Lead Engineer, System Protection & Controls

Ian Martin Group; Calgary; Hybrid; CAD 125,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Raise is seeking a Lead Engineer, System Protection & Controls in Calgary (hybrid: in-office Tue–Thu). This senior role focuses on protection, control, coordination, and reliability engineering across Alberta’s electricity system, reporting to the Manager, Project Engineering.

The successful candidate will lead protection studies, mentor teams, and drive grid modernization initiatives while collaborating with utilities, regulators, and industry partners to ensure secure and reliable operation.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years of progressive engineering experience in the electric utility industry, with a focus on Protection & Controls.
• Strong experience in protection studies, coordination reviews, performance assessments, and reliability initiatives.
• Experience working with transmission operators, utilities, generation owners, regulators, and reliability organizations.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex technical initiatives and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Strong knowledge of Alberta Reliability Standards, ISO Rules, NERC requirements, and regulatory compliance.
• Expertise in protection coordination, RAS, anti-islanding, synch-check, power swing/out-of-step protection, grounding, and protection system performance.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior technical expert for system protection, control, coordination, and reliability matters.
• Lead technical reviews of transmission, generation, distribution, and large-load interconnection projects, including protection schemes and coordination.
• Lead complex protection and coordination studies involving transmission lines, transformers, buses, reactors, capacitor banks, HVDC, renewable generation, and inverter-based resources.
• Conduct disturbance and protection system investigations, identify root causes, and recommend reliability improvements.
• Develop and maintain protection philosophies, engineering standards, practices, and technical requirements.
• Support compliance with AESO Technical Rules, Alberta Reliability Standards, NERC requirements, and other regulatory obligations related to Protection and Control.
• Provide engineering expertise across connection projects, system planning, operational engineering, and strategic initiatives.
• Lead industry working groups, standards committees, and stakeholder engagements.
• Mentor engineers and provide technical oversight and review of engineering studies, reports, and recommendations.
• Monitor emerging technologies and industry practices to support grid modernization, reliability, and operational excellence.

Skills

Protection & Controls

Leadership

Protection studies

Coordination

Reliability engineering

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

P.Eng. with APEGA

Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical Power Systems

Tools

RTDS tools

Job description

Lead Engineer, System Protection & Controls

• Location: Calgary, Alberta – Hybrid (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday in office)

Raise is currently hiring a Lead Engineer, System Protection & Controls on behalf of our client. They’re expanding their team to support the secure, reliable, and resilient operation of Alberta’s electricity system, making this a unique opportunity to work with an industry leader.

Note: The primary pay rate is based on T4 classification; however, we will also consider applications from candidates interested in an INC classification, where applicable.

Description

The Lead Engineer, System Protection & Controls will serve as a senior technical expert in protection, control, coordination, and reliability engineering across Alberta’s electricity system. Reporting to the Manager, Project Engineering, this role will lead complex protection studies, disturbance investigations, reliability initiatives, and standards development.

The successful candidate will collaborate with utilities, generators, regulators, industry partners, and internal teams across connection projects, system projects, operational engineering, operational planning, and power system modelling. This position will also provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance on strategic engineering and grid modernization initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior technical expert for system protection, control, coordination, and reliability matters.
• Lead technical reviews of transmission, generation, distribution, and large-load interconnection projects, including protection schemes and coordination.
• Lead complex protection and coordination studies involving transmission lines, transformers, buses, reactors, capacitor banks, HVDC, renewable generation, and inverter-based resources.
• Conduct disturbance and protection system investigations, identify root causes, and recommend reliability improvements.
• Develop and maintain protection philosophies, engineering standards, practices, and technical requirements.
• Support compliance with AESO Technical Rules, Alberta Reliability Standards, NERC requirements, and other regulatory obligations related to Protection and Control.
• Provide engineering expertise across connection projects, system planning, operational engineering, and strategic initiatives.
• Lead industry working groups, standards committees, and stakeholder engagements.
• Mentor engineers and provide technical oversight and review of engineering studies, reports, and recommendations.
• Monitor emerging technologies and industry practices to support grid modernization, reliability, and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years of progressive engineering experience in the electric utility industry, with a focus on Protection & Controls.
• Strong experience in protection studies, coordination reviews, performance assessments, and reliability initiatives.
• Experience working with transmission operators, utilities, generation owners, regulators, and reliability organizations.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex technical initiatives and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Strong knowledge of Alberta Reliability Standards, ISO Rules, NERC requirements, and regulatory compliance.
• Expertise in protection coordination, RAS, anti-islanding, synch-check, power swing/out-of-step protection, grounding, and protection system performance.
• Experience with inverter-based resources, renewable generation, HVDC, digital substations, and facility modelling.
• Strong technical leadership, communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.
• Nice to Haves
• Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical Power Systems Engineering or a related discipline.
• Experience with RTDS tools and advanced power system simulation.
• Experience developing technical standards, engineering policies, and regulatory documentation.
• Experience with Project Development Update Processes (PDUPs).
• Experience with grid modernization and emerging power system technologies.
• Education and Certifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited institution.
• Registered or eligible for registration as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with APEGA.

Looking for meaningful work? We can help!

We have a dedicated webpage for accommodations where you can learn more about what we offer and request accommodation: https://raise.jobs/accommodations/

We strive to build teams that reflect the diversity of the communities we work in. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including people from traditionally underrepresented groups such as women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, people identifying as LGBTQ2SI, veterans, and people with visible/nonvisible disabilities.

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