Power Grid Operator Jobs in Portland, OR (NOW HIRING)

Summary
This position is located with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), in RAS Engineering (TENR), Systems Engineering (TEN), Engineering and Technical Services (TE), Transmission Services (T).
As a Transmission Electrical Engineer, you will participate in a unique engineering rotation program, gaining diverse experience. You'll design, analyze, and upgrade high-voltage systems while supporting control centers to keep our clean energy running safely and reliably.
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Duties
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Powering the Pacific Northwest: Shape the Future of Clean Energy Transmission as a Transmission Electrical Engineer
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is a cornerstone of the Pacific Northwest, delivering clean, reliable, and sustainable hydroelectric and wind energy across a vast, high-voltage transmission grid. To keep this vital infrastructure running safely and efficiently, we are seeking forward-thinking innovators. As a Transmission Electrical Engineer, you will not be locked into a single track. Instead, you will have the unique opportunity to participate in our professional engineering rotation program-gaining hands-on experience across multiple specialized departments while directly contributing to the modernization, safety, and reliability of one of the nation's largest utility networks.
Whether you are optimizing system performance, simulating grid behaviors, or safeguarding critical digital assets, your work will directly impact millions of homes and businesses. If you are ready to apply your technical expertise to complex, real-world challenges and expand your career horizons, this role is your gateway to grid-level impact.
Here are the six most dynamic and high-impact duties of this position, optimized to challenge and inspire highly qualified engineering professionals:

• Accelerate Your Expertise Through a Multi-Disciplinary Rotation ProgramBroaden your technical horizons by rotating through at least three distinct engineering specialties within BPA. This structured program allows you to collaborate with diverse teams of specialists, expand your understanding of the entire high-voltage transmission system, and choose the career path that best fits your strengths and ambitions.
• Plan and Optimize the High-Voltage Grid of TomorrowConduct critical planning studies and feasibility analyses to shape the future of our transmission infrastructure. You will evaluate the necessity of new generation facilities, perform complex electrical calculations, determine optimal grid operating limits, and recommend the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly design approaches for high-voltage energy delivery.
• Model and Simulate Grid Resilience in Real TimeUtilize state-of-the-art software to digitally simulate the regional power grid under various operational stress levels. By analyzing thermal behavior, voltage limits, and grid stability during sudden system events, you will develop the technical procedures and operating limits necessary to prevent outages and guarantee uninterrupted power.
• Harden and Engineer Mission-Critical Control SystemsProvide vital engineering support to our 24/7 system control centers. You will design, implement, and maintain high-availability hardware and software networks, manage automated grid control systems, and apply robust cybersecurity measures-including intrusion detection and system security patching-to defend critical physical infrastructure from digital vulnerabilities.
• Lead Complex System Designs, Testing, and IntegrationsDirect the design, modification, and field integration of high- and low-voltage power distribution equipment. You will apply sound engineering judgment to resolve technical hurdles such as equipment footprint constraints and thermal management, while personally witnessing performance tests and making on-the-spot adjustments to validate equipment safety.
• Act as a Technical Consultant and Representative for Regional InitiativesServe as a technical advisor to internal colleagues, equipment manufacturers, and contractors. You will represent BPA at industry conferences, coordinate multi-agency projects with federal, state, and local partners, and help align our engineering standards with regional safety and regulatory guidelines.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment
In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answer to these questions is not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration
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.

Conditions of Employment:

• 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.
• 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.
• This position maybe subject to FERC SOC non-discrimination rules and restrictions prohibiting disclosure of certain information to Power Merchant Function employees. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Standards of Conduct (SOC): The incumbent may be 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 FERC SOC basic principles require BPA's Transmission Function employees and its affiliated Power Merchant Function employees to function independently and abide by non-discriminatory information access and prohibited disclosure regulations for transmission-related information that is not equally available to all customers. In addition, the incumbent may be required to complete BPA's mandatory SOC training.

Qualifications
BASIC REQUIREMENT:
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:

1. 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-
2. 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-
3. 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. -OR-
4. 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.)

For more information on how to meet the Basic Requirements please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf
In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must also meet the specialized experience requirements as listed below.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
GS-09: A qualified candidate's online application and 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 1) Applying basic electrical engineering concepts to assist higher-level engineers with routine technical tasks related to the design, modification, or analysis of electrical systems or equipment; and 2) Assisting in engineering evaluations or studies by collecting, compiling, and reviewing technical data, drawings, or specifications against established criteria.
You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

• Two years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree, or master's, or equivalent graduate degree; 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).

GS-11: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: experience 1) Performing conventional electrical engineering analyses and calculations for the design, operation, or modification of equipment or systems on a high-voltage transmission system, applying established precedents and standard practices to solve problems; 2) Designing or reviewing designs for electrical systems or equipment of limited scope and complexity, such as designated portions of larger projects, using established design criteria; and 3) Performing engineering evaluations of technical data for conventional equipment to determine if it meets specified requirements and assisting with troubleshooting tasks on existing electrical systems.
You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

• Three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree, or Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree; 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 two years of full-time study may be credited).

"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
This vacancy has a positive education requirement. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Department of Education Accreditation Search to verify school accreditation.
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.DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system.
In order to be rated as qualified, you must provide copies of your college transcripts. Failure to provide copies of your college transcripts may result in a rating of "Ineligible".
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