Facilities Electrical Engineer

Summary

NIST is seeking a Facility Electrical Engineer to provide technical expertise in facility electrical design, maintenance, and operations for campus distribution systems, oversee laboratory renovation projects, and serve as an electrical safety subject matter expert. This notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit new talent to occupations for which NIST has a severe shortage of candidates.

Duties

The mission of NIST's Office of Facilities and Property Management (OFPM) is to advance NIST's mission success by planning, building, operating, maintaining, and servicing facilities that provide a safe, secure, and sustainable environment for world-class scientific research. This position is in the Boulder Facilities Maintenance Division, which ensures the operational reliability, safety, and modernization of campus infrastructure by providing engineering expertise in utility distribution, laboratory construction, and facility maintenance to support cutting-edge measurement science. As a Facilities Electrical Engineer for this group, you will: Design, modify, and optimize research facility utility distribution systems and laboratory spaces, including preparing engineering drawings, cost estimates, constructability reviews, and technical specifications. Provide subject matter expertise and technical oversight for campus electrical infrastructure, including medium-voltage (13.2 kV) networks, low-voltage power distribution (480V to 120/208V), networked fire alarm systems, and fiber optic cabling. Perform complex power system engineering studies-such as short-circuit availability, time-current coordination, and arc flash analysis-to ensure site infrastructure safety, operational reliability, and code compliance. Serve as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and embedded electrical safety expert, managing architect/engineering design and construction contracts while providing safety coaching, technical reviews, and low/medium-voltage switching support.

Qualifications and evaluation

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed in this announcement. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) may be used to review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. SMEs will review ONLY two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume. Applications will be assessed on the following competencies: Customer Service Decision Making Problem Solving Technical Competence Referral: All applicants may be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Under Direct Hire Authority, applicants are not rated and ranked, and veteran preference does not apply. CTAP or ICTAP eligibility: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must be determined eligible and rated as well-qualified to receive special selection priority. "Well Qualified" means that in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective placement factor(s), if applicable, you must receive a score of 85 or higher. Please review the following site regarding required documents to support CTAP or ICTAP eligibility and additional information regarding this authority - CTAP/ICTAP Eligibility

Education

This position has an education requirement. Transcripts must be submitted to validate that the education requirement has been met. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. However, an official copy will be required before a final offer of employment. Use of foreign education for qualifications. An accredited organization must evaluate education completed outside of the U.S. to ensure that it is comparable to education received in accredited institutions in the U.S. Click here to view a listing of accredited organizations from the Department of Education's website. A copy of the foreign education evaluation (containing the results with course-by-course listing) is required with your application.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. As part of the application process, you will be asked to respond to four narrative questions. While your responses to these questions is not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The Human Resources Office will evaluate your application to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Need help applying? If you are experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button), please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement between regular business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET). If you receive any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or, at a minimum, the error message text and number. We will provide you with a technical support number for further assistance if necessary. If you are having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder), please visit the USAJOBS USAJOBS Help Center - How to.... We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the NIST. If you are experiencing a significant hardship that hinders your ability to apply online, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement prior to the vacancy closing date and during regular business hours to discuss your situation.

Required documents

The documents required may vary based on how you're applying (i.e., as a veteran or disabled veteran, current or former Federal employee, etc.). Please review the Required Documents for this position to find out if there are any documents required with your application. Failure to submit required documents, based upon how you apply, may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. A complete application includes: 1) A resume (not to exceed two pages), 2) vacancy question responses regarding technical qualifications, and 3) submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, or if the documents submitted are illegible you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible). Resume: All applicants must submit a resume by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their choosing. Please prepare a resume no longer than 2 pages; only the first 2 pages will be considered during the review process. Ensure your font is 11 points or larger and upload your resume as a .pdf document. This helps ensure your formatting looks exactly the way you intended. Cover letters are optional. To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and the number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest you review the qualification requirements for this position as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports the position qualifications. Please refer to the Resume Guidance on how to build an effective resume.

Additional information

This position is covered under NIST's Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS), a pay-for-performance system with excellent HR flexibilities to help NIST recruit and retain top talent. Learn more about the APMS here! We may share your application package with other selecting officials. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy. Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information or instructions. You MUST select at least ONE ELIGIBILITY to be considered for this position. All documents submitted for this announcement must be legible to make qualification or eligibility determinations. A probationary period may be required. This position has physical requirements which include but may not be limited to: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds Pushing (1 hour) Reaching above shoulder Use of fingers Both hands required Walking (6 hours) Standing (6 hours) Crawling (2 hours) Kneeling (2 hours) Repeated bending (4 hours) Climbing, legs only (1 hour) Climbing, use of legs and arms Both legs required Operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously Specific visual requirement: Correctable to 20/20 Both eyes required Depth perception Ability to distinguish basic colors Ability to distinguish shades of colors Hearing (aid may be permitted) This position has environmental factors which include but may not be limited to: Outside and inside Excessive heat Excessive cold Excessive dampness or chilling Excessive noise, intermittent Constant noise Dust Silica, asbestos, etc. Fumes, smoke, or gases Solvents (degreasing agents) Grease and oils Radiant energy Electrical energy Slippery or uneven walking surfaces Working around machinery with moving parts Working around moving objects or vehicles Working on ladders or scaffolding Working below ground Working with hands in water Vibration Working closely with others Working alone Protracted or irregular hours of work NIST strives to build a flexible and encouraging work environment to bring out the best in our employees. To help our employees balance responsibilities at home and at work, NIST offers a variety of work-life flexibilities. For more information, please visit our Careers website.