Senior Protection Settings Engineer
Position Summary
The Senior Transmission Protection & Controls Engineer will provide specialized relay settings and protection engineering support for transmission capital projects, with a primary focus on reviewing, validating, and developing protection settings for new installations and system upgrades.
This individual will serve as a senior technical resource responsible for identifying errors, validating protection philosophies, performing fault studies, and ensuring relay settings are properly coordinated with adjacent systems.
The successful candidate must possess strong protection fundamentals and understand not only how to develop relay settings, but why the settings and protection schemes operate as designed.
Scope of Services
Relay Settings Development & Review
- Develop transmission protection relay settings for SEL 400-series relays supporting new installations and capital upgrade projects.
- Perform detailed technical reviews of relay settings to identify errors, coordination issues, incorrect assumptions, and potential protection system risks.
- Complete approximately 150 relay settings reviews/checks in support of the current project portfolio.
- Conduct settings reviews utilizing the LKE Settings Review Checklist and applicable standards.
- Review relay one-line diagrams, three-line diagrams, logic diagrams, and supporting engineering documentation.
- Ensure relay settings are properly coordinated with adjacent transmission protection systems.
Protection Scheme Expertise
Develop, review, and validate protection schemes including:
- 87L - Line Current Differential
- POTT - Permissive Overreaching Transfer Trip
- DCUB - Directional Comparison Unblocking
- DCB - Directional Comparison Blocking
- Fiber-based protection schemes
- Multimedia communications
- Microwave communications
- Power Line Carrier (PLC)
The Engineer must demonstrate a strong understanding of protection fundamentals, relay logic, coordination, and the intended operation of each protection scheme.
System Studies & Modeling
- Conduct fault studies utilizing ASPEN OneLiner.
- Maintain and utilize ASPEN models to support protection settings development and validation.
- Analyze fault currents and system conditions to determine appropriate protection settings.
- Verify coordination between primary, backup, and adjacent protection systems.
Engineering & Design Coordination
- Interface with Substation Design, Telecommunications, Automation/RTU, Project Management, Development, and Execution teams.
- Maintain and update substation protection drawings as required.
- Provide technical input during design reviews and project development.
- Support specifications, bids, contract awards, implementation, commissioning, and other project activities associated with assigned protection systems.
- Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders regarding transmission service and connection requirements.
Technical & Operational Support
- Provide technical support for transmission protection systems, including relay testing and system settings.
- Assist with diagnosing protection system malfunctions and failures.
- Provide technical direction for preventive and corrective maintenance activities.
- Support commissioning and implementation of new or modified protection schemes.
- Provide senior-level technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers.
CMC is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from individuals of all ages and backgrounds and assess candidates solely on merit, skills, and potential. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate in any way.
We welcome applications/enquiries from individuals of all backgrounds and are committed to providing equal access to employment opportunities across all regions in which we operate.