Summary
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is ranked within the top 5 mid-size agencies as a "Best Places to Work" in the Federal government! This Senior Technical Advisor position is located in the Office of Office of Electric Reliability. For more information visit: Office of Electric Reliability
This job is open to
Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted from current agency employees in the competitive service only.
Duties
The Senior Technical Advisor (Advisor) provides authoritative expertise and strategic direction on challenging issues relating to the reliability and security of the bulk power system. This may include exploring novel and extremely difficult issues associated with the nation's rapidly evolving electric power systems, potential cybersecurity threats and other vulnerabilities under the Commission's jurisdiction per existing authorities. The Advisor will develop long-term strategic goals, policy positions and technical recommendations to improve the reliability and security of the Nation's bulk power system. The Advisor will work closely with government and private sector groups to design innovative new policies to improve electric system reliability and power system planning and operations and achieve a high level of security and protection for the nation's energy assets.
The Senior Technical Advisor:
- Conceives, plans, and executes comprehensive analyses and broad research efforts to explore and propose solutions to novel and extremely difficult issues associated with the reliability and security of the nation's bulk-power system.
- Serves as a principal technical expert, providing high-level analysis, recommendations, and briefings to leadership on current and evolving cybersecurity or operational issues that could significantly impact the security and reliability of the Bulk Power System.
- Provides senior-level expertise in incident analysis and investigations following system disturbances, blackouts, or cybersecurity incidents affecting the Bulk Power System.
- Partners with the Office of Enforcement and Regulatory Accounting (OERA) to support compliance audits or investigations by providing subject-matter expertise on CIP requirements and technical interpretations.
- Partners with other Commission program offices to provide senior-level power system engineering and/or cybersecurity expertise to Commission policy initiatives under FPA sections 205 and 215.
- Works with federal agencies, sector partners, or interagency cybersecurity bodies to coordinate efforts, and share insights on emerging threats or systemic risks.
- Assesses industry progress in addressing reliability and security challenges and identifies trends, systemic issues, and areas requiring regulatory attention.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- You must provide your SF-50 (see Required Documents section).
- A one-year probationary period may be required.
- A background investigation is required.
- This is not a bargaining unit position.
- Generally, male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service.
- Relocation expenses will not be paid.
- If hired, you may be required to divest certain energy-related securities.
- Maximum of 2-page resume.
Qualifications
You must meet the qualification (experience and/or education) requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
You must have one full year of specialized experience. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience providing expert analysis and guidance on Bulk Power System reliability and system security, emerging threats, and the reliability impacts of Commission initiatives.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). 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 any volunteer experience.
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.
Education
There is no education requirement for this position; therefore, transcripts are not required.
Additional information
The duty location of this position is Washington, DC.
If selected for this position, you will be required to:
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
- Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. FERC also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
- Attend a mandatory ethics training. We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC's supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities. To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of at least some energy securities is likely to be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C. 201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment.
- Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
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.
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.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for the position.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Strategic Technical Leadership
- Reliability, Security, and Risk Analysis
- Stakeholder Engagement and Influence
- Executive Communication and Program Leadership
The online assessment is used to evaluate your relevant education and experience in relation to the required competencies for this position.
If you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, your application will be further evaluated based on your answers to the vacancy questionnaire. Your rating may be lowered if your responses are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your resume. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the selecting official.
You may be required to participate in a selection interview. If you are invited for an interview, you may be asked to bring a copy of your most recent performance evaluation.
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.
To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12993350
Required Documents
Failure to submit all required documentation by the closing date of this vacancy announcement, including adhering to the maximum two-page resume requirement, will result in removal from consideration and loss of any special hiring preference (e.g., veterans' preference, ICTAP/CTAP eligibility, Schedule A).
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR ALL CANDIDATES:
- RESUME (maximum of 2 pages in length): Your resume should describe your specialized experience and support your answers to the vacancy announcement questionnaire. You must ensure it contains the following information for each experience/position:
- Position title
- Name of employer
- Beginning and ending dates of employment (Month/Day/Year format)
- Hours worked per week
- Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
- Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions)
- If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying based on your education, you must list your education history, including the type of degree and your major of study.
- VACANCY QUESTIONNAIRE: You must submit and complete the online eligibility and vacancy questions.
- TRANSCRIPTS (only required when the position has an education requirement, or you are qualifying for the position based on your education): You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts to verify your education. Unofficial copies are acceptable; however, if selected you will be required to provide official transcripts before your effective date.
- STANDARD FORM 50 (SF-50)/NOTIFICATION OF PERSONNEL ACTION: You must submit a copy of your most recent non-award SF-50, showing you are in the competitive service, your highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series, and grade. FERC employees can access their official personnel records electronically, by using eOPF: https://eopf.opm.gov/ferc/.
OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT SPECIAL CONSIDERATION CLAIMS:
CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CTAP): This is an intra-agency program that helps Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service or a FERC employee whose position has been deemed surplused or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated "Well Qualified" for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility. For more information about CTAP, visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp. The following documents are required:
- Reduction in Force or RIF notice - written notice of your expected separation, or other documentation of priority consideration status;
- Latest SF-50 noting your current position, grade level, and duty location;
- Last performance appraisal, including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your agency showing your current promotion potential.
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 and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Make sure you verify that your resume clearly indicates possession of the competencies and specialized experience listed under the "Qualifications and Evaluation" and "How You Will Be Evaluated" sections of this announcement.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
- Set aside approximately one (1) hour to complete the application process.
- Remember to submit all required and supporting documentation listed under the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
- To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: FERC provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact?DisabilityManager@FERC.gov?no later than 11:59 pm ET on the vacancy closing date.? The decision to grant a reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. You will be notified of the status of your application up to four times throughout the application process, via your USAJOBS dashboard. To verify the status of your application, both during and after the announcement open period, log on to your USAJOBS account. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an option to "Track this application." Your "Applicant status" will also appear along with the dates you applied to this position and when your application was last updated. To learn more about your specific job status and how this helps you track jobs and applications visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement.
More than one selection for similar positions may be made from this announcement and the program office for that selection may vary. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s).