Interdisciplinary Engineer (Electrical/Electronics)

US Western Area Power Administration; Lakewood (CO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

US Western Area Power Administration in Lakewood, CO is seeking an Interdisciplinary Engineer (Electrical/Electronics) to lead planning, design, review, liaison, and coordination of control and protection systems for substations and switchyards.

This federal role requires meeting the 0800 series qualifications and may be fulfilled via ABET-accredited education with current licensure or by equivalent education/experience as described in the vacancy notice.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or higher from an ABET-accredited program.
• Professional registration (EI/EIT) or PE licensure, or passing FE exam.
• 60 semester hours in physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences with required courses.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, design, review, liaison, and coordination of control and protection systems for substations and switchyards.
• Communicate and coordinate with internal teams and field personnel; report to Lakewood, CO duty location.

Skills

Substation design

Protection systems

Control systems

Liaison coordination

Education

ABET-accredited engineering program

PE license or registration

60 semester hours in engineering/physics

Job description

As an Interdisciplinary Engineer (Electrical/Electronics), you will provide leadership in the planning, design, review, liaison, & coordination of control & protection systems for substations and switchyards.

***This is not a remote position. You will have to physically report to the Lakewood, CO duty location.***

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.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:Applicants must meet the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for the 0800 Series as described below:A. Degree: Engineering:To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.-OR-B. Combination of Education and Experience: College-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

• Professional Registration or Licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. -OR-
• Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.-OR-
• Specified Academic Courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. (Related Curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

AND

In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirements for the 0800 Series, applicants must meet the specialized experience below.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service.

GS-12 Level, one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the federal service.

Specialized experience for this position is defined as:

• Preparing designs, drawings, interfaces, bill of materials, and quantity estimates for the integration of control, metering, relaying, and other equipment in power substations and switchyards.

GS-13 Level, one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the federal service.

Specialized experience for this position is defined as:

• Preparing designs, drawings, interfaces, bill of materials, and quantity estimates for the integration of control, metering, relaying, and other equipment in power substations and switchyards; AND
• Developing design standards, guidelines, or procedures concerning control and protection applications.

"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.

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.

Working Conditions

Most work is performed in an office setting, although occasional field work will be performed outdoors. Work may occasionally be performed at HV and EHV substation/transmission line sites involving hazards requiring special safety precautions around energized circuits and equipment.

Physical Effort

The work is mainly sedentary, but there is some walking, climbing, and bending during field trips and when testing.