Lead Engineer - Protection & Controls - Major Projects Group

About the Role

A typical day involves developing or reviewing protective relay settings and coordination studies, leading short-circuit and arc flash analyses, designing protection schemes for generators, transformers, and utility interconnections, and mentoring junior engineers. You will collaborate with internal project teams, utilities, vendors, and third-party engineering firms to deliver protection and controls designs that are safe, reliable, and compliant with company, state, and federal regulations.

The Lead Engineer will develop metrics and set objectives related to protection and controls engineering obligations, and will be a key proponent in the development and implementation of P&C design standards and NERC PRC compliance practices.

Responsibilities

• Develops or reviews protective relay settings and relay coordination studies for utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage systems spanning generators, gen-tie lines, collector systems, step-up transformers, breakers, and utility interconnection points across grid-connected, islanded, and transition operating modes.
• Performs short-circuit, fault current, and protective device coordination studies using tools such as ASPEN OneLiner, ETAP, CAPE, EasyPower, or SKM Power Tools, accounting for differing fault current contributions of synchronous machines and inverter-based resources on the same bus.
• Designs protection schemes for major equipment classes, including generator, bus differential, transformer differential, feeder overcurrent, distance, breaker failure, and synchrocheck protection for both synchronous and inverter-based sources.
• Performs arc flash studies per IEEE 1584 and grounding analyses for project substations.
• Coordinates islanding detection and anti-islanding protection design per IEEE 1547-2018, and voltage/frequency ride-through (UVRT/OVRT/FRT) settings, to prevent cascading trips across all asset types.
• Integrates protection systems with SCADA, EMS, and RTU infrastructure, coordinating relay communications design (IEC 61850, DNP3, Modbus) with SCADA engineers.
• Prepares and reviews P&C drawings including one-line diagrams, AC/DC schematics, wiring diagrams, and relay panel layouts.
• Reviews third-party engineer-of-record design packages to ensure compliance with industry, Blattner, and Client standards.
• Supports relay testing, commissioning, and energization planning. Develops test plans, supports factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT), and provides on-site support through initial energization.
• Supports NERC PRC compliance activities, including protection system audits and utility coordination for transmission interconnection requirements.
• Mentors junior engineers and supports the development of internal protection engineering standards and design practices.
• Reads and understands the electrical scope of projects in early project phases. Develops plans incorporating power quality, reliability, and cost efficiency into each proposal.
• Works with internal and external stakeholders to develop a clear and concise protection and controls scope of work.
• Reviews implications of changes, provides recommendations, and serves as a technical resource for Preconstruction and Operations teams throughout the project lifecycle.
• Provides contract and subcontract review and comments related to protection and controls scope, and identifies opportunities for streamlining work and reducing waste.
• Travel up to 25% of the time to project sites, client offices, and utility offices, subject to fluctuations as needs dictate.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive engineering experience in protection and controls design for high-voltage transmission, substation, or large-scale generation systems.
• Experience with relay settings development and coordination studies for systems ranging from 13.8 kV through 345 kV.
• Proficiency with ASPEN OneLiner, ETAP, CAPE, EasyPower, or SKM Power Tools.
• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, or related field, from an ABET-accredited college required, or relevant equivalent industry experience.

Qualifications

• Familiarity with NERC PRC Reliability Standards, IEEE, NESC, NEC, and NFPA 70E.
• Working knowledge of IEC 61850, DNP3, and Modbus for relay and SCADA integration.
• Experience leading and mentoring engineers, and driving protection and controls design standards across solar, wind, and energy storage projects.
• Experience with Python or scripting for engineering automation.
• A Professional Engineering (PE) license is preferred but not required.

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• 100% employer paid HDHP insurance premiums for employees
• 401(k) with company match
• HSA and FSA options
• Dental and Vision insurance
• Education Assistance (Tuition Reimbursement)
• Work/Life balance
• Employee/Family focused culture
• Gym on site

Pay

Remote position with individual compensation ranging from $121,680.00 to $176,436.00, determined based on the applicant's applicable experience and qualifications balanced against internal equity.