IT Specialist (GIS Lead)

Bonneville Power Administration • Portland, OR

9d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), in the Asset Management & Engineering Apps (JLST) organization of Software Development and Operations (JLS), Enterprise Shared Services (JL), Information Technology (J). The IT Specialist (GIS Lead) develops and interprets policies, procedures, and strategies governing the planning and delivery of GIS services throughout BPA.

The role leads enterprise geospatial solutions supporting operational decision-making. It involves designing and scaling enterprise mapping infrastructure; automating spatial workflows; establishing data standards and governance; integrating large spatial, temporal, and engineering datasets across legacy and modern systems; and translating geospatial information into recommendations and visual products for operational and executive audiences. The position also ensures geospatial applications, APIs, and data exchanges comply with federal and utility cybersecurity architectures.

Requirements

• Must be a United States citizen.
• Must meet Selective Service registration requirements if male.
• Must be suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• Must demonstrate IT-related experience or qualifying intensive training, with proficiency in attention to detail, customer service, oral communication, and problem solving at the GS-13 advanced level.
• At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-12 in the Federal service.
• Experience managing complex geospatial data, data formats, and spatial databases for enterprise mapping, reporting, or utility/operational asset management.
• Experience administering and maintaining enterprise spatial solutions, web maps, and services across platforms such as ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online, or ArcGIS Pro.
• Experience developing scripts and automation tools using languages such as Python or JavaScript to streamline geospatial workflows, integrate remote sensing and GPS data, and configure interactive spatial data interfaces.
• Experience serving as a technical authority and team lead responsible for planning, scoping, assigning, and monitoring GIS projects and daily operational tasks.
• Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date.
• Must report in person to the official duty location.

Nice To Haves

• Four optional free-response essay answers may be submitted; they are not scored or rated and may be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if the applicant is referred for selection consideration.
• Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate, subject to budget availability and federal regulations.

Responsibilities

• Design, configure, and scale enterprise mapping infrastructure using tools such as ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Pro, and ArcGIS Field Maps.
• Use Python, JavaScript, and other scripting languages to automate processes, build interactive tools, and streamline spatial data transformations.
• Apply CI/CD pipelines, DevOps workflows, and infrastructure reliability practices to BPA’s geospatial ecosystem.
• Define data standards, governance models, and quality controls for BPA’s electric utility network.
• Lead the acquisition, integration, and modeling of large-scale spatial, temporal, and asset engineering datasets.
• Integrate legacy engineering systems, asset databases, operational power telemetry, and modern cloud platforms to support enterprise data flow.
• Serve as a technical authority, translating geospatial intelligence into strategic recommendations for leadership and engineering executives in support of FERC and NERC reliability standards.
• Transform utility and sensor data into visual products, dashboards, and digital-twin models for grid operators, engineers, and environmental scientists.
• Ensure spatial applications, APIs, and data exchanges adhere to federal and utility cybersecurity architectures.
• Plan, scope, assign, and monitor GIS projects and daily operational tasks as a technical authority and team lead.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package for employees and their families.
• Programs and policies intended to support work/life balance and flexible, responsive work environments.
• Be Well wellness program supporting career, community, financial, physical, and social well-being.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed