Associate Protection Engineer Journey

Minimum Pay Rate: $130,603.20 

Maximum Pay Rate: $173,035.20 

Civil Service Status: Civil Service 

Apply by Date: 04/06/2026 

Purpose

Performs engineering, technical, and analytical functions in the field of protective relaying and faulted power systems evaluation to ensure the design, installation, operation and maintenance of a dependable, secure, cost-effective protection and control system for SMUD’s transmission and generation facilities.

Nature and Scope

This classification is comprised of two levels: "E" is the entry, "J" is the journey. This journey-level Protection Engineer is distinguished from the entry by the assignment of the full range of duties. Employees at this level receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new, unusual or unique situations arise and are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies within the work unit.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensures that SMUD equipment is electrically protected by applying appropriate protection practices and established industry practices for protection and control schemes.
• Prepares definitive protection studies, including short circuit studies and relay coordination studies; issues relay settings and verifies As-Left settings; maintains related databases and documentation to support the work performed.
• Assists more senior staff in resolving technical problems relating to system protection; manages continuously shifting priorities; supports power system operation in day-to-day situations.
• Ensures protection engineering functions are performed in full compliance with all applicable WECC/NERC Reliability Standards; follows processes necessary for regulatory compliance; verifies evidence for compliance reviews and WECC/NERC audits.
• Assists with start-up protection engineering activities to ensure systematic completion and transition of generation and transmission projects to operations.
• Provides technical support in protection engineering on routine capital projects, such as less complex transmission line protection, transformer protection, or breaker replacement projects; reviews, approves, and coordinates system protection and control modifications made through Design Change Notices.
• Works with the field technicians to put the relaying systems in service, including testing support such as end-to-end tests to prove the performance of the protection system.
• Prepares station manuals and other descriptive documents explaining the operation of protection system and automatic schemes.
• Reviews protection system outages for transmission lines, substation equipment, and generation facilities to ensure adequate protection remains in effect; provides temporary relay configurations for abnormal operating conditions under more senior engineer guidance when needed.
• Assesses station alarms, disturbances, protection operations, faults, and outages; assists in identifying deficiencies in protection schemes; assists more senior staff in developing corrective actions to return equipment to service and to prevent repeat occurrences.
• Provides support in the development of maintenance criteria for protective relaying schemes and equipment.
• Supports more senior staff in providing training, relay classes, and protection philosophy to engineers, technicians, and operators.
• Maximizes system reliability by providing support in analyzing, recommending, and preparing operating procedures/guidelines.
• Ensures operating reliability by representing power system operations on power system projects and coordinating input/response and technical support; provides 24 hour On-Call support on a rotating basis.
• Enhances system performance by providing protection engineering services on SMUD- wide basis, providing training as required, and supporting power system operation as required.
• Performs other related duties as needed to include working outside of typical business hours when necessary.

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree with major course work in Electrical Engineering or related field from an accredited college or university.

Required Experience Qualifications

• At least three (3+) years of progressively responsible relevant work experience in performing engineering calculations related to power systems.

Knowledge Of

Electrical theory and engineering including equipment, circuit analysis, short circuit calculation, and grounding; power system protective relaying fundamentals, application, maintenance, testing, and installation including various systems for protection of generators, motors, transformers, capacitors, reactors, station buses, and transmission lines; power system