As a Electrical Engineer, you will serve as a SCADA/EMS Engineer assigned to the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). **This is not a remote position. The selectee will be required to be physically present at one of the following two duty location(s): Phoenix, AZ Loveland, CO

Duties

Duties at the full performance level: Review and analyze functional requirements of power system operations for dispatch and operation of the power system. Provide recommendations on systems strategies for meeting functional requirements. Research WAPA's Bulk Electric System facilities and models in the EMS PSS databases including contingencies, voltage stability and real-time and study state estimator. Serve as a senior subject matter expert on the SCADA/EMS services advanced PSS applications including State Estimator, Real-Time Contingency Analysis, Voltage Stability, Voltage/Var Dispatch, Topology Estimation, Real-Time Security Enhancement, and Network Study. Serve as a senior technical specialist for WAPA's SCADA/EMS applications and supporting power operations systems required for the operation of WAPA's power facilities. The SCADA applications include Data Acquisition from Remote Telemetry Units (RTUs), Inter-Control Center Protocol (ICCP), and Alarming. EMS applications include Automatic Generation Control (AGC) and Power System Security (PSS) applications. The power operations support systems include SCADA computer control equipment and systems, understanding of Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) hardware and software configuration and integration, complex operation system control interfaces with power system control equipment, data communications equipment, and other systems. Serve as a senior subject matter expert on the SCADA/EMS system's Operator Training Simulator (OTS). Research installed WAPA's Power System Protective relays and model them in the OTS database. Integrate model updates of WAPA's SCADA/EMS PSS models into the OTS model and tune the OTS power flow. Work with Operations training staff to create events and scenarios to train Operations dispatch staff. Apply understanding of Power System Engineering and WAPA's transmission system to validate and perform troubleshooting of Data Acquisition, Alarm, Power System Security Tools and Automatic Generation Control problems and provide technical advice, guidance, and recommendations to management and other technical specialists on issues. Implements and follows compliance standards, such as NERC EOP (Emergency Operations Preparedness), Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP), and Reliability and Balancing (BAL). Development regional policies to support the ongoing compliance with the above standards, and recommendations of audit preparedness. Represents WAPA in dealings with individuals, work groups, and committees assigned to other offices, industries, and utilities. Coordinates operations support systems and SCADA/EMS systems and their interface requirements and is responsible for reaching technical compromises and agreements with technical personnel and managers of these other organizations while representing WAPA's practices, procedures, and interests. Participates and represents the region on internal teams, WAPA-wide teams, and the industry teams such as NERC, FERC, and NAESB.

Requirements

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS This position has a positive education requirement. Failure to submit a copy of all college transcripts may result in your application being rated ineligible. To qualify you must possess the following education: 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: 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.-OR- 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 visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf 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. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: For the GS-11: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Previous electrical engineering work experience in the modeling of power generation systems. AND Experience with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. Your education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. OR Combination of education and experience as described above. For the GS-12: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Previous experience with analysis and modeling of power generation on Transmission or Distribution networks. AND Experience with Energy Management Systems (EMS) or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. For the GS-13: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience in the application of engineering principles to support the analysis and modeling of power generation on Transmission or Distribution networks utilized in the electric utility industry. AND Experience analyzing, planning, and coordinating technical requirements and design of Energy Management System (EMS) or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) applications and integrations. AND Experience providing support for Alarming, State-Estimation, and Network Study of Power Systems. "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.

Education

For the GS-11 level:

This vacancy specifically states that certain educational requirements must be met (also known as a "positive educational requirement"), you must provide documentation supporting any education claims in your application. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

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.

For the GS-12 and GS-13 positions, education cannot be substituted for experience.

Contacts

• Address WAPA Headquarters 12155 W. Alameda Pkwy Lakewood, CO 80228 US
• Name: Shelly Clark
• Email: [email protected]