Industry Economist (Data Scientist)

The position is located in Policy and Pricing (PTMP) organization within the Market Analysis, Pricing and Policy (PTM) organization of Bulk Marketing (PT), Power Services (PS), Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The purpose of this position is to perform duties in support of the short-term, mid-term, and long term modeling of the Western Interconnection and associated price forecasts.

About the Position - Portland This position is located in Portland, OR which boasts huge spans of amazing trees, foliage, landscape, and everywhere you look you can appreciate beautiful greenery! It is known as the most bike-friendly city in America, has a train system that greets you at the airport spanning across the city, and is home to the Portland International Rose Garden, the oldest in the country! Portland is the one place where you will find lively festivals, energetic music, mouthwatering food, and for you basketball fans, the Portland Trail Blazers are a 7 minute walk from the HQs building! There is always something new to experience in this eco-friendly town! As a Industry Economist (Data Scientist), you will: Serve as a technical operator of BPA's enterprise production cost model (Energy Exemplar's Aurora), a fundamental power system simulation tool that uses constrained mathematical optimization (linear and mixed-integer programming) to model hourly unit commitment, economic dispatch, and wholesale electricity price formation. In conjunction with the technical lead, use the production cost model and associated econometric risk models to simulate operations of the Western Interconnection under a wide variety of potential conditions and policy formulations to support key valuations and strategies for BPA (including setting rates, informing trading strategy and resource valuations, interpreting policy impacts, and evaluating economics of alternative system operations), and progressively grow into BPA's lead Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the model. Maintain and troubleshoot existing models using R / Python and, as necessary, develop or extend models to encompass new features and logic to improve performance and better capture emerging dynamics of the rapidly changing energy landscape. Update, maintain, and validate large, exceptionally detailed regional datasets of actual and forecast load, generation, transmission, and some market outcomes using relational databases (SQL), Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and other tools as necessary. Clearly and concisely summarize and present results to senior executives (i.e. Power Management Committee, Risk Committee), customers and stakeholder organizations, internal technical experts, and other state and regional power planners (i.e. Northwest Power and Conservation Council staff, and state utility commission staff). Solicit and incorporate feedback from consumers of the studies to refine results, analysis, approach and overall conclusions.

BASIC REQUIREMENT: A. Degree: economics, that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus. - OR - B. Have a combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Examples of qualifying experience include:1. Individual economic research assignments requiring planning, information assembly, analysis and evaluation, conclusions and report preparation;2. Supervisory or project coordination assignments involving a staff of professional economists, and requiring the evaluation and interpretation of economic information; or3. Teaching assignments in a college or university that included both class instruction in economics subjects and one of the following (1) personal research that produced evidence of results, (2) direction of graduate theses in economics, or (3) service as a consultant or advisor on technical economics problems. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: GS-11: 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-09, in the Federal service. Specialized Experience at the GS-11 grade level is defined as: 1) Collecting and analyzing economic or energy market data to identify trends and relationships; 2) Applying established economic principles and statistical methods to evaluate market conditions or support economic modeling; and 3) Preparing analytical summaries, charts, or reports to communicate economic findings. GS-11: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: Three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree, or Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree; your education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. - OR - Combination of education and experience as described above. Less than one year of specialized experience may be combined with graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e., credit hours beyond the first two years of full-time study may be credited). GS-12: 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-11, in the Federal service. Specialized Experience at the GS-12 grade level is defined as: 1) Conducting economic analyses using power market models or comparable analytical tools to evaluate electricity prices, resource scenarios, or market trends; 2) Applying economic, statistical, or quantitative methods to analyze market data and evaluate economic relationships; and 3) Preparing technical reports, visualizations, or briefings to communicate economic findings and recommendations. There is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-12 grade level. GS-13: 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 at the GS-13 grade level is defined as: 1) Conducting independent economic analyses and utilizing power market models to evaluate electricity prices, resource planning, or market risks; 2) Applying advanced economic, statistical, or quantitative methods to develop forecasts and assess market conditions; and 3) Interpreting complex economic data and presenting findings and recommendations to management or decision makers. There is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-13 grade level. "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. You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

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