Electronics Engineer

Western Area Power Administration • Loveland, CO

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About The Position

This position is part of the Western Area Power Administration’s Rocky Mountain Region or Upper Great Plains Region. The Electronics Engineer provides engineering expertise to develop, upgrade, and operate regional communications systems, SCADA systems, operations support systems, telemetering equipment, data distribution systems, and remote telemetry units (RTUs). The position establishes technical requirements and design approaches, develops and maintains power communications system guidance and procedures, analyzes equipment failures and system malfunctions, and advises field offices on communications and system-control engineering. It also monitors maintenance programs and supports resolution of engineering problems in ongoing automated systems.

The work is normally performed in an office setting and is primarily sedentary. Field work may occur indoors or outdoors in industrial areas, and may involve extended periods of standing, bending, and stretching. Work at substations or transmission lines may involve hazards around energized circuits and equipment, requiring safety precautions and personal protective equipment. Shift work and emergency overtime may be required, including work in evenings, weekends, or holidays.

The position requires the applicable Individual Occupational Requirement for the 0800 Engineering Series, plus specialized experience at the grade level sought. GS-12 applicants must have one year of qualifying experience at the GS-11 level or equivalent that includes providing technical assistance with fiber optics, radio systems (VHF, UHF, spread spectrum, or microwave), and data-network technologies such as MPLS, SONET, TDM, IP, or VOIP. GS-13 applicants must have one year of qualifying experience at the GS-12 level or equivalent using communications systems supporting transmission facilities for computer systems such as SCADA or EMS, data and voice communications infrastructures, and the listed fiber-optic, radio, and data-network technologies. A recruitment or relocation incentive may be available with an employment agreement; PCS costs are not authorized.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Must meet the Individual Occupational Requirement for the 0800 Engineering Series through an acceptable engineering degree, qualifying combination of education and experience, professional registration or licensure, successful completion of the FE or another qualifying examination, specified academic coursework, or an acceptable related curriculum with qualifying engineering experience.
• Must meet specialized experience requirements: one year (52 weeks) equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal service or equivalent.
• For GS-12, specialized experience must include technical assistance with fiber optics; radio systems (VHF, UHF, spread spectrum, or microwave); and data-network technologies such as MPLS, SONET, TDM, IP, or VOIP.
• For GS-13, specialized experience must include using communications systems supporting transmission-system facilities for SCADA or EMS computer systems and data and voice communications infrastructures, along with fiber optics, radio systems (VHF, UHF, spread spectrum, or microwave), and data-network technologies such as MPLS, SONET, TDM, IP, or VOIP.
• Current or former qualifying career or career-conditional GS employees with a break in service of less than one year must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements.
• Must be suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation; the position is designated Moderate Risk.
• May be required to complete a probationary or trial period.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered for Selective Service.
• Applicants must submit a resume of no more than two pages; only the first two pages will be reviewed.
• Education used to qualify must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; foreign education must be evaluated by a recognized organization.
• Must use personal protective equipment and observe safety precautions when required during field work.

Nice To Haves

• Applicants are encouraged to answer four optional, free-response essay questions in the questionnaire; answers are not scored or rated.
• A recruitment or relocation incentive may be available to the selectee, subject to an employment agreement.
• Job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service may be considered for credit toward annual-leave accrual, subject to request and approval before appointment.

Responsibilities

• Apply or adapt automated processes that modify real-time control systems and automated computing systems to solve problems or improve existing system performance.
• Establish system-design technical requirements, engineering approaches, and applicable design constraints and standards.
• Develop and maintain guidelines, requirements, instructions, and procedures for the power communications system.
• Analyze equipment failures and system malfunctions, and recommend or initiate adjustments, repairs, replacements, or other actions to prevent recurrence.
• Provide communications and system-control engineering assistance and advice to field offices.
• Monitor maintenance programs to ensure necessary actions are implemented consistently throughout the Region.
• Provide technical advice and guidance to resolve engineering problems in ongoing automated systems.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package.
• Newly appointed Federal employees may request credit for qualifying job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining annual-leave accrual, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level