Job Details

Lead Responsible Engineer (LRE) – Protection & Control

Hybrid Role

Compensation: $60 - $80 per hour

ABOUT THE ROLE

Our client is seeking an experienced Lead Responsible Engineer (LRE) – Protection & Control to support Transmission & Substation (T&S) engineering initiatives for a major utility organization. This role is pivotal in executing engineering and design deliverables that enhance system performance, drive substation modernization, and implement Protection & Control programs across both transmission and distribution facilities. The LRE will provide technical leadership, coordinate with internal engineering teams and external consultants, and oversee projects from scope development and planning through design, construction, testing, and energization. The ideal candidate will have 4–10 years of electrical engineering experience with demonstrated expertise in substation Protection & Control applications, protective relaying, SCADA/communications, and high-voltage substation design, as well as proven project coordination and leadership skills.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Lead development and execution of Protection & Control programs for transmission and substation projects, including long-range planning, project tracking, and maintaining associated charters, schedules, and documentation.
• Perform advanced engineering and design activities for substation Protection & Control systems, including relay settings and high-voltage substation design (4kV–500kV).
• Read, develop, review, and interpret complex electrical drawings and documentation for protection, metering, controls, SCADA, and communications for transmission and distribution substations.
• Develop substation engineering and design documents with minimal supervision, including one-line diagrams, AC/DC schematic diagrams, wiring diagrams, bills of materials, field markups, and as-built drawings.
• Design and apply protection schemes for substation equipment, including transformers, transmission lines, capacitor banks, buses, circuit breakers, instrument transformers, switches, and reactive assets.
• Coordinate project schedules, cost estimates, and resource allocation with responsible engineers, project managers, and stakeholders.
• Lead and support project kickoff meetings, identify required engineering and design resources, track deliverables and material orders, and coordinate required high-voltage and abbreviated outages.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to internal engineering teams, external consulting engineers, designers, and contractors throughout project execution.
• Lead scope development activities and support the onboarding of engineering, design, construction, and testing contractors.
• Review and support approval of contract proposals for engineering/design and construction/testing activities.
• Perform Quality Assurance (QA) reviews of Protection & Control designs and engineering documentation.
• Utilize relay databases such as ASPEN or PowerBase to support relay settings reviews, documentation, and data entry.
• Apply engineering software and methodologies to perform relay coordination, load flow, and short-circuit studies.
• Evaluate and resolve complex technical issues requiring specialized Protection & Control and substation engineering knowledge, and develop appropriate engineering solutions.
• Support capital improvement and modernization projects involving high-voltage equipment and the replacement of aging substation infrastructure.
• Support project planning, commissioning, and implementation activities required to safely energize and place major utility systems and equipment into service.
• Monitor engineering and project performance to ensure committed schedules, technical requirements, and project objectives are achieved.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• 6–8 years of relevant electrical engineering experience, with demonstrated experience in substation Protection & Control engineering and design.
• Experience supporting Transmission & Distribution (T&D) engineering projects.
• Strong knowledge of substation engineering designs, standards, principles, and practices.
• Thorough understanding of transmission and distribution relay protection schemes.
• Experience designing Protection & Control facilities for substations, including protective relaying, SCADA, telecommunications, metering, and control systems.
• Experience with distribution and transmission relays, including SEL, GE, and Basler equipment.
• Ability to read and develop AC/DC schematics, wiring diagrams, one-lines, and other complex electrical drawings.
• Familiarity with SCADA systems and communication protocols used within utility environments.
• Knowledge of general Protection & Control guidelines, applicable engineering standards and codes, and standard utility practices, including PRC and NERC-compliant designs.
• Knowledge of high-voltage substation equipment and Protection & Control applications.
• Ability to apply advanced engineering principles to identify, evaluate, and resolve complex technical issues.
• Strong project coordination skills with the ability to work across engineering, design, project management, construction, and testing teams.
• Master of Science in Engineering and/or Professional Engineer (PE) license (preferred).
• Experience designing or supporting substation modernization and asset replacement projects (preferred).
• Experience providing technical direction to project teams, consulting engineers, designers, and contractors (preferred).
• Experience supporting utility projects through design, construction, commissioning, and energization (preferred).

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