Public Utilities Specialist (Rates)

About the role

This position is part of the Western Area Power Association.

As a Public Utilities Specialist (Rates), you will be responsible for assisting in the development and preparation of power, transmission, and ancillary service rates, service charges and fees, rate adjustment proceedings, project repayment studies, and related forecasts, allocations, strategies, and industry evaluations.

What you will do

• Write one duty per bullet.
• Do not list minor duties (limit to 6-8 major duties).
• Use plain language.] As a Public Utilities Specialist (Rates), you will: Assists with the development and preparation of power repayment studies, annual rate, charge, and fee calculations, strategies, or other analysis for the Region by gathering, compiling, and formatting cost, revenue, and load data.
• Analyzes historical costs, revenues, loads, industry trends, or other factors that may affect power, transmission, and ancillary services rates, repayment, or methodologies.
• Estimates future costs, revenues, loads, or other factors utilizing historical trends and future plans for forecasts.
• Prepares revenue distribution allocations for annual ancillary services and other charge and fee updates using appropriate project expense splits.
• Ensures consistency of repayment data, budget data, and financial records, including transfers between power systems, to ensure that revenues are sufficient to meet project repayment obligations and that rates are fair and equitable.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period.
• Employees serving on a probationary or trial period may be terminated at any time during the probationary or trial period for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service.
• In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire.
• Answers to these questions are not scored or rated.
• Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
• Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages.
• If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications.
• Security clearance and associated requirements- Moderate Risk.
• Total salary varies depending on location of position.

Education

For this position, education cannot be substituted for experience at the GS-12 level. If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.

Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions 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.

DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents.

Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How you will be evaluated

Once the application process is complete, the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.

Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Office will review the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications. USAHire: To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Application of Veterans' Preference: If you are a preference eligible candidate, you will be listed ahead of non-preference eligibles with the same score.

Preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are listed at the top of the certificate in the order of their ratings unless the job is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or above (or equivalent). Category Rating Procedure: You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the application process is complete, your resume, supporting documentation, and questionnaire/assessment responses will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.

If you are minimally qualified for this job, your responses to the USA Hire Assessment rating assessment(s) will be evaluated, and you will be placed into one of three predefined quality categories. These categories are Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified.

Application of Veterans' Preference: If you are a preference eligible candidate, you will be listed at the top of whichever quality category your rating places you in.

Preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or above (or equivalent).

Simultaneous Listing: Candidates may be referred simultaneously on multiple certificates for which they are interested, eligible, and within reach.

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified".

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (09/22/2026) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click ***

Documents you must provide

• duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
• Transcripts, if specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement.
• Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable.
• It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
• If applicable: Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable, DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.
• For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information.
• Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.
• Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.
• It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Benefits

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application.

Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.

If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.

You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

What to expect next

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The status of your application will be updated in USAJOBS as it is evaluated. You can check the status by logging into USAJOBS.

You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application changes by logging into your USAJobs Account and editing the Notification Settings. You will be contacted directly if an interview is required.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE. For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: *** Applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) when applying or competing for a job due to a medical condition or to exercise religious beliefs.

If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this vacancy announcement. If selection is made at a lower grade, promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed.

Promotion Potential: Full performance level is GS-12. The selectee for this position may be eligible to receive a recruitment or relocation incentive. You will need to sign an employment agreement to be eligible for this incentive.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs are not authorized. This position may be eligible for creditable service towards annual leave. Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee.

DOE may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Salary negotiation may be available for those candidates who are new to Federal service. Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement will be adjusted to include locality payment for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

Pay Tables Billings, MT $61,722 to $116,362 Phoenix, AZ $64,564 to $121,720 Loveland, CO $68,819 to $129,742