Manager of Relay and Controls I/II (Full Time)
Location: Palmer
Position - Status MANAGER OF RELAY AND CONTROLS I/II - RFT Who can apply? MEA Employees & The General Public
Posting Date June 1, 2026
Closing Date Open Until Filled
Department Technical Services
Grade/Annual Grade 14 $123,510 Min DOE
Grade 15 $130,499 Min DOE
Union Representation N/A
Hours of Work 8AM-5PM
Work Location Palmer, AK
PURPOSEThis position is responsible for the relay, control, and protection systems that are required to improve and maintain the Association's electrical system.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITIONA Manager I performs the below functions with the mentorship of the Senior Manager of Technical Services.
A Manager II meets all the requirements of a Manager I and masters all below functions.
1.Supervises the daily activities of the Relay & Controls Section.
2.Responsible for any and all relay, control and protection engineering functions of the Association, including supervising and developing protective relay settings and protective schemes.
3.Ensure relay, control and protection systems are in compliance with industry and Association standards.
4.Support with distribution feeder protection coordination, including but not limited to, fusing and recloser coordination.
5.Oversee the analysis, of protection and control events on the system and provide recommendations for modifications or upgrades based on the analysis.
6.Oversee the development and commissioning of new relay, control and protection infrastructure for distribution, transmission, and generation facilities.
7.Oversee the development or updating of electrical plans, drawings, and specifications for relay, control and protection infrastructure.
8.Support the record retention systems, including as-built drawing systems, relay manuals and other pertinent information related to relays, control and protection infrastructure.
9.Assist with installation and maintenance of metering infrastructure within the substation and generation facilities.
10.Recommend proper technical procedures based on industry standards, codes, and techniques while following the Association tariff and other Association policies and procedures.
11.Manage projects in area of Technical Services.
12.Assist with the development and compliance of Association standards for the interconnection of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and assist producing settings guidance for IPP interconnections.
13.May resolve tariff issues as necessary.
14.Develops and ensures adherence to, the department's annual budget and assists with development of Association's five-year Capital Work Plan (CWP).
15.Review and make recommendations for operation and maintenance practices and activities related to dispatch, switching, relay, control and protection systems.
16.Assist with the development and compliance of cyber and physical security, and reliability standards for the Association.
17.When assigned, participate in Railbelt utility proceedings and organizations that impact the transmission and generation system.
18.Assist with the assessment and development of Smart Grid technology.
19.Administer contracts with third parties as required to ensure relay, control and protective schemes and infrastructure are installed and maintained according to the Association's standards.
20.Promote a safety culture in which safety is a value. This culture is based on joint and individual engagement, ownership, and accountability regarding job safety and responsibility to perform work safely and adhere to safe work practices.
21.Perform the essential functions of the position in a safe and efficient manner.
The above items are not intended to be all inclusive of the essential functions or requirements of this type of work as they are subject to change based on operating necessity. The employee will also perform other related business duties as assigned.
ESSENTIAL POSITION REQUIREMENTSManager I
Qualified candidates are required to have:
-A Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering.
-Five (5) years of experience with relays, control, and protective systems in the electric utility industry.
-A valid driver's license and a driving record, which is acceptable by the Association's Driving Policy and insurable by the Association and the Association's insurance carrier at standard group rates.
Preference may be given to candidates with:
-A State of Alaska, Professional Engineer (PE) license.
-Candidates with prior experience in SCADA and communication systems related to electrical generation, substation, transmission, and/or distribution facilities.
-Candidates with supervisory and/or management experience.
Manager II
Qualified candidates are required to have:
-A Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering.
-Seven (7) years of experience with relays, control, and protective systems in the electric utility industry.
-Three (3) years of supervision and/or management experience.
-A valid driver's license and a driving record, which is acceptable by the Association's Driving Policy and insurable by the Association and the Association's insurance carrier at standard group rates.
Preference may be given to:
-Candidates with a State of Alaska, Professional Engineer (PE) license.
-Candidates with prior experience in SCADA and communication systems related to electrical generation, substation, transmission, and/or distribution facilities.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES• Support a culture of safety excellence through active involvement in safety improvement and promote a sense of shared responsibility for safety.
• Working knowledge of codes and standards related to relay, control and protection designs (such as IEEE, ANSI, RUS, NESC, and NEC).
• Advanced knowledge of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) products.
