Lead Engineer - Substation Protection & Control

Qualus

$120K — $150K *
US-Anywhere
+ 2 other locationsRemote
Energy & Utilities
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 15-20 years of utility-focused protection, control, and metering engineering experience.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited institution.
  • Registered or eligible to register as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Canada; U.S. PE is a plus.
  • Expertise in substation protection philosophies and practices.
  • Extensive background in reviewing detailed P&C design documents and deliverables.
  • Experience with protection coordination studies and high-voltage transmission systems.
  • Hands-on proficiency with protection software tools like ASPEN and CAPE.

Responsibilities

  • Act as Protection & Control Subject Matter Expert (SME) across multiple projects.
  • Establish and enforce protection, control, and metering standards for substations.
  • Serve as Principal Engineer or Technical Authority on complex projects.
  • Review and approve protection plans and technical design documents.
  • Oversee protection coordination studies and relay settings for transmission systems.
  • Participate in senior-level design reviews and risk assessments.
  • Support Factory and Site Acceptance Tests for complex installations.

Benefits

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage.
  • Life Insurance and Short/Long-Term Disability benefits.
  • 401(k) match and Flexible Spending Accounts.
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Parental Leave.
  • Paid time off and recognized Holidays.
Full Job Description
Position Overview

We are seeking a Lead Protection & Control Engineer to join our well-established Protection & Control team of engineers and designers in Canada. This role offers long-term workload stability, exposure to a diverse portfolio of projects, and the opportunity to provide technical leadership across utility and renewable energy clients. You will work on projects ranging from 12 kV to 500 kV, supporting designs from early concept through construction and commissioning. This opportunity is ideal for a lead engineer who enjoys technical ownership, mentoring others, and solving complex system-level challenges.

Responsibilities
  • Act as the Qualus’ Protection & Control Subject Matter Expert (SME), providing technical governance across multiple projects and programs
  • Set and uphold protection, control, and metering philosophy, standards, and best practices for high-voltage substations
  • Serve as Principal Engineer or Technical Authority on complex, high-risk, or non-standard projects, providing final technical approval and direction
  • Provide review and approval of:
    • Protection planning, philosophy, and application documents
    • One-lines, schematics, logic diagrams, panel layouts, and wiring diagrams
  • Oversee protection coordination studies and relay settings for utility transmission systems, including review and validation of work performed by others
  • Chair or participate in senior-level design reviews, hazard and risk assessments, and near miss investigations
  • Support Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs), Site Acceptance Tests (SATs), and critical field inspections for complex installations
  • Advise project teams on construction sequencing, outage planning, and commissioning strategy
  • Participate in client technical, Safety by Design, and constructability review meetings
  • Provide technical oversight for project scopes, feasibility studies, cost estimates, and definition-phase deliverables, including review of assumptions and risks
  • Support Business Development by contributing technical strategy, execution approaches, and risk assessments for proposals and pursuits
  • Act as a primary technical escalation point for clients, internal teams, and external partners
  • Mentor senior and junior engineers, and play a key role in the continuous improvement of P&C standards, tools, and engineering practices
Qualifications
  • 15–20 years of utility-focused protection, control, and metering engineering experience, with demonstrated system-level responsibility
  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from a recognized university
  • Registration as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Canada, or eligibility to obtain (U.S. PE considered an asset)
  • Recognized expertise in substation protection philosophy, including transmission line, transformer, bus, and feeder protection
  • Extensive experience reviewing and approving detailed P&C design drawings and technical deliverables
  • Experience performing protection coordination studies and relay settings for high-voltage transmission systems
  • Hands-on knowledge of protection software and platforms such as ASPEN, CAPE, EasyPower, SKM, and SEL / GE relay families
  • Practical experience with substation construction, commissioning, outage planning, and operational interfaces
  • Proven ability to provide technical judgment on non-standard, complex, or first-of-kind applications
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Experience on EPC projects, and familiarity with utility maintenance and operational practices, are considered strong assets
  • Demonstrated capability to mentor

#LI-BV1

Benefits & Compensation

Qualus benefits offered include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short and Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays, for those who qualify.

 

The final salary awarded for this role may vary from the above range based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs. The salary range provided in this job posting may be subject to change for business purposes.

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