Senior Secondary & Protection Engineer

KBR Technical Services; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

KBR is seeking a Senior Secondary and Protection Design Engineer to join our national Power team in Melbourne. You will lead high‑voltage secondary design for substations, integrating protection, SCADA and control systems while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams across the country.

You will mentor engineers, support bids and proposals, and ensure design quality and standards compliance, contributing to iconic transport projects in Melbourne and beyond.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Washington Accord) or recognized equivalent.
• Chartered Engineer/CPEng/RPEQ/RPEV or ability to attain.
• Proven consulting/design experience delivering for Transport clients.
• Proven experience leading teams on complex projects.
• Strong technical depth in protection and control design; AC/DC systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead HV substation secondary design, incl. protection, control, SCADA, and AC/DC systems (1kV-132kV+).
• Undertake protection coordination, load flow, short-circuit analysis, arc flash assessments.
• Develop protection drawings, SLDs, schematics, wiring diagrams and control logic.
• Size CT/VT, burden calculations and prepare relay settings reports.
• Select protection relays and develop project specifications.
• Collaborate with Primary, SCADA, E&B and delivery teams on integrated designs.
• Mentor junior engineers and support proposals and bids.
• Lead design QA and standards compliance.

Skills

Protection & control design

Team leadership

Client-facing

Project management

Education

Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Washington Accord)

Chartered Engineer / CPEng / RPEQ / RPEV

MTM Accreditation (Designer/Checker)

Tools

Protection relays (SEL, GE, ABB, Schneider)

DNSPs/TNSPs familiarity

Job description

Senior Secondary & Protection Engineer

Help deliver the next generation of Australia's transport infrastructure in Melbourne

KBR is seeking an experienced Senior Secondary and Protection Design Engineer to join our growing national Power team. With major project wins in Melbourne's Rail Transport sector on Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) Linewide and Stations contracts, as well as ongoing work with on North West Program Alliance this role offers the chance to influence some of the most high‑profile infrastructure programs in Australia and help shape the face of Melbourne for generations to come

You'll work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary engineering team to deliver complex secondary and protection designs for substations and HV networks. This role will see you collaborating with talented colleagues across the country while contributing to projects that will reshape transport and energy infrastructure across Melbourne and beyond.

What you'll be doing

• Lead HV substation secondary design, including protection, control, SCADA, and AC/DC systems. (1kV-132kV+).
• Undertake analytical power system studies, including: Protection coordination
• Load flow
• Short‑circuit analysis
• Arc flash hazard assessments
• Develop protection system drawings, SLDs, functional schematics, wiring diagrams and control logic.
• Calculate CT/VT sizing and burden requirements based on system parameters.
• Prepare protection relay settings and produce detailed settings reports.
• Select protection relays and develop technical specifications aligned with project requirements.
• Work closely with Primary, SCADA, E&B and project delivery teams to produce integrated substation designs.
• Coordinate with clients, utilities, contractors and suppliers throughout design and delivery.
• Provide mentoring, technical guidance and training to junior engineers.
• Support proposals and bid development across multiple market sectors.
• Lead the design and checking, quality assurance and standards compliance.
• Support the sustainable growth of the team.
• Identify new opportunities to work with new clients.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor of Electrical Engineering accredited by the Washington Accord (or recognized equivalent by Engineers Australia )
• Chartered Engineer / CPEng / RPEQ / RPEV (or ability to attain it is required )
• Proven consulting/design experience delivering for Transport clients.
• Proven experience leading teams on complex projects.
• Strong technical depth in: Protection and control design
• AC/DC auxiliary systems
• SCADA systems
• Secondary systems studies
• MTM Accreditation (Designer/Checker) - or ability to obtain within 6 months is required.
• Experience with DNSPs/TNSPs - highly desirable.
• Familiarity with protection relays (e.g., SEL, GE, ABB, Schneider).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Strong organisational and project‑management capability with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Experience in client-facing roles, with the ability to provide robust advice and clear communication

Why join KBR?

At KBR, we partner with our clients and delivery partners to deliver exceptional outcomes - driven by collaboration, technical excellence and our One Team approach.

With nearly 2,000 employees across Australia, we offer:

• Access to iconic projects in Transport, Energy and Defence.
• Genuine opportunities for professional development, certification and career progression.
• A collaborative, people‑first culture where you are valued and supported.
• Flexible work arrangements and work/life balance.
• National career pathways and exposure to multidisciplinary teams.

Join a team where people matter, your expertise is respected, and your work directly shapes critical Australian infrastructure.

KBR Values

Our KBR Values - We Value Our People, We Deliver, We Are People of Integrity, We Empower, We Are a Team of Teams - embody our people centric organisation.

Our culture, and our genuine focus on our people is a major factor in our success and we want you to be part of our journey.

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