Electrical Commissioning Engineer

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Electrical Commissioning Engineer to support the startup and commissioning of a hydrogen production facility. This is a field-based role responsible for the testing, commissioning, energization, and turnover of low- and medium-voltage electrical systems during the critical plant startup phase.

The successful candidate will have proven hands-on experience commissioning electrical distribution equipment rated up to 15kV, including switchgear, motor control centers (MCCs), transformers, circuit breakers, motors, and protective relays.

The Electrical Commissioning Engineer will work closely with construction, engineering, operations, mechanical, instrumentation, controls, and third-party testing teams to ensure electrical systems are safely tested, energized, integrated, and ready to support plant startup.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute and oversee pre-commissioning, commissioning, energization, and startup activities for low- and medium-voltage electrical systems up to 15kV.
• Perform and/or witness testing of MV/LV switchgear, MCCs, transformers, circuit breakers, motors, protective relays, UPS/DC systems, and associated electrical distribution equipment.
• Develop, review, and execute electrical commissioning procedures, test packages, energization plans, and checklists.
• Perform and verify electrical testing including insulation resistance, contact resistance, breaker timing, transformer testing, relay testing, trip checks, and functional testing.
• Review and validate protective relay settings, logic, trip schemes, and coordination, including SEL, GE Multilin, or equivalent relay platforms.
• Execute functional testing and interlock verification to confirm equipment and systems operate in accordance with design intent and approved control narratives.
• Coordinate electrical energization activities and verify that all prerequisites, permits, safety requirements, and system turnover requirements are satisfied prior to energization.
• Support plant startup, including troubleshooting electrical equipment, control circuits, protection systems, motors, breakers, and electrical interfaces.
• Coordinate closely with mechanical, instrumentation, controls/DCS, process, and operations teams to perform integrated system testing and confirm overall system readiness.
• Verify electrical interfaces with instrumentation and control systems, including equipment permissives, alarms, trips, shutdown signals, and start/stop logic.
• Review electrical drawings and documentation, including single-line diagrams, schematics, wiring diagrams, interconnection drawings, vendor documentation, relay settings, and equipment data sheets.
• Perform system walkdowns and verify construction completion and readiness for commissioning.
• Identify, document, and track punch-list items, deficiencies, and outstanding work through resolution.
• Interface with construction, engineering, QA/QC, vendors, and subcontractors to resolve technical and field issues affecting commissioning or startup.
• Supervise and coordinate electrical technicians, electricians, vendors, and third-party testing contractors as required.
• Maintain accurate commissioning records and ensure test results, redlines, settings files, and turnover documentation are complete and traceable.
• Participate in system turnover from construction to commissioning and ultimately from commissioning to plant operations.

Safety Responsibilities

• Perform all commissioning and energization activities in accordance with site electrical safety requirements and approved procedures.
• Maintain strict compliance with NFPA 70E, electrical safe-work practices, arc-flash requirements, and appropriate PPE requirements.
• Support and enforce Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures and electrical isolation requirements.
• Participate in Job Safety Analyses (JSAs), pre-task planning, energized work planning, and commissioning safety reviews.
• Verify safe system boundaries and electrical isolation prior to testing, troubleshooting, or energization activities.
• Promote a strong safety culture during high-risk startup and energization activities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline preferred; equivalent combination of technical education, military training, electrical certification, and relevant industrial experience may be considered.
• Approximately 6+ years of electrical commissioning, startup, testing, maintenance, or field engineering experience in industrial facilities.
• Proven hands-on experience with low- and medium-voltage electrical systems up to 15kV.
• Strong experience testing and commissioning switchgear, MCCs, transformers, circuit breakers, motors, and electrical distribution systems.
• Demonstrated experience with protective relay testing, configuration, logic verification, and troubleshooting.
• Experience with SEL relays, SEL AcSELerator QuickSet, GE Multilin, or similar protection platforms.
• Experience performing or overseeing electrical testing such as insulation resistance, contact resistance, breaker timing, primary/secondary injection, relay trip testing, and functional testing.
• Demonstrated experience supporting system energization and industrial plant startup.
• Strong understanding of electrical drawings, single-line diagrams, schematics, control circuits, relay logic, and interlocks.
• Working knowledge of NFPA 70E, NEC, LOTO, electrical safe-work practices, and energized equipment procedures.
• Ability to troubleshoot electrical and controls-related issues in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Strong communication skills and ability to coordinate effectively across engineering, construction, commissioning, operations, vendors, and subcontractors.

Preferred Experience

• Previous commissioning or startup experience on hydrogen, syngas, industrial gas, chemical, petrochemical, refining, LNG, power generation, or other complex process facilities.
• Experience working through construction completion, pre-commissioning, commissioning, initial energization, startup, and final turnover to operations.
• Experience with integrated electrical, instrumentation, and DCS/PLC testing.
• Familiarity with IEEE and NETA electrical testing practices and standards.
• Experience directing third-party electrical testing companies and electrical subcontractors.
• Experience developing energization plans, commissioning test packages, turnover packages, and system completion documentation.