• Knowledge of computer software (such as AutoCAD, Milsoft, ASPEN OneLiner, PSSE, Microsoft Windows and the complete Office Suite including MS Project, Adobe Acrobat). Knowledge of and proficient in practices of researching engineering and design issues, evaluating alternatives, making sound recommendations and preparing and presenting recommendations.
• Knowledge and ability to self-motivate improvement based on successes and failures.
• Skill in reading and understanding complex utility related literature, abstracts, financial reports, technical journals, and legal documents related to essential job functions.
• Skill in clearly communicating and articulating the key points of an issue; keep the attention of others; takes recipient's needs into account when speaking or writing.
• Skill in planning and organizing: Produce timely, comprehensive project plans; set clearly defined objectives; clarify action steps for achieving objectives. Keeps others that are directly or indirectly involved informed on an ongoing basis.
• Skill in problem solving: Work systematically to analyze problems and issues; identify underlying causes; anticipate implications and identify effective courses of action.
• Skill in solving problems using facts and personal judgment.
• Skill in organizing assigned projects and effectively and efficiently utilize personnel and equipment.
• Skill in collaborative leadership and organizational skills.
• Skill in leading the corrective action and continuous improvement processes within area of responsibility.
• Skill in problem solving, decision-making and accountability within team.
• Ability to effectively represent the Association's interests at community council meetings and other venues.
• Ability to be highly motivated, with the ability to be self-directed or take direction, as assigned by management.
• Ability to understand principles of physics and related sciences. Proficient in engineering theories and principles.
• Ability to self-motivate for success; show effort and drive in the face of obstacles; set aggressive goals and develop a plan to achieve those goals.
• Ability to produce specifications, drawings, and protective schemes using relay, control and protection technologies from well-established vendors (such as ABB, Siemens, G&W, SEL, and GE).
• Ability to write a wide variety of detailed reports to management or the public about such complex issues as system instability, events that result in outages, financial and schedule estimates, and other complex electrical issues.
• Ability to direct all engineering phases of relay, control, and protection project(s).
• Ability to facilitate cooperation between work groups and work functionally across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to translate engineering knowledge into sound, economical design.
• Ability to carry several simultaneous projects through from inception to completion as expeditiously as practicable with minimum supervision.
• Ability to effectively delegate and collaborate with others to accomplish assignments.
• Ability to effectively manage a team and ensure the Association's goals related to relay, controls and protection are met.
• Embrace and embody the Association's Core Values through decisions, actions, attitude, and behavior to directly contribute to the success of the organization.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position; this list is not inclusive of all the physical demands that may be required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Physical demand activity percentages:
- Major occurs 60% or more of work time.
- Moderate occurs between 20-60% of work time.
- Minor occurs less than 20% of work time.
• Physical demand requirements:
- Ability to understand, read, and carry out written instructions.
- Ability to understand, read, and verify documents electronically, verbally, or hard copy.
- Major amount of ordinary communicating, working inside.
- Moderate amount of standing, walking, sitting, stair climbing, handling (of items), finger use, feeling/touching, eye-hand coordination, foot-hand-eye coordination, sight acuity to see near and far, outside work.
- Minor amount of lifting/carrying/pushing up to twenty-five (25) pounds, ladder climbing, balancing, kneeling, crouching, crawling, turning/twisting, bending at waist.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS• The work environment conditions described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• This position primarily works in an office setting; however, this position may require field work in variable weather conditions.
• The incumbent must be able to work in variable weather conditions including, but not limited to rain, high winds, temperatures in excess of 80 degrees Fahrenheit and minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, large amounts of snow, possibly over long periods of time and in darkness, etc.
• This position is subject to insect bites and stings.
• The incumbent must be able to work long hours under stressful conditions when restoring power during storms, outages, or other emergency conditions.
EMPLOYMENT STATUSThis position is classified as an exempt, non-represented position; and therefore is not eligible for overtime compensation. All Association employees are expected to work widely varying amounts of time outside the normal shifts to assist in power restoration or other needs of the Association.
To apply, please visit www.mea.coop to submit an application by the closing date.
Matanuska Electric Association, Inc.
163 East Industrial Way (P.O. Box 2929), Palmer, Alaska 99645
Telephone: (907) 761-9218/ Fax: (907) 761-9264
Benefits Include • 401(k) matching 2%
• Medical, Dental, Vision insurance - $120/month for entire family
• Life insurance 100% paid by MEA
• Long Term Disability 100% paid by MEA
• Employee assistance program
• Paid time off starts at 3.385 hrs/wk
• 11.5 paid holidays per year.
• Retirement Defined Benefit plan/Pension
