Substation Protection and Control Engineer - GRU

The Substation Protection & Control Engineer provides engineering support for planning, design, operation, maintenance, reliability, and continuous improvement of the protection & control schemes for the utility’s power substation. This position supports the protection & control design, relay settings, regulatory compliance, system studies, capital projects, equipment specifications, outage response, and long-range infrastructure strategies to ensure the safe, reliable, and cost-effective delivery of electric service.  This engineer will serve as the subject matter resource for protection & control engineering initiatives within the substation and relay group.

Essential Functions:

Responsible for the overall protection & control design for the power substations and transmission lines by leading the philosophy, development and review for the protective relay settings associated with the protection and coordination of substation equipment, transmission lines and distribution lines.

Leads / Develops protection and control design deliverables including protective relays, panel arrangements, one line/single line diagrams, three-line diagrams, AC/DC schematics, relay panel wiring and equipment wiring within complex high voltage substation designs (12.47kV to 230kV).

Provides technical support during outages and emergencies, including root cause fault analysis, restoration strategies, and corrective action recommendations.

Performs or oversees quality review of electrical substation design projects with a focus on protection & control drawings and relay settings.

Provides guidance and mentorship to less experienced team members.

Leads / supports power systems compliance tasks that could include, but not limited to NERC PRC standards (e.g., PRC-004, -005, -006, -023, -024, -026, -027) and NERC CIP standards (e.g., CIP-002, -003).

Leads / develops system studies (e.g., arc flash, relay coordination, grounding), equipment specifications (e.g., protective relays, relay panels & components) and contractor scopes (e.g., engineering contractors, construction contractors).

Coordinates with internal (e.g. System Control, Energy Supply, T&D Engineering, Procurement, Compliance) and external resources (e.g. vendors, contractors) to complete project and department goals.

Work with software packages such as AutoCAD, SEL AcSELerator QuickSet, SEL SynchroWave, SAP, Cascade, SEL, FileMaker.

Work may require performance of tasks outdoors under varying climatic conditions

Non-Essential Functions:

Will be required to respond under emergency conditions.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or directly related engineering degree from an ABET-accredited institution.

An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered if it meets the needs of the department.

At least six (6) years of progressively responsible experience within electric utility engineering including power substation design experience with a focus on protection & controls.

Demonstrated ability to mentor & advise other team members and provide technical leadership across the department.

Ability to develop and review protective relay settings used within the electric power system.

Skilled in substation engineering principles, including three-phase systems, protection & control, system studies (e.g. fault analysis and grounding), voltage regulation, and equipment ratings.

Skilled in the use of AutoCAD, SEL AcSELerator QuickSet, SEL SynchroWave and/or equivalent systems.

Ability to interpret, develop, and review technical substation drawings, one and three-lines, schematics, and specifications.

Knowledge of NERC (e.g. PRC, CIP, FAC) compliance regulations.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with sound engineering judgment and risk-based decision-making.

Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to operational and executive audiences.

Strong attention to detail and organizational skills

Ability to build collaborative relationships with field operations, contractors, consultants, regulators, and internal stakeholders.

Ability to work effectively during system emergencies and restoration events, including after-hours support when required.