failure of any two of the step examinations will result in removal from the trainee program.
- Become familiar with and follow the safety practices of the BPA Accident Prevention Manual.
- This position requires a preemployment medical exam, at BPA expense, prior to appointment due to the physical requirements of the position.
- If exposed to health hazards, have periodic physical examinations as prescribed by competent medical authority at BPA expense.
- Possess a valid state driver's license. Obtain and maintain U.S. Motor Vehicle driver Authorization within 30 days after the requirement is established and maintain continuously thereafter. Additional endorsements on valid state driver's license may be required to operate assigned vehicles. Traffic citations indicating poor driving habits may disqualify applicants.
- Obtain and maintain a restricted electrical worker's permit within 1 year.
- As circumstances dictate, or as required by management, possess or obtain standard clearance certification.
- Possess within 1 year after appointment, and maintain continuously thereafter, both a First Aid card and a CPR card.
- Overnight Travel is required.
- Subject to call for emergency work at any time.
- Operate motor vehicles, including 1-1/2 ton pickups, sedans, van type trucks, 4 x 4's, or snowcats, as required by management.
- Establish a residence in accordance with negotiated requirements, that is within one hour (90 minutes for the Grand Coulee, Washington duty station) or less commuting time under normal weather and road conditions, to the duty station headquarters.
Qualifications
In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities, as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to this position. If you misrepresent your experience or education, or provide false or fraudulent information in or with your application, it may be grounds for not hiring you or for firing you after you begin work. Making false or fraudulent statements also may be punishable by fine or imprisonment.
Applicants must meet the requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations (X-118C). Although a specific length of time and experience is not required for most trade and labor occupations, you must show through experience and training that you possess the quality level of knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of the position at the level for which you are applying. Qualification requirements emphasis is on the quality of experience, not necessarily the length of time.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the job elements and screen out listed below. This job has a screen-out factors which will be used to determine minimum eligibility for this job. Applicants who do not receive a minimum of two points on this screen-out element(s) will be found ineligible.
The screen-out element for this position is: Ability to perform without more than normal supervision in the professional/commercial installation, maintenance, or repair of telecommunication equipment in at least 3 of the 4 following areas: (1) Radio Telecommunications equipment such as: microwave radio, UHF radio, VHF radio, and TDM/PCM multiplex equipment; or (2) Optical Transport equipment such as: SONET, OTN, Frame Relay, and ATM; or (3) Carrier IP Networking equipment such as: routers, switches and hubs employing TCP/IP protocols and adhering to the 7-layer OSI model; or 4) SCADA/SER, PLC, remote monitoring systems. Experience reflected in this self-rating must be supported in your resume. Failure to meet this element results in an ineligible rating.
In addition to the screen-out element your qualifications will be evaluated on the following Job Elements through your resume and responses to the on-line assessment questionnaire:
- Ability to Do the Work of the Position without More Than Normal Supervision
- Ability to Use Hand and Power Tools (Electronics)
- Ingenuity (Ability to Suggest and Apply New Methods)
- Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, and Repair, etc.
- Theory of Electronics
- Trouble shooting (Electronic Equipment)
- Use of Test Equipment: Electronics
If your knowledge and ability in the SCREEN OUT factor above is not sufficient, you will receive no further consideration. In preparing your application, describe in detail the experience and training which you have had that specifically prepared you for this job and to perform the duties described for this job. Experience should be clearly described and documented in your resume. The qualifications reviewer will not assume performance of such duties by Job Titles alone.
Please do not cut and paste the "Duties" section, specialized experience statement, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
"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.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
- The position at Ashe (Richland) requires unescorted access to a nuclear facility under the jurisdiction of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Final employee selection is subject to successfully completing a background investigation, medical and/or psychological evaluation and pre-employment drug and alcohol testing administered by the nuclear facility management. This position is also subject to random drug and alcohol testing by the nuclear facility management.
- The position at Ashe (Richland) will be required to take annual radiation training and pass a written exam.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Incumbents must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
Most of the work is indoors although some of the power line carrier and mobile radio work is outside. Work will involve occasional travel to remote sites, and exposure in all kinds of weather. Repair work or other emergency work may be required at any time of a 24-hour day. Voltages up to several thousand volts may be present in some types of equipment. Some of the work is performed around moving machinery in the auxiliary power equipment. The work may involve driving maintenance vehicles over steep and narrow mountain roads. Work may involve working alone and possibly in isolated locations. The work environment will occasionally include high noise levels, or exposure to toxic or hazardous substances (i.e., acids, solvents, etc.) that could, if precautions are not followed, pose a health risk. Proper respiratory and safety equipment shall be worn when hazardous substances are being handled.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Performs preventative, corrective, and emergency maintenance on a variety of power system control equipment such as UHF, VHF, microwave, digital transport systems, fiber optics; power line carrier current; control and data, and multiplex equipment, and a variety of other miscellaneous equipment to ensure adequate operability of the power system control equipment.
- Performs initial energization tests of new installations and obtains data to be used by other personnel.
- Uses technical documentation as required, for maintenance and troubleshooting of equipment.
- Performs miscellaneous duties related to maintenance of the communication system, which will occur at substations or at remote mountaintops during harsh weather conditions.
- Completes associated documentation required of the above listed tasks.
- Drives from ½ to 5 hours per day in all weather conditions.
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
There are no specific education requirements or substitution of education for experience for this position.
Additional information
- This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE
EEO Policy: USAJOBS Help Center | Equal employment opportunity policy
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance, when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Staffing Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement. USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy
Veterans Information:
USAJOBS Help Center - Veterans
Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Telework:
https://www.opm.gov/telework/
Selective Service Registration:
http://www.sss.gov/ - Who must register:
https://www.sss.gov/faq/#who-needs-to-register
Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budget availability and in accordance with federal regulations.
BPA strives to ensure a safe and positive work environment.
We also understand the importance of work/life balance and offer a variety of programs and policies designed to create more flexible, responsive work environments supportive of commitments to community, home and family members. BPA also supports employees' overall wellness through its Be Well program, which helps employees adopt healthier lifestyles and feel better about their work/life balance. The program supports five key areas of life: career, community, financial, physical and social.
Under the Employee Referral Bonus program, certain BPA employees may be eligible for a monetary award for referring outside candidates for this difficult-to-fill position. The referring employee must complete the form
BPA F 33300.01e and email it to
careers@bpa.gov by midnight of the closing date of the job posting.
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.
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.
Review our 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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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).
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 self-assessment 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: 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 (11/01/2026) of this announcement.
To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13094180
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 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).
- Information on how to create a federal resume https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/account/documents/resume
- Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume.
- Transcripts, if specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement.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.
- Veterans' Preference documentation,if applicable, 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.
- 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.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
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.