Principal Engineer - Substation Automation

Qualus Corporation; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) match

Job summary

Qualus seeks a Principal Protection & Control Engineer in Canada to lead complex protection and control projects across 12 kV–500 kV. You will own technical direction, mentor engineers, and drive standards for automation in utilities and renewables.

You will review protection philosophies, relay settings, and SCADA/telemetry configurations while coordinating with clients and cross-disciplinary teams to deliver safe, reliable power systems.

Qualifications

• 20+ years of utility-focused protection, control, and metering engineering experience, with system-level responsibility.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from a recognized university.
• Registration as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Canada, or eligibility to obtain (U.S. PE considered an asset).
• Expertise in substation protection philosophy (transmission line, transformer, bus, feeder).
• Experience with EMS, DMS, SCADA Masters, RTUs, PLCs, HMIs, telemetry and communications protocols.
• Strong knowledge of IEC 61850 and related utility protocols.
• Experience performing protection coordination studies and relay settings for high-voltage transmission systems.
• Proven ability to mentor and lead diverse project teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Act as Automation Protection & Control SME, providing governance across multiple projects.
• Set and uphold automation standards for high‑voltage substations.
• Serve as Principal Engineer or Technical Authority on complex projects with final technical direction.
• Review protection planning, one-lines, schematics, and configurations (RTU/PLC/HMI).
• Chair design reviews, hazard and risk assessments, and near-miss investigations.
• Advise on construction sequencing, outage planning, and commissioning strategy.
• Provide technical oversight for scope, feasibility, and risk review in proposals.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to continuous improvement of standards and tools.
• Support business development with technical strategies and risk assessments.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Technical ownership

Stakeholder engagement

Written and verbal communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

EMS

DMS

SCADA

RTU

PLC

HMI

Telemetry

Communications protocols

Job description

Position Overview

Power your future with Qualus in our Transmission & Distribution Canada business. We are seeking a Principal Protection & Control Engineer to join our well-established Protection & Control team of engineers and designers in Canada. This role offers long-term workload stability, exposure to a diverse portfolio of projects, and the opportunity to provide technical leadership across utility and renewable energy clients.

You will work on projects ranging from 12 kV to 500 kV, supporting designs from early concept through construction and commissioning. This opportunity is ideal for a principal engineer who enjoys technical ownership, mentoring others, and solving complex system-level challenges.

Responsibilities

• Act as the Qualus’ Automation Protection & Control Subject Matter Expert (SME), providing technical governance across multiple projects and programs
• Set and uphold automation, standards, and best practices for high‑voltage substations
• Serve as Principal Engineer or Technical Authority on complex, high‑risk, or non‑standard projects, providing final technical approval and direction
• Provide review and approval of:
• Protection planning, philosophy, and application documents
• One-lines, schematics, logic diagrams, panel layouts, and wiring diagrams
• RTU, PLC, HMI, embedded controller, and communications system configurations
• Chair or participate in senior‑level design reviews, hazard and risk assessments, and near miss investigations
• Advise project teams on construction sequencing, outage planning, and commissioning strategy
• Provide technical oversight for project scopes, feasibility studies, cost estimates, and definition‑phase deliverables, including review of assumptions and risks
• Support Business Development by contributing technical strategy, execution approaches, and risk assessments for proposals and pursuits
• Act as a primary technical escalation point for clients, internal teams, and external partners
• Mentor senior and junior engineers, and play a key role in the continuous improvement of Automation standards, tools, and engineering practices

Qualifications

• 20+ years of utility-focused protection, control, and metering engineering experience, with demonstrated system‑level responsibility
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from a recognized university
• Registration as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Canada, or eligibility to obtain (U.S. PE considered an asset)
• Recognized expertise in substation protection philosophy, including transmission line, transformer, bus, and feeder protection
• Extensive experience with EMS, DMS, SCADA Masters, RTUs, PLCs, HMIs, telemetry, and communications protocols
• Strong knowledge of DNP3, Modbus, IEC 61850, and related utility protocols
• Experience performing protection coordination studies and relay settings for high‑voltage transmission systems
• Proven success in system architecture, field commissioning, troubleshooting, and stakeholder engagement.
• Practical experience with substation construction, commissioning, outage planning, and operational interfaces
• Proven ability to provide technical judgment on non‑standard, complex, or first‑of‑kind applications
• Strong understanding of NERC compliance and its impact on design activities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience on EPC projects, and familiarity with utility maintenance and operational practices, are considered strong assets
• Demonstrated capability to mentor

Benefits & Compensation

Qualus benefits offered include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short and Long‑Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays, for those who qualify.

The final salary awarded for this role may vary from the above range based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs. The salary range provided in this job posting may be subject to change for business purposes.

Company Overview

Qualus is a leading pure‑play power solutions firm and innovator at the forefront of power infrastructure transformation, with differentiated capabilities across grid modernization, resiliency, security, and sustainability. The firm partners with utilities, commercial, industrial, data center, and government clients, and renewable and energy storage developers, offering comprehensive solutions through boutique and integrated advisory, planning, engineering, digital solutions, program management, energy efficiency and specialized field services. Qualus also provides software and technology enabled services and develops breakthrough solutions for critical power industry challenges such as distributed and variable resource integration, emergency management, and secure data exchange. The firm has over 2,000 professionals, with offices throughout the U.S. and Canada.

EEO

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We are committed to providing an inclusive workplace and do not discriminate on any grounds protected by applicable human rights legislation across Canada and the US.