Substation Commissioning Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Substation Commissioning Engineer

Lead the Moment That Matters Most: Bringing Critical Power Infrastructure Online

If you thrive in the field, enjoy solving complex protection and control challenges, and want to be the engineer who gives the final approval before a substation is energized, this opportunity is built for you.

We're seeking an experienced Substation Commissioning Engineer to lead the testing, validation, and energization of utility and industrial substation projects. You'll work on both greenfield and brownfield substations, taking ownership of the most critical phase of the project lifecycle—ensuring every relay, protection scheme, control system, and piece of equipment performs exactly as intended before power flows.

This is a highly visible role offering significant autonomy, technical challenge, and a clear path toward project leadership, field service management, and operations leadership.

Why Engineers Join Our Team

• Own the energization process and play a direct role in bringing critical infrastructure online.
• Work on complex transmission and distribution substation projects with sophisticated protection and control systems.
• Gain exposure to advanced relay technologies, protection schemes, SCADA integration, and commissioning best practices.
• Enjoy a high level of field autonomy and decision-making responsibility.
• Advance into leadership roles through a well-defined career growth path.
• Competitive compensation, relocation assistance, and sign-on bonus available for qualified candidates.

What You'll Do

As a Substation Commissioning Engineer, you will lead field commissioning activities from site readiness through final energization and turnover.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead commissioning activities for greenfield and brownfield substations, ensuring safe and successful project execution.
• Perform comprehensive protection and control testing, including relay functional testing, end-to-end testing, and logic validation.
• Execute and review commissioning plans, test procedures, and energization checklists.
• Analyze relay settings, logic, and protection schemes to verify system reliability and coordination.
• Validate correct operation of transmission and distribution protection systems prior to energization.
• Troubleshoot wiring, controls, communications, and protection issues identified during commissioning.
• Support breaker, transformer, switchgear, SCADA, and control system testing.
• Serve as a technical leader in the field, coordinating commissioning activities with project managers, construction teams, owners, and utility representatives.
• Take ownership of final system verification and provide commissioning sign-off recommendations.
• Document test results, commissioning reports, redlines, and project closeout deliverables.
• Mentor junior engineers and relay technicians while promoting commissioning best practices and safety excellence.
• Continuously improve commissioning processes through lessons learned and field expertise.

What Makes You a Strong FitRequired Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in substation protection and controls, relay testing, or commissioning.
• Hands-on experience commissioning medium- and/or high-voltage substations.
• Strong knowledge of substation protection schemes and relay logic.
• Experience performing functional relay testing, logic verification, and system validation.
• Solid understanding of three-phase power systems, protection coordination, and substation operations.
• Demonstrated success supporting or leading energization activities.
• Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills in time-sensitive field environments.
• Ability and willingness to travel to project sites as needed.
• Commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Experience with SEL, GE, ABB/Hitachi Energy, Siemens, or Schweitzer relay platforms.
• Experience with relay setting development and protection studies.
• Substation design or protection and controls engineering experience.
• NETA, NICET, or other industry certifications.
• Previous experience leading field teams or commissioning programs.
• Sr relay technicians with significant commissioning experience are encouraged to apply.

Career Growth Opportunities

This role is ideal for engineers and Sr relay professionals who want to move beyond testing and become recognized technical leaders. Successful candidates often advance into:

• Lead Commissioning Engineer
• Commissioning Manager
• Protection & Controls Engineering Lead
• Project Manager
• Field Service Manager
• Operations Leadership

Work Environment & Travel

This is a field-based position supporting critical power infrastructure projects throughout the region and across North America. Most assignments involve a combination of local work and travel-based projects, with travel rotations typically lasting up to two weeks at a time.

You'll work in active substations alongside experienced engineers, technicians, utility personnel, and project teams to deliver safe, reliable energizations that power communities, data centers, industrial facilities, and the electrical grid.

Join Us

If you're the type of engineer who wants to be on-site when a substation is energized, enjoys solving complex protection and control challenges, and takes pride in delivering flawless commissioning execution, we'd love to talk with you.

Apply today and help power the future—one energization at a time.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of St Paul, MN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $60.00 - $80.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in St Paul,MN.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 31, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in thecity and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicantswith arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as acondition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this lawshall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applicationsand qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, youacknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.