Lead Engineer - Substation Protection & Control

Lead Engineer Substation Protection & Control

Position Overview

We are seeking a Lead Responsible Engineer with hands-on experience in electrical substation Protection & Control (P&C) engineering. The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of substation protection schemes, relay engineering, relay settings, SCADA/communications, and P&C design for high-voltage substations.

The role combines technical engineering responsibilities with project coordination , including developing project schedules, coordinating engineering/design resources, tracking deliverables, supporting cost estimates, and ensuring projects progress on schedule.

Key Responsibilities

• Support development and maintenance of the Long Range Plan (LRP) for System Performance Protection & Control programs.
• Coordinate with engineering subject matter experts and maintain project charters, schedules, tracking documents, and related program documentation.
• Develop and maintain project schedules and cost estimates in coordination with Responsible Engineers and Project Managers.
• Lead or support project kickoff meetings and coordinate required engineering, design, and construction resources.
• Track engineering/design deliverables, material orders, outages, and other project requirements to support timely project completion.
• Coordinate with engineering and field teams to identify and resolve project issues.
• Support review and approval of engineering/design and construction/testing proposals .
• Perform hands-on Protection & Control engineering and design for high-voltage substations ranging from approximately 4kV to 500kV .
• Develop and review P&C design documentation, including:
  • One-line diagrams
  • AC/DC schematics
  • Wiring diagrams
  • Bills of material
  • As-built drawings and field markups
• Design and review relay protection schemes for transformers, transmission lines, capacitor banks, buses, and other substation equipment.
• Perform relay settings reviews and entries using Aspen or PowerBase relay databases.
• Work with transmission and distribution relays, including SEL, GE, and Basler equipment.
• Perform QA reviews of Protection & Control engineering documents and designs.
• Apply knowledge of SCADA, communications systems, and associated protocols to substation projects.
• Support engineering studies and applications such as relay coordination, load flow, and short-circuit studies .
• Ensure P&C designs follow applicable utility standards, NERC/PRC requirements, and established industry practices .

Required Experience & Skills

• 4 10 years of relevant electrical engineering experience , preferably within utility/substation environments.
• Demonstrated experience in substation Protection & Control engineering and design .
• Strong understanding of transmission and distribution protection schemes .
• Experience with relay protection, relay settings, and protection coordination .
• Experience with substations ranging from medium voltage through high voltage, up to 500kV .
• Hands-on experience with SEL, GE, and/or Basler relays .
• Experience using Aspen or PowerBase for relay database/settings work.
• Ability to read, develop, and review one-lines, AC/DC schematics, wiring diagrams, and P&C drawings .
• Knowledge of SCADA and substation communication protocols .
• Familiarity with NERC/PRC requirements and utility P&C standards .
• Ability to coordinate with engineers, designers, project managers, construction/testing teams, and other stakeholders.

Ideal Candidate

The strongest candidates will be Protection & Control Engineers who have both hands-on substation design experience and the ability to take ownership of project coordination and deliverables . Experience with transmission-level substations, relay settings, protection schemes, and utility projects is particularly relevant.