Program Manager (Communication Maintenance) Job

Vacancy No. 25-WG-00443-12801814-MP Department Western Area Power Administration
Salary $117,034.00 to $156,047.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/17/2025 Close Date 9/26/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Phoenix, AZBoulder City, NV


Summary

As a Program Manager (Communication Maintenance), you will Lead power grid communications maintenance for AZ, Southern CA, and NV. Manage engineers and technicians to ensure reliable power system communications. This includes program development, budget management, and compliance. Oversee daily operations, system monitoring, maintenance, and emergency response across field installations. Supervise resource allocation, performance, training, safety, and labor agreement adherence.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees within the Department of Energy with competitive status or other eligibility; CTAP/ICTAP eligibles; DOEnergy employees participating in the OPM or DOE Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) are not eligible to apply.

Duties

As a Program Manager (Communication Maintenance), you will:

  • Managed the overall Communications Maintenance Program, ensuring secure and reliable power grid communications.
  • Developed and executed the long-range Communications Maintenance Program budget and resource allocation.
  • Monitored program performance, equipment status, and work schedules, and implements preventative maintenance analysis.
  • Established and enforced communications maintenance policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with NERC/WECC standards.
  • Overseen communication systems maintenance for field installations in Phoenix, Coolidge, Gila, and Mead, addressing performance issues.
  • Developed and initiated emergency action plans to minimize power outages caused by communication equipment failures.

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.
  • Must be able to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and follow standard safety procedures.
  • May be called upon for support at any time including, nights, weekends, and holidays.
  • 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. Your full resume will be made available to the hiring manager if you are referred.
  • 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.
  • Department of Energy (DOE) employees participating in the OPM or DOE Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) are not eligible to apply for this announcement. DRP participants are not considered active DOE employees because they have agreed to separate from the agency.
  • Shift work and emergency overtime may be required.
  • Employee may be required to work other than normal duty hours, to include evenings, weekends and/or holidays
  • Total salary varies depending on location of position.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy.

This position does not have an Individual Occupational Requirement

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience 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 year of specialized experience in the next lower grade level (GS-12) or equivalent in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as having all of the following:

  1. Assisting in the development and implementation of communication maintenance plans for critical infrastructure;
  2. Apply knowledge of communication network principles and practices to maintain complex systems supporting power grid operations; and
  3. Assisting in the supervision or lead of technical teams, providing guidance and support for communication system maintenance activities.

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.

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. Your full resume will be made available to the hiring manager if you are referred.

Education

For this position, education cannot be substituted for experience.

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.
  • Promotion Potential: This position is at the full performance level.
  • The selectee for this position may be eligible to receive a 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.
  • Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include a special rate table for the selected duty location. Special Rate pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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).

Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications. If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process.

The competencies for the Program Manager (Communication Maintenance) are:
  • Financial Management
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence
  • Technical Credibility



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 (10/01/2025) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/1201814.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes:

  • Your two (2) page RESUMEshowing 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).
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 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.

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.

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:

  1. You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/.
  2. To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button.
  3. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation.
  4. 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.

Agency contact information

PMA Careers
Address
WAPA-DSW-Desert Southwest
12155 W. Alameda Pkwy
Lakewood, CO 80228
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The status of your application will be updated in USAJOBS as it is evaluated.

You can check the status by logging into USAJOBS. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application changes by logging into your USAJobs Account and editing the Notification Settings.

You will be contacted directly if an interview is required.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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