Department of Energy

Meteorologist

Portland, Oregon Full time

Meteorologist

Department: Department of Energy

Location(s): Portland, Oregon

Salary Range: $113549 - $147615 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is located with Bonneville Power Administration(BPA), in the Weather and Streamflow Forecasting (PGPW) organization, Power and Operations Planning (PGP), Generation Asset Management (PG), Power Services (P). A successful candidate in the Meteorologist position will provide daily, weekly, and intra-annual weather forecasts for the continental United States, with emphasis on the Columbia River Basin and adjoining States and provinces.

Major Duties:

  • As a Meteorologist, you will: Provide daily, weekly, and intra-annual weather forecasts for the continental United States, with emphasis on the Columbia River Basin and adjoining States and provinces (California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and British Columbia). The forecasts are almost always accomplished within short time limits to provide definitive information used as the basis for adjusting Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) operations on a daily, and sometimes hourly, basis. Forecasts are original, using available information, forecasts, and model guidance from the NOAA/National Weather Service, Environment Canada, the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and other private sources. The core meteorological forecasting program consists of providing daily, weekly, and intra-annual weather forecasts for the continental US and southern Canada, with emphasis on the Columbia River Basin and adjoining states and provinces. The forecasts are completed under short time frames to provide the latest information for the operation of the power system on a daily, and sometimes hourly, basis.

Qualifications: BASIC REQUIREMENT: Degree: meteorology, atmospheric science, or other natural science major that included: At least 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of credit in meteorology/atmospheric science including a minimum of: Six semester hours of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics;* Six semester hours of analysis and prediction of weather systems (synoptic/mesoscale); Three semester hours of physical meteorology; and Two semester hours of remote sensing of the atmosphere and/or instrumentation. Six semester hours of physics, with at least one course that includes laboratory sessions.* Three semester hours of ordinary differential equations.* At least nine semester hours of course work appropriate for a physical science major in any combination of three or more of the following: physical hydrology, statistics, chemistry, physical oceanography, physical climatology, radiative transfer, aeronomy, advanced thermodynamics, advanced electricity and magnetism, light and optics, and computer science. * There is a prerequisite or corequisite of calculus for course work in atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics, physics, and differential equations. Calculus courses must be appropriate for a physical science major. or Combination of education and experience -- course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level [GS-12] in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience using a comprehensive, substantive set of skills in the field of meteorology for operational weather forecasting, meteorological forecasting system implementation, and meteorological computer science to develop and prepare daily, weekly, and seasonal weather forecasts. "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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 volunteer experience. Time-in-Grade: Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement to receive consideration. CTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section. You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/account. To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation. You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date. You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://login.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; 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. If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.

Application Deadline: 2025-11-14