The Senior Substation Engineer - Protection and Controls will be part of an electric substation design team and will be responsible for the engineering and design of multiple projects ranging from small, fast-paced assignments to large, complex substations. This position provides the opportunity to directly apply advanced engineering knowledge to protection and control system designs for facilities ranging from 12kV to 500kV.
As a Senior Substation Engineer - P&C, you will apply NESC, NEC, IEEE, and other applicable standards in engineering design and independently develop protection and control schemes, including relay logic, system coordination concepts, and detailed design deliverables such as schematics, wiring diagrams, and control logic documentation. You will also support equipment specification, material procurement, and development of construction documentation, ensuring designs are reliable, compliant, and aligned with project and client requirements.
Requirements
- Lead the execution of substation projects, maintaining ownership of protection and control scope, technical decisions, and overall deliverable quality.
- Serve as the technical lead for substation protection and control design, providing direction and oversight for protection schemes, relay applications, control logic, and associated design deliverables (schematics, wiring diagrams, and I/O mapping).
- Develop and approve complex protection and control designs, including protection scheme configurations, relay logic implementation, and system integration with substation equipment and communication systems.
- Perform, review, and provide technical oversight of engineering studies, including protective device coordination, relay application, fault analysis, and control system evaluations to ensure system reliability and selectivity.
- Review and approve calculations and system applications associated with protection and control schemes, including relay settings concepts, DC system loading impacts, and control system functionality, ensuring completeness and accuracy.
- Lead the development and finalization of protection and control specifications, device applications, and related material documentation, ensuring compliance with project and client requirements.
- Interpret and enforce applicable codes, standards, and client-specific requirements (e.g., NESC, NEC, IEEE) across all protection and control design deliverables.
- Oversee design integration across disciplines (physical, civil, structural, transmission, distribution, geotechnical, survey), ensuring a complete and constructible design package.
- Serve as the primary technical point of contact for clients, leading design reviews, technical discussions, and resolution of complex engineering issues.
- Lead quality control efforts, including performing and overseeing design reviews, ensuring adherence to company standards, processes, and best practices.
- Provide technical direction and mentorship to engineering staff, including reviewing work, guiding design approaches, and supporting professional development.
- Manage multiple projects or major scopes of work concurrently, with accountability for technical quality, schedule adherence, and alignment with project objectives.
- Support project management efforts by contributing to scope development, schedule planning, risk identification, and resource coordination.
- Lead engineering support during procurement and construction phases, including oversight of submittal reviews, RFI responses, and resolution of field issues.
- Conduct and lead site visits, field walkdowns, and construction coordination efforts to validate design assumptions and support project execution.
- Ensure constructability, operability, and maintainability considerations are incorporated into all design solutions.
- Communicate effectively with clients, management, and project teams through clear, concise documentation and technical leadership.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives, including development of design standards, best practices, tools, and workflows.
Skills and Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from an ABET-accredited engineering program.
- 5+ years of relevant experience in substation physical design engineering.
- Demonstrated expertise in substation protection and control design, including protection scheme development, relay application, control logic design, and integration with substation equipment and communication systems.
- Advanced knowledge of engineering analysis methods, including protective device coordination, fault analysis, relay application and settings concepts, and evaluation of control system functionality and system performance.
- Proven ability to lead the development and review of complex engineering deliverables with a high degree of accuracy and technical quality.
- Strong understanding and application of applicable codes and standards (e.g., NESC, NEC, IEEE) and client-specific requirements.
- Demonstrated leadership in coordinating multidisciplinary teams and delivering integrated engineering solutions.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with proven experience leading client interactions and technical discussions.
- Proven ability to manage multiple projects or major scopes of work, balancing technical, schedule, and quality requirements.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and advanced working knowledge of engineering design and drafting tools (e.g., AutoCAD, MicroStation, or similar).
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to independently resolve complex technical challenges.
For Preferred Consideration (Not Required):- Professional Engineer (PE) license.
- Advanced experience with protection and control engineering tools, including relay coordination software (e.g., ASPEN, ETAP, CYME) and schematic design platforms.
- Experience leading protection and control design from concept through IFC and construction support, including schemes, relay applications, and I/O mapping.
- Familiarity with utility protection standards and philosophies across multiple clients.
- Experience supporting proposals, technical scopes, and project estimates, including development of protection concepts and scope definition.
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