Lead Engineer, Electrical Planning and Design

National Grid is hiring for our NE Electric Asset Management & Engineering - Protection, Control, Metering & Telecom Engineering department in Northboro, MA. Every day we deliver safe and secure energy to homes, communities, and businesses. We connect people to the energy they need for the lives they live and shape the sustainable future of our industry.

About the role

The Lead Engineer will provide protection engineering expertise and technical support to ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of National Grid’s transmission and distribution systems. Responsibilities include protection coordination, fault analysis, relay settings development, system reviews, safety implementation, and participation in both small- and large-scale engineering projects.

Responsibilities

• Perform protection system design, coordination studies, and short-circuit analysis to identify issues and recommend corrective actions or preventive measures.
• Analyze system data using tools such as ASPEN, symmetrical component analysis, and manufacturer-specific software to support engineering decisions.
• Evaluate, select, and design protective relaying systems for substations and transmission lines.
• Develop and maintain protection design documentation in accordance with National Grid standards.
• Conduct relay coordination studies; design and review AC/DC schematics; and develop and issue relay settings for transmission lines, transformers, capacitor banks, feeders, and other equipment.
• Create and maintain standard protection philosophies, guidelines, and relay setting practices.
• Provide technical support for protection and control systems across all voltage levels within the transmission and distribution network.
• Support field personnel on design, operation, and maintenance of protection and control equipment.
• Perform arc flash studies and optimize relay settings to reduce incident energy while maintaining proper protection coordination; collaborate with project teams on long-term P&C system upgrades.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior engineers.
• Manage and execute work independently with minimal supervision.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Electrical Engineering Technology from an ABET accredited engineering program required.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in Protection engineering or related field required.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Good working knowledge of industry standards, safety standards, and existing electrical design codes.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

Qualifications

• Working knowledge of protective relay setting and configuration software (SEL, ERLPhase, ABB, GE, etc.) preferred.
• Experience using ASPEN software for power system modeling, fault analysis, and protection studies preferred.
• Proficient MS Office computer skills (Access, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, etc.).
• Must have a valid driver’s license with acceptable driving history.

Pay

$156,000.00 - $183,000.00 USD annually