Human Resources Assistant

Company Description

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is a federal nonprofit organization that markets electricity generated from 31 federal dams and one nuclear plant, serving millions of consumers across eight states. Operating and maintaining three-quarters of the high-voltage transmission grid in the Northwest, BPA is committed to reliable and affordable energy solutions. In addition to its energy initiatives, BPA supports one of the largest fish and wildlife programs globally and champions energy-saving measures in collaboration with its partners. Employees enjoy meaningful career opportunities while giving back to their communities, with work/life balance and access to outdoor and urban experiences in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

Role Description

This is a full-time, on-site role for a Human Resources Assistant based in Portland, OR. The Human Resources Assistant within either the Recruitment & Placement or Benefits & HR Processing team of the Department of Energy's BPA Human Resources Service Center. Depending on the team you join, you'll either serve as a guide for applicants, ensuring all hiring actions are accurate and compliant with federal regulations, or you will manage key employee data-such as pay actions, promotions, and benefits-to support our dedicated workforce).

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application.

External Application Link(s): 

26-BPA-50575-12913450=DE https://www.usajobs.gov/job/861483500  

Open & Close date:    Open: 03/17/2026   Close: 03/26/2026

LOCATION(s)            Portland, OR

SALARY:                    $43,892 to - $63,605 per year

DUTIES:

Power the Future: Be the Human Connection Behind Public Service!

Bonneville Power Administration is at the forefront of the Pacific Northwest's energy landscape, and our mission is powered by our people. As a Human Resources Assistant, you will be a critical part of the team that builds and supports our dedicated workforce. You will provide essential services that directly impact the careers and well-being of every employee, ensuring BPA can continue to deliver clean, reliable energy to the region. In this role, you will specialize in one of two key areas:

If you join our Benefits & HR Processing team, you will:

• Ensure the integrity of our workforce data by processing and finalizing official personnel actions, such as promotions and new appointments, serving as the final quality check.
• Act as an HR detective, investigating complex employee histories to resolve retroactive pay or benefits issues in collaboration with legal and employee relations experts.
• Serve as a pay and compensation specialist, analyzing and applying complex regulations to solve payroll discrepancies and guarantee every employee is paid accurately and on time.
• Welcome new employees by managing their onboarding process, helping them navigate and enroll in critical benefits like retirement, health insurance, and other valuable programs.

If you join our Recruitment & Placement team, you will:

• Act as the central support hub for our staffing program, providing clear and timely information to applicants and managers about hiring processes, application status, and diverse job opportunities.
• Become the team's specialist on our automated HR systems, providing expert advice and guidance to ensure hiring actions are processed smoothly and efficiently.
• Serve as a guardian of compliance by interpreting and applying federal regulations and internal policies to prepare official hiring actions for final approval.
• Meticulously craft and review recruitment communications, ensuring every detail is accurate and professional to provide a best-in-class experience for candidates and hiring teams.
• Design or draft training courses and curricula, including all training materials, references, manuals, job aids, etc, based on deep understanding of adult learning theory, valid design principles and rigorous design methodologies.
• Consult with stakeholders to perform full instructional design and development from needs assessments through recommendations and implementation of instructor-led or E-Learning training.
• Leads the design of and serves as a subject matter expert in internal training evaluations.
• Develop, facilitate, and provide training courses as required.
• Complete needs assessments to assess current culture, work environment, and identifies factors affecting organizational effectiveness and operations.
• Write course descriptions, course marketing information, etc. to be used in advertising training courses.

REQUIREMTNS: Conditions of Employment

In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answer to these questions is not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration

When you apply you will be asked a series of questions to determine your eligibility for employment and your qualification for this position specifically. You must answer all of these questions completely and truthfully.

Key Requirements:

·        You must be a United States Citizen.

·        This employer participates in the e-Verify program.

·        Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.

·        You will be required to report in person to the official duty location.

QUALIFICATIONS:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: 

GS-05:

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-04) in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience in completing recurring assignments using established procedures and standard methods of operation to set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, record information, update paperwork, or maintain documents (e.g., attendance records, employee benefits forms, correspondence); and create, maintain, enter, and/or verify information into databases.

GS-06:

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-05) in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience in applying standard human resource management guidelines to: utilize personal computers and software programs to extract, revise, or sort information from files, records, or databases; and research and resolve errors or discrepancies in personnel records; review work for completeness and accuracy.

There is no substitution of education at the GS-06 level.

EDUCATION:  

If substituting education for specialized experience you must submit proof of your qualifying education. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Department of Education Accreditation Search to verify school accreditation.

Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system.

Failure to provide college transcripts may result in a rating of 'Ineligible'.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:  

Your two (2) page RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).

To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package.

 (See Required Documents section on application).

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