Actalent is currently seeking a qualified Electrical Engineering Tech for a position in Vancouver, WA.
This Electrical Engineering Tech position will provide professional support and assistance to the Engineering Support (TEES) organization, part of the broader Substation Engineering (TEE) department at Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). This position will assist in producing indoor and outdoor electrical power substation and facility design drawings, material requests, and other documents required for the design of assigned projects. This position may be assigned to collaborate and provide support for internal TEE and external Transmission Engineering (TE) departments throughout the agency as assigned. This position will perform tasks for indoor and outdoor electrical power substation and facility design and associated documentation, for example:
- Computer aided design and drafting in the creation, modification, analysis or optimization
- Review project submittals, design packages, and as-built drawings
- Technical standards, templates, policies, processes, and procedures
- Design solutions for complex and complicated projects
- Substation indoor and outdoor equipment
- This list is not exhaustive.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop preliminary plot plans, one lines, and grounding drawing associated with substation scoping and Concept Design Document (CDD).
- Draft work from engineers and as-built drawings using advanced CAD skills and proper CAD and organizational standards for capital and expense projects. Those mark-ups may contain drafting from Substation Outdoor electrical equipment, Data Systems, Telecommunication, Remedial Action Schemes (RAS), Control & Protection, and facilities drawings.
- Produce indoor and outdoor electrical power substation and facility design drawings, material requests, and other documents required for the design of assigned projects.
- Use the CAD System and other computer methods and applications for design and design document production; utilize Cascade to find existing substation equipment information, verifying equipment ratings and other pertinent information needed to complete designs.
- Consult and collaborate with engineering staff and other personnel to:
- Review, discuss and interpret design concepts.
- Identify and/or recommend requirements for detailed working drawings; and provide technical input and recommendations to resolve problems.
- Perform detailed wire checking from substation schematics and wiring diagrams.
- Provide review on assigned design projects produced by internal design groups and external service contract design vendors; verify compliance with current standards and policies established by BPA and the Substation Project Engineering organization; make recommendations for corrections to BFTE staff including BPA workplace manager, Tech Team Lead, and/or senior engineers.
- Review rough sketches, drawings, specifications, and other engineering data received from engineers to validate that they conform to design concepts.
- Coordinate availability of designs with contracting firms and the indoor design groups to facilitate design needs.
- Facilitate regular meetings with switchboard electrician foremen to draft updates on all new or modified substation engineering design standard templates for manager approval.
- Assist with the documentation of policy, process and technical procedure changes.
- Gather data from various paper and electronic engineering drawings or legacy data systems and prepare/tabulate that data for archival in ProjectWise, SharePoint, or another assigned storage / receptacle device.
- Monitor and assess designs in other than approved state to ascertain workflow and availability.
- Provide basic filing and document management functions. Create and maintain files and filing system(s) in accordance with compliance requirements. File and disperse documents as appropriate. Verifying all official records are accurately maintained for auditing purposes. Maintain file records in accordance with the Information Security (INFOSEC) and Information Governance & Lifecycle Management (IGLM) policies and procedures.
- Provide recommendations for new or improved processes, procedures and/or standards for consideration by BPA management; assist with implementation activities for BPA management-approved recommendations.
- Provide technician support to assist design engineers and technicians within the group in the form of reports, consolidation papers, printing design packages, preparing drawing lists, coordinating release of work-in-process (WIP) designs, and other CAD or technician needs.
- Research missing data points and data quality issues, which may involve using existing paper and electronic records/drawings in various locations to locate missing data or correct inconsistencies. Coordinate with engineers and others to resolve discrepancies.
- Resolve conflicting or duplicate serial numbering on designs by researching to obtain accurate information and issue corrections as appropriate.
- Review contract standard template development with assigned engineer to verify proper application of TEE cell library usage and all applicable standards and policy adherence.
- Assist with the update and maintenance of attributes and metadata of Substation Engineering drawings and documents in ProjectWise.
- Utilize tools such as ProjectWise advanced search techniques, and legacy records to locate, research and identify existing drawings and other records relating to BPA Substation Engineering. Assist Substation Engineering groups in the identification process.
- Assist BPA management with integration of engineering requirements for assigned projects.
- Review and integrate requirements for many different subsystems into a consistent, workable whole and refer it to the appropriate technicians for detailed design.
- Collaborate with the supervisor and engineers of the work group, Construction Services, and contractors to find engineering compromises to conflicting requirements and priorities.
- Assist in pre-engineering calculations and research, to control product reliability and accuracy for engineering, technical, and commercial applications.
- Assist with project requirements, plans, and details, collaborating with engineers, other technicians within Engineering and Technical Services, and Project Managers, as well as assisting with questions from the field.
- Analyze factors leading to errors in designs and make recommendations for appropriate corrective action(s).
- Assist engineer with implementation of chosen solution.
- Assist with special projects such as various wiring diagrams, modifications, design drawings, standard hardware details and others as requested.
- Travel to BPA substation field locations to gather information on existing infrastructure to aid in the creation of project documentation. This work may include making site visit arrangements, including inviting the appropriate parties, facilitating logistics, travel and any overnight lodging requirements, assisting / facilitating site visit meeting, including setting agenda and taking notes, distributing notes and project team assignments as requested. This work may also include drafting rough sketches and taking photographs of the site and any existing facilities.
- Evaluate material and equipment requirements for projects, prepare Bills of Materials requisitions, and submit recommendations for review, acceptance and approval of BPA personnel.
- Identify designs and bills of materials (BOMs) that require voiding; prepare void and revision packages per procedure
Qualifications
- A Bachelor's or Associate's Degree in Electrical Engineering, mathematics, computer science, or a closely related field is preferred.
- 6 months of electrical engineering work experience in a technical/engineering environment is required with or without an applicable degree.
- Demonstrated understanding of electrical power substation including protection schemes, control systems, and outdoor equipment.
- 6 months of directly related experience as an Electrical Technician or CAD support.
- Experience with CAD and drawing management software.
- Experience working with data storage, database management, and records maintenance.
Preferred
- Experience working with electrical high voltage substation indoor and outdoor design and drafting in the utility industry.
- Experience with MicroStation CAD software
- Experience with ProjectWise software.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Vancouver, WA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $22.00 - $28.00/hr.
Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a hybrid position in Vancouver,WA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Sep 12, 2026.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.