A top-tier engineering consultancy is seeking a Senior System Protection / Settings Engineer with strong technical expertise in protection setting application for high-voltage substations, renewable energy interconnections, and data center grid connections. This role will take a lead position guiding engineering teams, interfacing with utility and developer clients, and ensuring high-quality delivery across complex substation projects.
Locations: Houston, Dallas, or Austin (Hybrid flexibility available)
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and perform system protection studies, including relay settings, relay logic, and protection coordination for substation projects up to 500 kV.
- Develop and review protection design documentation, relay settings calculations, and configuration files (e.g., SEL AcSELerator, GE EnerVista).
- Apply industry standards for protection of transformers, lines, breakers, capacitor banks, bus protection, and distribution feeders.
- Perform and oversee power system modeling and relay coordination studies using software such as ASPEN OneLiner, Siemens CAPE, ETAP, SKM, and CYME.
- Perform and validate short circuit studies, CT sizing and saturation analysis, relay element coordination, and relay loadability reviews.
- Support substation construction and commissioning activities as a technical resource.
- Conduct QA/QC reviews for deliverables across a multi-office project team.
- Participate in proposals and support technical scope development for bids.
Required Experience & Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (ABET-accredited institution preferred).
- 8+ years of experience performing P&C relay settings for transmission-level substation projects.
- Familiarity with regulatory requirements including NERC and FERC reliability standards.
- Hands-on experience with power system analysis tools (ASPEN OneLiner, Siemens CAPE, ETAP, SKM, CYME).
- Ability to read and interpret protection drawings — single-lines, three-lines, schematics, and logic diagrams.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license strongly preferred.
- Experience with IEC 61850 protocols and implementations is a plus.
- Proven leadership capability — managing budgets, schedules, and multi-disciplinary engineering teams.
- Effective communication skills for client interaction and stakeholder coordination.
- Able to manage priorities and deadlines in fast-paced environments.
