Overview

  • Open & closing dates

     11/16/2020 to 11/25/2020

  • Service

    Excepted

  • Pay scale & grade

    GS 07 – 09

  • Salary

    $46,156 to $73,398 per year

  • Appointment type

    Recent Graduates – 1-Year, Excepted Appointment may be converted to Term or Permanent.

  • Work schedule

    Full-Time

Apply here: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/584604000

Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Power Scheduler Preschedule (PTKP), Scheduling Coordination (PTK) organization of Bulk Marketing (PT), Power Services (P), Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).

The purpose of this position is to serve as a Public Utilities Specialist advanced trainee.

Responsibilities

As a Public Utilities Specialist, you will:

  • Serve as a developmental scheduler responsible for participating in establishing, implementing, and accounting for energy schedules.
  • Keep current on technical and complex material required for the job.
  • Participate in verifying schedules cover all contractual obligations and fit within contractual limitations.
  • Verify daily marketing position with counter-parties and participate in reconciling discrepancies.
  • Assess marketing position in order to take advantage of all bookout/pathout opportunities.
  • Enter market and transmission paths (schedules), as given by counterparties, into the electronic Daily Sheet.
  • Complete daily Preschedule checkout with Transmission Services.
  • Coordinate daily transition between Preschedule and Real Time.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • See “Other Information” section regarding Selective Service requirements.

Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budget availability and in accordance with federal regulations.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

  • All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don’t have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.
    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.
  • A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work. Current Federal employees or other individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check.
  • Selectee may be subject to a 1 year probationary period.
  • The incumbent is required to have a working knowledge of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Standards of Conduct (SOC) to ensure fair competition in the open access transmission market though compliance with its basic principles. The incumbent of this position does not buy power and is identified by BPA as a ‘Yellow’, or, ‘Undesignated’ Power Merchant Function employee.
  • The incumbent is required to immediately report violations of the FERC SOC to the Chief Compliance Officer. In addition, the incumbent is required to complete BPA’s mandatory SOC training.

CONVERSION REQUIREMENTS:

BPA has the option to convert a Recent Graduate position to a permanent or term position upon successful completion of program requirements. This is not automatic, nor guaranteed. Conversion is at the discretion of the hiring manager and employing office.

To be eligible to be converted to permanent or term position you must:

  • Be a US Citizen.
  • Be recommended for conversion by your manager.
  • Complete all training and development requirements within the 1-year appointment period.
  • Successful completion of 1 year of continuous service.
  • Have demonstrated successful job performance.
  • Met OPM qualification standard for the position to which you will be converted.
  • A Recent Graduate may be converted to the highest General Schedule (GS) grade level qualified for at time of conversion.
  • Relocation may be authorized with conversion.

Qualifications

To be eligible for the Recent Graduate program you must be a:

Recent graduate who has completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.

-OR-

Student who within nine months of the closing date of this announcement will meet the education requirements and will graduate with a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. A student may not be appointed to a position until they have graduated.

-OR-

Preference eligible veteran who was precluded from applying due to their military service obligation begin their two-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed six years after degree or certificate completion.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT:

GS-07: 

A qualified candidate’s resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05) in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience in methods or concepts of utilities to perform assigned routine and recurring responsibility in receiving, verifying scheduling data, or acquiring and assigning transmission.

You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

GS-09:

A qualified candidate’s resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07) in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience in methods or concepts of utilities to perform assigned responsibility in receiving, verifying and validating data, or acquiring and assigning transmission.

You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

  • Master’s or equivalent graduate degree; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or a LL.B. or J.D. if related; your education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. —OR—
  • Combination of education and experience as described above. Less than one year of specialized experience may be combined with graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e., credit hours beyond the first year of full-time study may be credited). One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours the graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. If the graduate school’s definition of one year of graduate study is not available, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) is used. When crediting education that requires specific course work the number of hours of related courses required, as a proportion of the total education, is prorated.

Your resume should demonstrate that you possess the following knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies (KSACs). 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 KSACs identified below. Cite specific examples of employment or experience and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position.

