Substation Automation Engineer - Grid Modernization

Substation Automation Engineer - Grid Modernization

Together, we own our company, our future, and our shared success. As an employee-owned company, our people are Black & Veatch. We put them at the center of everything we do and empower them to grow, explore new possibilities and use their diverse talents and perspectives to solve humanity's biggest challenges in an ever-evolving world. With over 100 years of innovation in sustainable infrastructure and our expertise in engineering, procurement, consulting and construction, together we are building a world of difference.

The Opportunity In this role, you may have the opportunity to:

• Lead the transition of IEC 61850-based digital and virtual substations from pilot to production, shaping real-world grid modernization outcomes.
• Design and standardize secure, vendor-agnostic substation automation architectures that improve resilience, flexibility, and scalability.
• Serve as a technical leader and subject-matter expert, influencing system architecture, best practices, and emerging standards.
• Collaborate with utilities, technology partners, and industry groups (including vPAC Alliance) to help define the future of protection, automation, and control.

The Team Black & Veatch is expanding its Power SCADA team to support a strategic grid modernization initiative focused on IEC 61850-based substation automation and virtual substation technologies. As a founding member of the Virtual Protection, Automation, and Control (vPAC) Alliance, Black & Veatch is collaborating with industry leaders to advance open, secure, and vendor-agnostic digital substation solutions that replace traditional, hardware-intensive architectures with virtualized, software-defined platforms.

Following successful pilot efforts, BV is now transitioning virtual substations into production environments. This role is being created to bring in experienced SCADA professionals who can help design, implement, standardize, and support production-ready Power SCADA solutions that enable resilient, flexible, and future-ready grid infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• IEC 61850 Engineering & Modeling
• Substation Networking & Time Synchronization
• Protection, Automation & SCADA Integration
• Cybersecurity & System Hardening
• Virtualization of Substation Functions
• Industry Engagement & Technical Leadership
• Project Delivery & Collaboration

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with cybersecurity frameworks for operational technology environments
• Interest or participation in IEEE and IEC standards development
• Experience deploying or supporting virtualized protection, automation, and control applications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering
• Minimum of 5 years related work experience

Work Environment/Physical Demands

This position would require working in a typical office environment. The position may entail prolonged periods of sitting and computer use, and the professional would ideally be able to maintain focus and attention to detail throughout the workday. The position may also require physical tasks during site visits, including crouching, grasping, and standing/walking for extended periods of time. Hybrid or flexible work options may be offered after the first 90 days of employment based upon manager discretion, job performance and work assignments.

Salary Plan ENG: Engineering Job Grade 016