Lead System Protection Engineer 2 - Grid
$134,546–$205,557 year
HybridChattanooga, Tennessee, United States
Chattanooga, Tennessee, United StatesHybridFull Time$134,546–$205,557 yearSenior LevelBachelors DegreeLarge
Full TimeSenior LevelBachelors DegreeLarge
Job Summary
Lead system protection engineering for high-voltage transmission and substation projects, developing protection philosophies, relay settings, and power system studies for lines, transformers, buses, and auxiliary systems. Perform short-circuit analysis, relay coordination, and time-current curve development using CAPE or ASPEN, while configuring and troubleshooting microprocessor-based protective relays with SEL AcSELerator and EnerVista. Manage relay records in Powerbase, ensure compliance with NERC PRC and IEEE standards, and support event analysis and misoperation investigations. Review and comment on P&C design documents, wiring diagrams, and logic diagrams to guide substation design teams, and assist with commissioning, field energization, and resolution of protection issues during construction. This hybrid role requires three days in the office and offers a relocation package.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program (or equivalent)
- 10 or more years of experience in system protection engineering for transmission and/or substation projects
- Significant hands-on responsibility for relay settings and protection studies
- Strong background in system protection and relay logic, including: Line, transformer, bus, breaker failure, and capacitor/reactor protection philosophies
- Proven experience performing fault studies and relay coordination using CAPE and/or ASPEN (or equivalent protection analysis tools)
- Proficiency with at least some of the following relay configuration and settings tools: SEL AcSELerator, EnerVista, Other major OEM relay software
- Experience working with Powerbase or similar relay/asset databases for managing settings and protection data
- Demonstrated ability to check and interpret P&C drawings: One-lines, three-lines, schematics, wiring diagrams, logic diagrams, and panel layouts
- Familiarity with applicable IEEE, ANSI, and NERC/PRC standards related to protection and control
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work directly with: Utility clients, Equipment manufacturers, Construction and commissioning teams
- Proven experience leading portions of projects, coordinating with multidisciplinary teams, and meeting schedule and quality requirements
- This individual will have primary responsibility for system protection engineering—including relay settings, protection philosophies, and power system studies
- Secondary role in supporting and reviewing substation protection & control (P&C) design for high-voltage transmission and substation projects
- Lead the development and application of protection philosophies and settings for: Transmission lines, Power transformers and autotransformers, Buses and breakers, Capacitor and reactor banks, Station service and auxiliary systems
- Perform system protection studies, including: Short-circuit analysis, Relay coordination and time-current curve development, Protection settings development and verification using CAPE and/or ASPEN (or equivalent tools)
- Configure, set, and troubleshoot microprocessor-based protective relays using vendor software such as SEL AcSELerator, EnerVista, and other major OEM relay software platforms
- Use Powerbase (or similar utility databases) to: Manage relay records, settings, and configuration data, Align settings and documentation with client standards and change-management processes, Support event analysis and misoperation investigations, including: Retrieval and interpretation of relay event records and oscillography, Recommendations for settings or scheme adjustments
- Ensure that protection schemes and settings comply with client standards, NERC PRC requirements, IEEE/ANSI standards, and good utility practice
- Develop and review P&C design documents in coordination with substation design teams, including: AC/DC one-lines and three-lines, Protection and control schematics, Wiring diagrams, logic diagrams, and panel layouts, Bills of material related to protection and control systems
- Provide system protection requirements and markups to guide P&C design: CT/VT ratios and burdens, Trip, close, and interlock logic, Communications and channel requirements for protection schemes
- Support commissioning and field energization by: Reviewing and commenting on relay and functional test plans, Responding to RFIs and field questions related to protection and control, Assisting with resolution of protection issues during construction and startup
- Must be able to lift 50 lbs
Desired Qualifications
- Professional Engineer (P.E.) license or the ability to obtain a P.E. within a reasonable timeframe
- Experience with protection and control design and settings for a range of voltage levels (e.g., 69 kV–230 kV and above)
- Prior consulting and utility engineering experience supporting utility or ISO/RTO clients
- Experience supporting field commissioning, relay testing, and troubleshooting of in-service protection systems
- Familiarity with utility standards and practices for documentation, settings management, and change control
- Overseeing engineers who program or script (e.g., Python, MATLAB, advanced Excel) to automate engineering tasks, with review of automated outputs
- We also value additional learning, such as a minor, certificate, or other experience in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, or related fields that enables effective oversight of automation and agentic AI-enabled engineering workflows
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