Senior Technical Advisor

Summary The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is ranked within the top 5 mid-size agencies as a "Best Places to Work" in the Federal government! This Senior Technical Advisor position is located in the Office of Office of Electric Reliability. For more information visit: Office of Electric Reliability Responsibilities The Senior Technical Advisor (Advisor) provides authoritative expertise and strategic direction on challenging issues relating to the reliability and security of the bulk power system. This may include exploring novel and extremely difficult issues associated with the nation's rapidly evolving electric power systems, potential cybersecurity threats and other vulnerabilities under the Commission's jurisdiction per existing authorities. The Advisor will develop long-term strategic goals, policy positions and technical recommendations to improve the reliability and security of the Nation's bulk power system. The Advisor will work closely with government and private sector groups to design innovative new policies to improve electric system reliability and power system planning and operations and achieve a high level of security and protection for the nation's energy assets. The Senior Technical Advisor: Conceives, plans, and executes comprehensive analyses and broad research efforts to explore and propose solutions to novel and extremely difficult issues associated with the reliability and security of the nation's bulk-power system. Serves as a principal technical expert, providing high-level analysis, recommendations, and briefings to leadership on current and evolving cybersecurity or operational issues that could significantly impact the security and reliability of the Bulk Power System. Provides senior-level expertise in incident analysis and investigations following system disturbances, blackouts, or cybersecurity incidents affecting the Bulk Power System. Partners with the Office of Enforcement and Regulatory Accounting (OERA) to support compliance audits or investigations by providing subject-matter expertise on CIP requirements and technical interpretations. Partners with other Commission program offices to provide senior-level power system engineering and/or cybersecurity expertise to Commission policy initiatives under FPA sections 205 and 215. Works with federal agencies, sector partners, or interagency cybersecurity bodies to coordinate efforts, and share insights on emerging threats or systemic risks. Assesses industry progress in addressing reliability and security challenges and identifies trends, systemic issues, and areas requiring regulatory attention. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications You must meet the qualification (experience and/or education) requirements by the closing date of this announcement. You must have one full year of specialized experience. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience providing expert analysis and guidance on Bulk Power System reliability and system security, emerging threats, and the reliability impacts of Commission initiatives. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience. Please do not cut and paste the "Duties" section, specialized experience statement, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. Education There is no education requirement for this position; therefore, transcripts are not required. Additional Information The duty location of this position is Washington, DC. If selected for this position, you will be required to: Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment. Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice. Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. FERC also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: Attend a mandatory ethics training. We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC's supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities. To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of at least some energy securities is likely to be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C. 201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment. Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.