Power Plant Senior Controller

Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Competitive Positions of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. About the Position: Incumbent will be in charge of power operations during one working shift and responsible for the operation of a complete system of up to thirteen local and remote hydroelectric generating plants under varying and complex operating conditions.

Duties

Interpret operating instructions, load requests, and priority lists to plan load-shedding schedules, schedule blocks of power, and balance loads. Interpret circuit diagrams and equipment layout drawings to determine which equipment can be operated and what rerouting can be done. Read and understand electrical and mechanical drawings. Read and understand power production schedules, water release schedules, and standard operating procedures. Issue, release, and/or track the status of clearances and caution orders for authorized repair work in accordance with Hazardous Energy Control Procedures. Prepare switching orders and clearance cards for appropriate controls to ensure the safety of personnel and equipment. Operate switches and controls in accordance with meter indications, requiring rapid simultaneous mental and muscular coordination Direct electrically qualified maintenance personnel in the switching of electrical power equipment. Operationally support power plant and switchyard troubleshooting efforts. Take corrective action in an emergency situation when maintenance personnel are not present or available. Operate a system of local and remote main generators with different megawatt capacities Operate related turbines, governors, switchyards, and other associated auxiliary equipment. Calculate the amount of resistive and reactive loads and phase relationships to identify undesirable conditions and their effects. Determine the proper time to switch in other feeders, tie in parallel equipment, or adjust transformer taps. Analyze a variety of interrelated meter indications to detect abnormal conditions and determine their causes. Coordinate generation or transmission line outages with dispatch offices, federal agencies, and private power companies. Ensure accurate recording of hourly readings of generator and transmission line meters, indicated loads, reactive loads, voltages, temperatures, and currents Make hourly reports of pertinent readings to hydrology and system dispatchers. Continually observe all instruments and equipment to maintain awareness of the condition of reservoir regulation, generating equipment, and transmission lines. Keep a complete station log of all pertinent activities on the shift, including dispatcher orders, load changes, and clearances.

Qualifications and evaluation

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/02/2026 to receive consideration To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13041592). Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

Required documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements. As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. 1. Your resume: Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position. Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy. For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume. 2. Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

Additional information

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest. Direct deposit of pay is required. This is a(n) Career Field position, Engineers and Scientist. Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction.htm for more information. Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations.