This assignment will provide support to the Structural and Civil Engineering Group in Transmission Engineering (TELD) within Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). Structural Design provides design services to support capital improvements and general maintenance, repairs, and upkeep of all structural aspects of BPAs transmission system, including transmission line towers and structures, substation structures including all equipment, bus and overhead cable supports, telecommunication towers and structures, wireless communication towers and structures, buildings and other structures on the transmission system.Project Assessment and Initiation:
- Structural Design (Footings, Foundations, Structures) in BPA substations: Structures include towers, poles, frames, trusses, pedestals, racks, and others. Materials are predominantly steel and concrete, but other materials such as wood and aluminum are occasionally used. All work to be reviewed by BFTE senior engineers or technical team leads.
- Tasks include:
- Analysis of existing structures for structural adequacy in the case of new/increased loading and/or changed design criteria. Results of analysis will be used by team leads for decisions regarding use of existing structure as-is, modify existing structure, or replace.
- Structural design of new structures. Production of installation drawings, design criteria drawings, and minor structural detailing.
- Structural Design (Transmission Line Structures/Footings): BPA uses a wide variety of structure types as transmission line supports. These structure types include lattice steel (or aluminum) towers, single or multiple steel pole structures, single or multiple wood pole structures, concrete structures, and others. All work to be reviewed by BFTE senior engineers or technical team leads.
- Tasks include:
- Analysis of existing structures for structural adequacy in the case of new or increased loading and/or changed design criteria. Results of analysis will be used by team leads for decisions regarding use of existing structure as-is, modify existing structure, or replace.
- Structural design of new structures.
- Production of various drawings including installation drawings, design criteria drawings, minor detailing drawings, and others.
- Communication Structure Analysis: BPA has an extensive telecommunication network (predominantly microwave) that is constantly undergoing modification and enhancement. Structure types include lattice steel towers, steel monopoles, and others. All work to be reviewed by BFTE senior engineers or technical team leads.
- Tasks include:
- Analysis of existing structures for structural adequacy in the case of new or increased loading and/or changed design criteria. Results of analysis will be used by team leads for decisions regarding use of existing structure as-is, modify existing structure, or replace.
- Retrofit and modification designs.
- Develop and document structural design criteria used by outside vendors to design new communication structures.
- Building Design/Analysis: BPA has numerous buildings in their system that are constantly undergoing modifications and enhancements. Buildings in the system include single and multiple story structures that may be constructed of wood, structural steel, masonry, brick, concrete, or other materials. All work to be reviewed by BFTE senior engineers or technical team leads.
- Tasks include:
- Analysis of existing structures for modifications and/or retrofits. This task may include structural calculations and written reports.
- Design of new structures.
- Structural and/or seismic evaluations of existing structures. This task may include structural calculations and written reports.
- Design for strengthening existing building vertical and/or lateral load resisting systems.
- Design of anchorage of equipment and nonstructural components.
- Production of various drawings including installation drawings, design criteria drawings, minor detailing drawings, and others.
- Design of fall protection anchorage on new and existing buildings.
- Structure Maintenance and Program Sustainment: All work to be reviewed by BFTE senior engineers or technical team leads.
- Tasks include:
- Assistance with structural (non-climbing) inspections.
- Structural adequacy assessments.
- Structural retrofit designs (seismic strengthening, remodels, additions, addition of roof loading such as A/C units, etc.)
- Design of replacements related to aging infrastructure, particularly in the areas of steel corrosion and concrete deterioration.
- Design for replacements, refurbishments, and repairs related to unexpected damage of transmission line and substation structures (e.g. vehicle impacts, animal impacts, landslides, snow loading etc.).
- Assistance with material procurement tasks related to above repairs and replacements.
- Perform occasional Quality Assurance visits to both in-house and outside fabrication shops and provide recommendations for approval by BFTE senior engineers or technical team leads.
- Provide support to BFTE structural engineers working in Technology Innovation (TI) and Research and Development (R&D) related activities, which may include actual research or research support, testing and working with testing personnel and vendors, report writing and development, report presentation, travel to meetings, working with industry representatives, field visits, and providing assistance to BPA managers / team leads on developing justifications for funding.
Qualifications
- Bachelors Degree in Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering or a closely related engineering field is required.
- 5+ years of practical engineering experience is required.
- Must have professional knowledge of civil and structural engineering concepts and principles and a practical knowledge of conventional methodology associated with planning, design, and maintenance applicable to public electric utilities, power plants, and transmission systems in order to work on structural engineering projects that may be limited in scope and depth.
- 1+ years experience with the following:
- Designs using the current International Building Code and America Society of Civil Engineers (ACSE) 7 and 10.
- Structural analysis software such as SAP2000 and RISA.
- ASCE 41-13 Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings.
- Modern structural analysis techniques.
- Industry-specific design codes such as IBC family of codes and industry designs standards such as American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), National Design Specification (NDS) and American Concrete Institute (ACI).
- Experience reviewing and evaluating design packages (including drawings, material specifications, and calculations) for conformance to the design specifications and standards.
PREFFERED SKILLS:
- Experience with Bentley MicroStation or other similar Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) programs.
Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract position based out of Vancouver, WA. Pay and BenefitsThe pay range for this position is $50.00 - $55.00/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) Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract position based out of Vancouver, WA. Application DeadlineThis position is anticipated to close on Nov 20, 2026. Workplace TypeThis is a hybrid position in Vancouver,WA.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.
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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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It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
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