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Posted: March 2, 2026 (0 days ago)

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Electrical Engineer

Western Area Power Administration

Department of Energy

Fresh

Location

Salary

$57,999 - $127,443

per year

Closes

March 12, 2026

GS-12 Pay Grade

Base salary range: $74,441 - $96,770

Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-11. Advanced degree + significant experience.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This entry-level electrical engineering role at the Western Area Power Administration involves working under supervision to learn and perform tasks related to power systems in the Upper Great Plains region, with the goal of becoming an independent engineer at the GS-12 level.

The job requires being physically present at a duty location in Montana and focuses on gaining practical skills in electrical engineering for federal energy projects.

It's a good fit for recent engineering graduates or those with foundational qualifications who want hands-on training in government infrastructure.

Key Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited program, or equivalent education including calculus, physics, chemistry, and five key engineering science areas (e.g., statics, electrical circuits, thermodynamics)
  • Combination of education and experience demonstrating knowledge of physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering
  • Professional registration or licensure as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or Professional Engineer (PE)
  • Successful passage of the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or equivalent written test for licensure
  • At least 60 semester hours in physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences, or a related bachelor's degree in fields like physics or computer science
  • Ability to work on-site in Montana; no remote option
  • U.S. citizenship and ability to meet federal qualification standards per OPM Handbook

Full Job Description

This position is part of the WAPA-UGP-Upper Great Plains.

As Electrical Engineer, you work under close supervision performing assignments and training to gain knowledge and skills to perform the duties of the job with increasingly responsible work to become a fully functioning and independent Electrical Engineer at the FPL GS-12.

**This is not a remote position.

The selectee will be required to be physically present at one of the duty locations listed in this vacancy announcement.** 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.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf Applicants must meet the Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for the 0800 Series as described below: 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 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)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico.

Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration.

For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.

2.

Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 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.

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. 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.) SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

The experience need not have been in the federal government. To qualify at the GS-05: Applicants must meet the Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for the 0800 Series as described above.

To qualify at the GS-7: In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirements for the 0800 series, applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service.

This experience includes: Applying practical knowledge of electrical engineering concepts, principles, and methodology while performing routine engineering projects.

OR SUBSTITION OF EDUCATION: One (1) year of graduate-level education or Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A) SEE NOTE 1 under the "EDUCATION" section.

OR A combination of education and experience to successfully perform the duties of the position. See NOTE 2 under the EDUCATION section.

To qualify at the GS-9: In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for the 0800 series, applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service.

This experience includes: Applying practical knowledge of electrical engineering concepts, principles, and methodology to perform routine engineering projects related to power systems operations, transmission planning, and/or power systems reliability.

OR SUBSTITION OF EDUCATION:Two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree, if related.

OR A combination of education and experience as described above to successfully perform the duties of the position. See NOTE 2 under the EDUCATION section.

To qualify at the GS-11: In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for the 0800 series, applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service.

This experience includes: Using computer modeling strategies; and. Researching system trends and patterns and applying findings to current or future engineering and/or operating practices and issues.

OR SUBSTITION OF EDUCATION: Three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, if related.

OR A combination of education and experience as described above to successfully perform the duties of the position. See NOTE 2 under the EDUCATION section.

To qualify at the GS-12: In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for the 0800 series, applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service.

This experience includes: Resolving electrical power systems and equipment failures, conditions and problems; and Preparing and reviewing operational planning studies and reports on power system additions and modifications.

"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. Major Duties:

As an Electrical Engineer, some of your duties may include, but are not limited to: Performs a limited range of engineering tasks within a functional area independently or under the close direction of senior engineer.

Applies basic engineering knowledge and judgment in the selection, interpretation, and application of relevant rules, standard procedures, or precedents.

Locates and applies appropriate precedent(s) to assignment. Participates in SCADA and ECS related duties and meetings.

Develop layout drawings for: a) control building- arrangement; b) duplex switchboard arrangement; c) lighting and electrical distribution arrangement drawings.

Provide technical support to craft employees and others during the installation and commission of power system and update the as-built drawings.

Develop relay setting for protection systems in the region and reviews relay actions to determine if the protection system works properly.

Makes station service design studies including the required wiring diagrams. Perform power line carrier performance calculations and then write equipment specifications.

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Posted on USAJOBS: 3/2/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 3/3/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: 26-WB-00256-1-12891680