Protection & Control Engineer (Relay Engineer)

Coalesce Management Consulting · Denver, United States

We are seeking a skilled Protection & Control Engineer to support the design, analysis, and implementation of protection systems for transmission and distribution substations. This role is critical to ensuring the reliability, safety, and performance of the electrical grid through proper relay coordination, control system design, system studies, testing, and operational support.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop protection schemes and relay settings for transmission and distribution substations (12kV–345kV).
• Perform relay coordination, short circuit, arc flash, and other power system studies using ETAP, ASPEN, CAPE, or equivalent tools.
• Develop AC/DC control schematics, breaker logic, interlocking, alarms, and substation automation systems.
• Integrate protection systems with SCADA/RTU and communication protocols such as DNP3 and IEC 61850.
• Support relay testing, commissioning, energization, and troubleshooting of new and existing substations.
• Analyze system faults, relay mis operations, and disturbances and support root cause analysis.
• Ensure designs comply with utility standards, industry best practices, and applicable NERC requirements.
• Support substation capital projects and coordinate with engineers, project managers, contractors, vendors, and field teams.
• Provide operational support during system faults, outages, and restoration activities.
• Maintain accurate relay settings, engineering documentation, drawings, and as-built records.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• Experience in Protection & Control Engineering within a utility or industrial power systems environment.
• Strong understanding of power system protection principles and relay coordination.
• Hands-on experience with relay platforms such as SEL, GE Multiline, or Siemens.
• Knowledge of AC/DC control circuits and substation automation systems.
• Experience with ETAP, ASPEN, CAPE, or equivalent power system study tools.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.