Lead System Protection Engineer 2 - Grid

Sargent & Lundy is seeking a Lead 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

• 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.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program (or equivalent).
• 10 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.
• We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

Skills

• Valued but not required:
  • Professional Engineer (P.E.) license or the ability to obtain a P.E. within a reasonable timeframe.
  • Experience with protection and control design and settings for a range of voltage levels (e.g., 69 kV–230 kV and above).
  • Experience developing and reviewing P&C design documents in coordination with substation design teams.
  • Prior consulting and utility engineering experience supporting utility or ISO/RTO clients.
  • Experience supporting field commissioning, relay testing, and troubleshooting of in-service protection systems.
  • Familiarity with utility standards and practices for documentation, settings management, and change control.
• Willingness or ability to lead others in using modern tools such as automation and AI to improve workflows, reduce rework, and deliver cost-effective designs.
• Experience overseeing engineers who program or script (e.g., Python, MATLAB, advanced Excel) to automate engineering tasks, with review of automated outputs.
• Additional learning, such as a minor, certificate, or other experience in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, or related fields that enables effective oversight of automation and agentic AI-enabled engineering workflows.

Benefits

• Health & Wellness:
  • Medical, dental, and vision plans
  • Life & accident insurance
  • Disability coverage
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Back-up daycare
  • FSA & HSA
• Financial Benefits:
  • 401(k)
  • Pre-tax commuter account
  • Merit scholarship program
  • Employee discount program
  • Corporate charitable giving program
  • Tuition assistance
  • First professional licensure bonus
  • Employee referral bonus
• Work-Life Balance:
  • Paid annual personal/sick time (PST)
  • Paid vacation
  • Paid holidays
  • Paid parental leave
  • Paid bereavement leave
  • Flexible work arrangements

Pay

Compensation range: $134,546 - $205,557. The total compensation package for eligible positions includes a base salary and a comprehensive benefits package. Individuals may also be eligible to participate in our yearly discretionary bonus.

Schedule

Hybrid work arrangement: three days per week in the office, two days remote.