Job Title:Student Trainee (Natural Resource Specialist)

Department:Department Of Energy

Agency:Bonneville Power Administration

Job Announcement Number:DOE-BPA-15-11211-Intern

SALARY RANGE:

$30,101.00 to $39,134.00 / Per Year

OPEN PERIOD:

Friday, May 29, 2015 to Thursday, June 11, 2015

SERIES & GRADE:

GS-0499-04

POSITION INFORMATION:

Position will vary between full-time and part-time dependent upon student’s schedule – Pathways Intern – Excepted Service

PROMOTION POTENTIAL:

12

DUTY LOCATIONS:

1 vacancy in the following location:
Vancouver, WA View Map

WHO MAY APPLY:

Student Program Eligibles – U.S. Citizens

SECURITY CLEARANCE:

Not Applicable

SUPERVISORY STATUS:

No

JOB SUMMARY:

About the Agency

Who May Apply: Applicants must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) seeking students in an accredited 4 year college or university, or graduate or professional school.

Students must be pursuing a degree/certificate in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry or related discipline and have an interest in the energy industry are encouraged to apply.

This position is being filled under the Pathways Internship Program. The program is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with paid work opportunities in agencies to explore Federal careers while still in school. The Internship provides managers a ready source of student employees and potential permanent employees upon completion of the program requirements. It also provides the student with work experience directly related to the curriculum studies or career goals.

TRAVEL REQUIRED

  • Occasional Travel
  • Occasional travel may be required.

RELOCATION AUTHORIZED

  • No

KEY REQUIREMENTS

  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • See “Other Information” section regarding Selective Service requirements.

DUTIES:

Back to top

As a Student Trainee (Natural Resource Specialist) you will complete periods of pertinent formal education and periods of employment as part of a formal student employment program. Work assignments during periods of employment are of limited difficulty and complexity, designed to assist the trainee in developing a basic understanding of Natural Resources. Tasks may include (but not limited to): performing related procedural tasks to support for vegetation management across the BPA Transmission System.


QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Back to top

You must be a student enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a qualifying educational or certification program in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry or related discipline and meet qualifications described in the “education” section of this vacancy announcement.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
EDUCATION:

To qualify at the GS-04 you must have completed 2 full academic years of post-high school study (1 full academic year is equivalent to 30 semester hours or 90 quarter hours).

You must provide current documentation supporting your educational claims.

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.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must be in good academic standing (GPA of 2.0 or higher).
  • Student must maintain at least a half-time course load.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

The Department of Energy uses an application tracking system to evaluate the responses you provide in the applicant assessment questionnaire to place you into an initial quality category via OPM’s Category Rating procedures. Then, the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will conduct a quality review of your application and supporting documentation to ensure you have been placed into the appropriate quality category.

Your application is rated based on the extent and quality of your experience, education (when applicable), and training as described in your resume and applicant assessment. Your credentials are measured against the established duties of the position at the grade level(s) being advertised.

The quality categories are usually defined as “Best Qualified”, “Well Qualified”, and “Qualified”, although they may differ slightly based on individual agency policy.

If you are eligible for career transition assistance plans such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the definition of “well qualified” which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.

If you are a Veteran Preference eligible candidate, you will be listed at the top of whichever quality category your rating places you in. CP/CPS veterans are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except professional and scientific positions at GS-9 and higher.

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.
To preview questions please click here.


BENEFITS:

Back to top

You can review our benefits at: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits

OTHER INFORMATION:

  • The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
  • Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
  • More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
  • Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
  • All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don’t have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.

EEO Policy: http://www.usajobs.gov/eeo
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: http://www.usajobs.gov/raps
Veterans Information: http://www.usajobs.gov/vi
Telework: www.telework.gov
Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/


HOW TO APPLY:

Back to top

To be considered for this position, you must submit your complete application no later than 11:59pm U.S. Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to submit a complete application prior to the closing time (regardless of when you started) the application system will not allow you to finish! Requests for extensions will not be granted, so please begin the application process allowing yourself enough time to finish before the deadline. Our application system displays a countdown timer in the top-left corner of the screen for your reference.

For your security, your session in our online application system will “time-out” if you are inactive for a certain period of time. We recommend that you preview the assessment questions before you apply and prepare all of your information prior to beginning the application. If you do get “timed-out” you will have to log back in to USAJOBS and re-visit the vacancy announcement, you can then click “Update Application” to finish where you left off.

