Senior Relay Technician

Actalent is seeking a Senior Relay Technician to support the testing, commissioning, and maintenance of protective relay systems in substations and power systems. This role serves as the technical lead on complex commissioning projects, ensuring electrical systems respond correctly to faults through proper relay logic, settings, and protection schemes.

About the role

This is a travel-heavy regional role based in Brooklyn Park, MN, involving frequent work at substations, industrial sites, and utility environments. The position offers a mix of field work and control-house activities, including hands-on testing in energized environments and detailed analysis at control panels and relay racks. Commissioning schedules are fast-paced and project-driven, requiring flexibility and adaptability. The role centers on complex grid protection systems and utility-scale infrastructure, with opportunities for overtime and growth into senior or subject-matter expert positions.

Responsibilities

• Test, maintain, and troubleshoot protective relays in substations to ensure reliable operation and proper fault response.
• Perform commissioning and functional testing of control circuits for substations and power system equipment.
• Analyze relay settings, logic, and overall system performance to validate protection schemes and identify improvements.
• Conduct end-to-end relay testing and fault simulations to verify correct system behavior under abnormal conditions.
• Work with SCADA and communication systems, including fiber-based networks and Modbus protocols, to integrate protection and control systems.
• Lead commissioning projects as the senior technical authority on site, including planning, execution, and documentation of relay testing activities.
• Develop and refine procedures, test plans, and commissioning methodologies to standardize best practices across projects.
• Interface with customers and project stakeholders, providing technical guidance, status updates, and recommendations on protection and control systems.
• Analyze protection schemes at the system level and troubleshoot complex issues that extend beyond individual devices.
• Validate relay settings and perform settings verification to ensure compliance with design requirements and system protection standards.
• Mentor and support junior technicians, providing on-the-job training and technical direction during commissioning and maintenance activities.
• Support start-up and commissioning efforts for new substations and power system installations, ensuring timely and accurate completion of testing.
• Interpret and work from electrical schematics, one-line diagrams, and control drawings to perform accurate testing and troubleshooting.
• Collaborate with project teams and engineering personnel to integrate protection schemes and substation controls into the broader power system.

Requirements

• 5–10+ years of experience in relay testing, protection, and control within substations or power systems.
• Demonstrated expertise in protective relay testing, including devices from manufacturers such as SEL and GE or similar platforms.
• Strong capability in relay settings and logic analysis, including validating and adjusting settings to meet protection requirements.
• Hands-on commissioning experience in substations and power systems, including start-up and commissioning of new installations.
• Proficiency with SCADA and communication systems, including Modbus, fiber-based communications, and related protocols.
• Deep understanding of protection schemes and system integration, including coordination of relays, controls, and communication systems.
• Proven project leadership and commissioning leadership experience, acting as the senior technical authority on site.
• Ability to analyze protection schemes and troubleshoot system-level issues, not just individual devices or components.
• Experience leading relay commissioning work and serving as the primary technical resource for commissioning activities.
• Experience working in substations, protection and control, or commissioning environments, including utility-scale infrastructure projects.
• Strong understanding of electrical systems, relay logic, and substation controls, supported by practical field experience.
• Ability to interpret and work from schematics, one-line diagrams, and control drawings for testing and troubleshooting.
• Travel flexibility to support a regional, travel-heavy role with frequent work at different sites.
• NETA II–IV or Nicet certification is required; NETA III/IV certification is preferred but not mandatory.

Qualifications

• Experience with SEL and GE protective relays, including configuration, testing, and settings validation.
• Background in electrical engineering technology or a related technical discipline supporting relay and protection work.
• Experience with substation controls, SCADA integration, and communications such as Goose messaging and Modbus protocols.
• Exposure to start-up and commissioning activities for complex grid protection systems and utility-scale infrastructure projects.
• Experience mentoring junior technicians and contributing to the development of technical teams.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose and resolve complex system-level issues in fast-paced environments.
• Comfort working as a subject matter expert (SME) on relay and protection topics, providing guidance to customers and project teams.
• Interest in growing into senior, lead, or SME roles within a highly technical, high-demand niche of the power industry.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $30.00 - $60.00/hr. Individual compensation offered within this range will depend on qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Benefits

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on job classification and length of employment. If eligible, benefits for this temporary role may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Critical illness, accident, and hospital insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan with pre-tax and Roth post-tax contribution options.
• Life insurance (voluntary life and AD&D for the employee and dependents).
• Short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Health spending account (HSA).
• Transportation benefits.
• Employee assistance program.
• Time off/leave (PTO, vacation, or sick leave).

Schedule

This is a fully onsite, contract-to-hire position based in Brooklyn Park, MN. The role involves frequent travel to regional sites, with per diem and expenses covered while on the road.