Senior System Protection Engineer 2 - Grid

Description

Sargent & Lundy is seeking a Senior System Protection Engineer to join our Grid Services team. This individual will have primary responsibility for system protection engineering—including relay settings, protection philosophies, and power system studies—with a secondary role in supporting and reviewing substation protection & control (P&C) design for high‑voltage transmission and substation projects. Responsibilities include: 

 

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

This role offers a hybrid work arrangement, with the expectation of spending three days a week in the office, giving you the flexibility to work remotely for two days. 

  

Dependent upon your location, this opportunity offers a generous relocation package. 

Qualifications

 

We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

 

Essential skills and experience:

 

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET‑accredited program (or equivalent).
• 7 or more years of experience in system protection engineering for transmission and/or substation projects, including:
• 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.

Valued but not required skills and experience:

 

• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license or the ability to obtain a P.E. within a reasonable timeframe.
• Experience with protection an