Welder

Clarification from the agency

The Public, Military Spouses, and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) eligibles.

As a Welder, you will:

• From drawings and verbal instructions, fabricates, assembles and repairs all types of bus fittings from copper or aluminum.
• From work sheets or drawings, fabricates and pre-stresses all types of bus, consisting of copper or aluminum.
• Erect copper or aluminum bus in switchyards
• From drawings and verbal instructions, fabricates and installs at proper elevations, oil lines on transformers and breakers.
• Perform all types of general welding on shop fabrications, steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and chromium structures, trucks, dozers, cranes, booms, shovel buckets, etc.
• Select proper electrode alloys for the type of metal to be worked. Uses electric and diesel generator welding machines, including heliarc, mig, and stick process. Silver solder, plasma, and oxy-fuel cutting, carbon arc gouging. Uses various heavy machine tools as required, such as power saws, cut off saws, CNC guided plasma & oxy/fuel cutting machine, drill press, pipe bending machine, etc.
• From written or oral instructions, blueprints or sketches, the Welder plans own work, makes templates when necessary, and selects methods, materials and machines appropriate for the project.

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.

• This position requires a valid driver's license as a condition of employment.
• Possess or obtain within 6 months of employment, and maintain continuously thereafter, an interstate Class B Driver's License. Good Driving Record: traffic citations indicating poor driving habits may disqualify applicants. Failure to obtain within 6 months of employment, or to maintain, a valid Class B driver's license, or maintain an Operator authorization, may be cause for removal from Federal service.
• This position requires an initial drug test prior to appointment and random drug or drug and alcohol testing thereafter. Failure to test or a positive result on random drug or drug and alcohol tests conducted after appointment may result in removal from Federal employment.
• This position requires a preemployment medical exam, at BPA expense, prior to appointment due to the physical requirements of the position.
• After employment, this position may be subject to periodic physical examinations, as prescribed by competent medical authority and at BPA expense, if exposed to health hazards.
• Obtain a BPA Welder Certificate.
• Operate motor vehicles including sedans, pick-up trucks, 4 x 4s, vans, flatbed trucks, forklifts and/or aerial manlifts.
• 100% travel to field sites may be required.
• Subject to call for emergency work outside normal duty hours.
• Be able to wear protective apparel such as respirators, welder safety equipment, steel toe boots and hard hats for worker safety.
• Become familiar with and follow the safety practices of the BPA Accident Prevention Manual.
• Obtain and maintain a valid non-electrical worker's permit within 30 days of hire.
• Obtain and maintain authorized unescorted access to BPA energized and non-energized facilities.
• Possess and maintain a valid First Aid Card. Take First Aid refresher training.
• Be certified on aerial lift equipment or other equipment when assigned to use or operate within 90 days of appointment.

Qualifications

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. Your resume should demonstrate that you possess these elements and screen out. Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your resume how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the elements and screen out identified 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) or who do not score at least half of the total points possible across all elements will be found ineligible.

The screen-out element for this position is: Ability to successfully perform the work of a Welder defined as safely performing the majority of the following welding duties: use templates, blueprints and other guides to repair, modify or fabricate metal items and weld metal parts and structures, weld in positions to include flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead; use various heavy machine tools, such as power saws, cut off saws, computer guided plasma & oxy/fuel cutting machine, drill press, and pipe bending machines without more then normal supervision. Failure to meet this Screen out Element will result in an ineligible rating.

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.

Working Conditions:

• Work is performed in the General Shops at the Ross Complex and at field sites.
• Work may be both indoors and outdoors anywhere in the BPA system, according to the type of work being performed.
• Work at considerable height and on precarious footing during inclement weather.
• Hazards include working around energized, high voltage electrical equipment; climbing on ladders or scaffolding; working around machinery with moving parts; exposure to fumes, smoke, gases, and falling objects.
• The Welder may be required to work at heights up to 150 feet from aerial ladders and boom truck baskets with safety harness.
• The work environment will occasionally include high noise levels or exposure to hazardous materials (i.e., acids, solvents, PCB's, etc.) requiring the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) that could, if precautions are not followed, pose a health risk.
• Approved respiratory and safety equipment shall be worn when hazardous substances are being handled (oil, acid, etc.) or when welding.

Physical Requirements:

• Able to climb in and out of aerial manlift buckets averaging 40" high. May be required to work at heights up to 100 feet from aerial ladders and boom truck baskets.
• Balancing required on narrow and slippery surfaces at heights and in varied weather conditions, as well as on uneven ground.
• Ability to stand an average of 2 hours with a maximum of 5 hours uninterrupted.
• Lifts tools and equipment. Average is 20 pounds.
• Works in cramped, awkward positions while reaching, lifting, bending and using hand and power tools, and positioning pieces.
• Shop and field work requires work with arms overhead or occasionally outstretched for extended periods of time.
• Drive 20% of time in all weather conditions.

"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.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

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 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 (10/31/2026) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13097394

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.

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