Steps to submit a complete application:

  1. You must have an active USAJOBS account and be logged in.
  2. You must have a complete resume associated with your USAJOBS account. Please note that some DOE offices do not accept uploaded resumes and instead require that you submit a USAJOBS-formatted resume using the Resume Builder.
  3. Once you are logged in and all of your application materials are ready, click on the ‘Apply Online’ button to get started.
  4. You will be given the option to include your resume, documents, and demographic information from your USAJOBS profile. You will then be transferred to the Department of Energy’s application tracking system. If you select documents from your USAJOBS account, you MUST complete the download process in a later step or your USAJOBS documentation WILL NOT be transferred! See Step 6.
  5. You must respond to all applicant assessment questions, carefully following all instructions provided.
  6. You will then be asked to upload additional supporting documentation. If you selected documents from USAJOBS prior to being transferred to our application system (Step 4), you will need to click the “USAJOBS” link to complete the transfer process. These documents ARE NOT automatically transferred! It is ultimately your responsibility to make sure all required documents are either faxed, uploaded, or transferred from USAJOBS successfully. If you are unsure that your documents went through, please contact the HR Specialist listed on the announcement BEFORE the vacancy closes.
  7. IMPORTANT: In the final step of the application process you will be shown a copy of your resume and all the information you entered during the application process. You must click the ‘Finish’ button at the bottom of this final page and receive confirmation that your application has been received. If you do not click ‘Finish’, your application will not be received!

If your resume does not support the responses in your application questionnaire, or if you fail to submit required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated ‘ineligible’, ‘not qualified’, or your score may be adjusted accordingly.

Steps to modify or withdraw your application:

  1. Return to USAJOBS and log in to your account.
  2. In the “My Account” screen, click “Application Status” in the left-hand column.
  3. You will see a table list of all the jobs you’ve applied to, click on the title of the application you want to modify.
  4. If the announcement is still open the button which normally says “Apply Online” will instead say “Edit Application”, click that button. (If you want to withdraw your application from consideration after the closing date, contact the HR Specialist listed on the announcement.)
  5. You will be directed back to DOE’s application tracking system where you can make changes, or you can click “Withdraw Application” to remove your application from being considered.

NEED HELP?

  • If you experience any difficulties with the application process (anything after you have clicked the ‘Apply Online’ button), please contact the HR Office listed on this announcement between normal business hours. If you are receiving any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text and number.
  • If you are having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder help, please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center or e-mail USAJOBS3.0@opm.gov. Regretfully, DOE cannot resolve issues with your USAJOBS account. We regret that we are unable to support any issue with USAJOBS, as this service is maintained by the Office of Personnel Management exclusively.
  • If you are experiencing a significant hardship which hinders your ability to apply online please contact the HR Office listed on this announcement during normal business hours to discuss your situation.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit. Some documents may not apply to all applicants.
If you are unsure, click the link for each document type to read more.

ALL APPLICANTS: You must submit a resume supporting your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire.

  • Your resume should list all work experience (paid and unpaid); you must list the full name and address of the each employer.
  • For all types of work experience, you should indicate the start and end dates (include month, day, and year); you must also list the average number of hours per week that you worked.
  • For paid work experience, please indicate your starting salary for each position and the highest salary you earned (if different).
  • Your resume should also include any education and training you have completed (list the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
  • For more information about what to include in your resume, please view this USAJOBS Resume Tutorial video on YouTube.

Most DOE offices will allow you to submit a resume in the format of your choice (as an attached document or as a USAJOBS Resume Builder format). However, some offices may require one specific format. You will be notified at the time you click ‘Apply Online’ which type of resume is acceptable. It is important that you are complete and thorough in your resume. If any of the above information is not included in your resume, we may not be able to fully credit you for your experience.

If specific educational requirements are indicated for this vacancy: Documentation verifying your educational claims which can include unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned and final grade. Please see the Education section for more information.

Veterans: veteran eligibility documentation (DD-214 Member #4 Copy, VA Letter, Standard Form (SF) 15 as applicable). Please note: If you are a veteran who has not yet been discharged, you may provide a statement of intent to discharge from your agency to receive Veterans Preference under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.

Persons with Disabilities: Individuals with intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities may apply for appointment through the Schedule A hiring authority. Certified verification of a disability from a licensed medical professional; a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist; or any Federal, state, or District of Columbia agency or U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits will be required.

Displaced Federal employees who qualify for CTAP/ICTAP: If you are a former Federal employee who was displaced due to a Reduction-in-Force (RIF) or surplused by some other means, please submit a copy of the separation letter or RIF notice from your agency. To be selected under I/CTAP, you must still be found well-qualified for this position. Please see the OPM Guide to Career Transition for more information.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

Pearl Phadungcharoen
Phone: 503-230-5320
Fax: 000-000-0000
Email: pkphadungcharoen@bpa.gov
Agency Information:
Bonneville Power Administration
BPA
P.O. Box 3621
Portland, OR
97208-3621
US
Fax: 000-000-0000

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

After each step in the recruitment process, your status will be updated in our application tracking system. Once this happens, if you have elected to receive e-mail updates, you will be notified through your USAJOBS registered e-mail address. If you have not elected for e-mail updates, you can review your current application status in USAJOBS at any time. Please check that your USAJOBS profile contact information is current and correct each time you apply to a job–this will ensure we are able to contact you as quickly as possible.

In addition to changing your status online, we will send you e-mail notifications at each major step in the process, to include: application received, eligible or not eligible, referred or not referred, selected or not selected.