Electric Power Controller

About the role

This position is located at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Office of Response and Recovery (ORR), Response Directorate, Disaster Emergency Communication Division, Bothell MERS Detachment in Bothell WA.

The ideal candidate for this position will have experience completing preventative maintenance and performing operational checks on the detachment's diesel generators ranging up to 600Kw

What you will do

• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation.
• DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters.
• We achieve these vital missions through a workforce spanning hundreds of occupations.
• Make an impact; join DHS.
• When disaster strikes, America looks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
• Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need.
• FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident.
• We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce.
• Please visit *** for additional information.
• EXCEPTED SERVICE: This is a full-time position in the Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS) Detachment.
• MERS positions are in the excepted service.
• Employees will not acquire civil service status but will have standard and optional benefits.
• EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites.
• All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description.
• Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.
• In this position, you will work as an Electric Power Controller responsible for providing support for the FEMA Response Directorate.
• Typical duties include: Maintaining a set of tools needed to maintain the detachment's fleet of diesel generators.
• Planning the sequence of repair tasks, selecting, and safely using the proper tools, devices, and equipment to complete assigned maintenance tasks.
• The work may be observed while underway to check on progress and typically must pass an operational or diagnostic test upon completion.
• Analyzing a variety of interrelated meter indications to detect abnormal conditions such as circuit overloads, improper line voltages, and excessive operating temperatures.
• Exercising independent judgment in determining the best methods and techniques to solve complex maintenance and repair problems; must be able to plan, lay out, and complete work with a minimum supervision.
• Maintaining maintenance data records on all diesel generator equipment, a library of technical manuals, and a spare parts inventory with a source list.
• Operating forklifts and other material handling equipment as required.
• Cleaning, washing, and maintaining equipment and vehicles, as required.
• Maintaining a clean, orderly, and safe work environment, as required.
• At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters, and every employee at FEMA has a role in emergency management.
• Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites.
• All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description.
• Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.

Requirements

• To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy.
• To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance as a condition of placement into this position.
• This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs (please visit: Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies for additional information).
• For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations.
• The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees.
• If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
• Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below.
• Key Requirements: You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• Selective Service registration required.
• Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card.
• You must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice to anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period of time.
• Please review the Additional Information section for additional key requirements.

Education

No Educational Substitution: There is no educational substitution for this position, and you must meet the qualifications listed in the "requirements" section of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

We will review your resume and documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we will use your responses to the job questionnaire to place you in one of three categories based on your experience, education, and training.

The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are: SCREEN OUT FACTOR: Ability to do the work of an Electric Power Controller without more than normal supervision.

JOB ELEMENTS Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, and Repair, etc. Technical Practices (Theoretical, Precise, Artistic) Operation of Power System Equipment Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Other Than Blueprint Reading) Use of Measuring Instruments Dexterity and Safety If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories: Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF), and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.

Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPF's and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.

Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis. If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Veterans: Qualified veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional.

Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference.

Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP/CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP/CTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and, 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility (see "Required Documents" section of this announcement).

Well-Qualified is defined as those applicants who are rated with a minimum score of 80.00 for this position. After FEMA completes its hiring, the resumes of the remaining candidates referred for selection consideration may be shared with other DHS Components and other federal agencies.

During the application process, you may choose to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results to be shared. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.

Documents you must provide

• Interviews may be required for this position.
• Failure to complete the interview may result in removed from further consideration.
• Do not include photos, personally identifying information (PII) (including birthday and social security numbers), or personal information such as age, sex, medical history, etc. Resumes that include any of this information will be disqualified.
• You must provide the following supporting documentation for your application package, including: Resume.
• Limit your resume to no more than two pages.
• The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
• Responses to the job questionnaire.
• You will be directed to the online job questionnaire during the application.
• Are you a current or former federal employee?
• Upload documentation that supports your eligibility.
• Award SF-50's do not include all the required information and will not be accepted.
• Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held; your current promotion potential and proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP)?
• Upload the following: Agency Notice Most recent performance rating, and Most recent SF-50, with your current position, grade level and duty location.
• Other Supporting Documentation (submit if applicable to you) Are you a veteran?
• Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 or other (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) and/or documentation of service-connected disability.
• If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification.
• Certifications must be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service (e.g. honorable, dishonorable, general etc.).
• View more veterans' information.
• Documents for Auto-Request: CTAP/ICTAP College Transcript Cover Letter DD 214 Member 4 Copy Misc.
• Documentation SF15 SF50 VA Letter

Benefits

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays.

Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities.

For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service- connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

What to expect next

Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best-qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. If you are selected, you will be notified by phone or email with a tentative job offer.

If you fail to respond, fail to meet the conditions of employment, or fail any other pre-employment requirements (such as the background investigation), we may rescind a tentative job offer. For information on the Federal employment application process, please visit the USA Jobs Help Center.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

The OPM must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Additional information

If selected for this position, you will be required to attend a three-week, in-person training course in Emmitsburg, Maryland within six months of onboarding. FEMA will cover all travel expenses.

Failure to participate may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty.

False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment.

In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to ***.

DHS uses E-verify, an internet based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707.

Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs.

To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

A one-year probationary period is required for new Federal competitive service employees and new supervisors and managers.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. During the application process you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions.

Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position.

You are required to obtain, possess, and maintain a valid Commercial Drivers License (CDL) Class A, if selected for this position.

This position has been identified as a Testing Designated Position (TDP) because of its security, public health, and/or public safety sensitivity, you are subject to random drug testing under FEMA's Drug-Free Workplace Plan (DWP). Refusal to be tested will result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service.