IEC 61850 / Protection Automation Engineer

Why This Role Exists

Our protection architecture uses IEC 61850 GOOSE for peer-to-peer trip signals, PRP dual-star networks for zero-SPOF communication, and RTAC-3530 controllers for protocol gatewaying and sequence logic. This role exists because that stack requires an engineer who can work at the protocol level — SCL files, GOOSE datasets, PRP multicast groups, and RTAC logic programs — not just relay settings. You own the automation layer between the protection relays and the SCADA/HMI system: IEC 61850 configuration, protocol conversion (GOOSE ↔ DNP3 ↔ Modbus), and the deterministic logic that manages mode transitions, load shedding, and black-start sequencing.

What You Own

- IEC 61850 GOOSE dataset configuration: publish/subscribe mappings, multicast group assignments, SCL/CID/SCD files - PRP dual-star network architecture: VLAN/VRF design, QoS for GOOSE traffic prioritization, dual-plane separation - SEL RTAC-3530 logic programs (IEC 61131-3 Structured Text): sequence control, mode management, load shed/add, SOE concentration - Protocol gateway configurations: GOOSE → DNP3 → Modbus point maps, alarm/state model definitions - Configuration management: versioned CID/SCD baselines, change control documentation across 134-IED designs - IRIG-B time synchronization design and SOE timestamp correlation

Systems You'll Touch

Vendor Platforms
Software Tools
Protocols
Standards
Site Activities

What Success Looks Like

First 90 Days - Reviewed existing IEC 61850 configurations (SCL/CID files) and RTAC logic programs on a current project - Delivered a GOOSE dataset configuration or RTAC logic modification through internal review - Captured GOOSE messages with Wireshark and validated publish/subscribe behavior on a PRP network First 180 Days - Owning IEC 61850 configuration scope on at least one project — SCL engineering, GOOSE datasets, PRP multicast - Delivering RTAC logic programs for mode management or sequence control - Participating in PRP network commissioning — failover testing, GOOSE continuity verification

Required Background

- 5+ years protection or automation engineering with IEC 61850 implementation experience - GOOSE configuration: SCL file engineering (CID/SCD), publish/subscribe mappings, dataset design - PRP or HSR network experience per IEC 62439-3 — dual-plane architecture, DANP endpoints - SEL RTAC-3530 or equivalent automation controller programming (IEC 61131-3) - Protocol gatewaying experience: IEC 61850 GOOSE, DNP3, Modbus TCP/RTU - Network protocol analysis with Wireshark — GOOSE message capture and troubleshooting

Preferred Background

- SEL Architect SCL engineering tool experience - Industrial Ethernet network design: VLAN segmentation, QoS, Cisco IE switch configuration - IEC 62443 zone/conduit model awareness for OT network security - IRIG-B time synchronization design and SOE correlation - Configuration management for large IED deployments (100+ devices)

What to Expect in the Field

- Travel - 20–40% during commissioning and network integration phases - Site Hours - Standard office hours for configuration engineering; site hours during PRP network commissioning and GOOSE verification - Customer-Facing - Interface with prime contractor network and controls engineers; vendor technical support for multi-vendor interoperability - Documentation - Heavy — SCL/CID/SCD files, network architecture diagrams, RTAC logic documentation, GOOSE dataset specifications, protocol point maps - Field Safety - NFPA 70E awareness required for switchgear-adjacent network equipment installation and testing

Why Ziggurat

- IEC 61850 GOOSE in production — not a pilot or proof-of-concept, but the operating protection communication layer on live critical systems - 134-IED designs with formal configuration management — work at a scale where protocol engineering matters - Full-stack automation: you touch the protocol layer, the logic layer, and the network layer, not just one slice - Direct access to the principal engineer who architected the DSN protection network — learn from the design authority

Hiring Process

Screen
Background review against role requirements — vendor platform experience, relevant certifications, project types, and standards familiarity. Quick assessment of baseline alignment before investing either party's time.
Resume review + 15-min intro call
Technical Review
Deeper evaluation of technical depth. We review sample work — relay settings files, protection study reports, commissioning test procedures, or SCADA configuration packages — depending on the role. If samples aren't shareable, we discuss specific project scenarios in detail.
Async work-sample review or 45-min technical call
Interview
A scenario-based conversation with the principal engineer. Real project situations: how you'd approach a coordination study for a complex switchgear lineup, sequence a commissioning plan across multiple vendor platforms, or troubleshoot a protection scheme failure during site acceptance testing.
60-min video call with founder
Exercise / Artifact Review
A practical evaluation matched to the role. Engineering roles receive a take-home exercise — review and mark up a set of relay settings, identify gaps in a protection study, or develop a test procedure for a specific scheme. Field-focused roles walk through a commissioning package or test report they've delivered, explaining their methodology and decisions.
Take-home exercise (2–4 hrs) or artifact walkthrough (60 min)
Final Conversation
A role scope discussion, current project pipeline, working arrangements, and compensation. This is a two-way conversation — we want to confirm the role fits your goals, not just the other way around.
30-min call