  1. Learning: Uses efficient learning techniques to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills; uses training, feedback, or other opportunities for self-learning and development.
  2. Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
  3. Reasoning: Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.
  4. Teamwork: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.
  5. Technology Application: Uses machines, tools, instruments, or equipment effectively; uses computers and computer applications to analyze and communicate information in the appropriate format.
  6. Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
  7. Customer Service: Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external customers. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement.
  8. Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one’s job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

“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.

Education

Must submit transcripts with your application for proof of education and degree conferred date.

DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system.

Education must be obtained from an accredited institution 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.

Additional information

  • The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
  • Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
  • More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
  • Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
  • All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don’t have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.

EEO Policy:  http://www.usajobs.gov/eeo
Reasonable Accommodation Policy:  http://www.usajobs.gov/raps
Veterans Information:   http://www.usajobs.gov/vi
Telework:  www.telework.gov
Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/

BPA strives to ensure a safe, positive, inclusive work environment, supported by Leadership Behaviors. For more information on Leadership Behaviors visit: www.bpa.gov/goto/LeadershipBehaviors

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.

How to Apply

To be considered for this position, you must submit your complete application no later than 11:59pm U.S. Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement. If you do not submit a complete application prior to the closing time (regardless of when you started) the online application system will not allow you to finish! Requests for extensions will not be granted, so please begin the application process allowing yourself enough time to finish before the deadline. Our online application system displays a countdown timer at the top of the screen for your reference.

For your security, your session in our online application system will “time-out” if you are inactive for a certain period of time. We recommend that you preview the assessment questions before you apply and prepare all of your information prior to beginning the application. If you do get “timed-out” you will have to log back in to USAJOBS and re-visit the vacancy announcement, you can then click “Update Application” to finish where you left off.

Steps to submit a complete application:

  1. Click the “Apply Online” button. If you are not already logged in, you will need to do so.
  2. You must have a complete resume associated with your USAJOBS account. Please note that some DOE offices do not accept uploaded resumes and instead require that you submit a USAJOBS-formatted resume using the Resume Builder.
  3. You will be prompted to select a resume and any documentation you have attached to your USAJOBS account before you are transferred to the Department of Energy’s online application system. Please be aware that any document you select before being transferred to our system will not automatically be received. You must take steps to download your documents from USAJOBS during the “Documents” step within our online application system (see Step 6).
  4. If you are a first-time applicant to the Department of Energy, you’ll be asked to register an account first. If you are a returning applicant, you will skip this step and go straight to the application portion.
  5. You must respond to all applicant assessment questions, carefully following all instructions provided.
  6. You will then be asked to upload additional supporting documentation. If you selected documents from USAJOBS prior to being transferred to our application system (Step 3), you will need to click the “USAJOBS” link to complete the transfer process. These documents ARE NOT automatically transferred! It is ultimately your responsibility to make sure all required documents are either faxed, uploaded, or transferred from USAJOBS successfully. If you are unsure that your documents went through, please contact the HR Specialist listed on the announcement BEFORE the vacancy closes.
  7. After reviewing your submission in the final step, you must click “Submit Application” at the bottom of the page. If you leave the application before clicking Submit, your application will not be received.
  8. You should check your application status after submittal, located on your USAjobs home page.  If your application status is incomplete, unknown, or unavailable, try submitting your application again or contact the USAjobs help center for assistance.   Find more information here: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/

If your resume does not support the responses in your application questionnaire, or if you fail to submit required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated ‘ineligible’, ‘not qualified’, or your score may be adjusted accordingly.

NEED HELP?

  • If you experience any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the ‘Apply Online’ button):  Contact USAJOBS help center or contact the HR Office listed on this announcement between normal business hours. If you are receiving any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text and number.
  • If you need help with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder): please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center. Ask USAJOBS directly for support, by using the “Contact Us” Button at the bottom of this page. We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the Department of Energy.
  • If you are experiencing a significant hardship which hinders your ability to apply online please contact the HR Office listed on this announcement during normal business hours to discuss your situation.