T&D Protection & Control Substations Expert

AECOM; Madrid; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

AECOM seeks an experienced T&D Protection & Control Substations Expert to join our Transmission & Distribution team. You will lead design and review of protection and control systems for HV substations, and oversee secondary engineering deliverables while mentoring engineers.

You will coordinate with clients, project managers and vendors to ensure reliable protection schemes, SCADA interfaces, and proper relay settings across multiple project phases.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and 10+ years in protection and control for HV substations.
• Experience leading and mentoring protection and control engineering teams.
• Strong analytical, communication and stakeholder coordination skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to the design and engineering of protection and control for HV substations.
• Define protection philosophies, control architectures and interfaces.
• Review detailed secondary engineering deliverables and relay settings.
• Provide technical oversight and coordinate across multidisciplinary teams.
• Interface with clients, PMs, contractors and vendors.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Decision making

Hands-on engineering

Team leadership

Communication

Stakeholder coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Protection relay configuration and analysis tools

Job description

Work with Us. Change the World. At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

Work with Us. Change the World. At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations. There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world. We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced T&D Protection & Control Substations Expert to join our Transmission & Distribution team, supporting the delivery of high-voltage substation infrastructure projects. In this role, you will combine hands-on technical expertise with engineering leadership, contributing directly to the design and review of protection and control systems while overseeing engineering teams delivering secondary systems for HV substations. You will support projects from concept development through detailed design, testing, and construction support, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient substation operation while maintaining high engineering standards across the team.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Expertise & Engineering Design

• Lead and contribute to the design and engineering of protection and control systems for HV substations, including protection schemes, control systems, and substation automation.
• Define protection philosophies, control architectures, and communication interfaces in accordance with project requirements and applicable standards.
• Lead and review detailed secondary engineering deliverables, including:
• Protection and control schematics
• Interlocking and control logic diagrams
• Relay configuration and functional design specifications
• Protection coordination and relay settings philosophy
• Perform or review protection coordination studies and relay settings, ensuring proper selectivity and fault clearance strategies.
• Ensure proper integration of protection systems, SCADA interfaces, communication networks, and primary equipment.
• Provide technical support during construction, testing, and commissioning, including review of relay settings, logic implementation, and functional testing procedures.

Team Leadership & Engineering Oversight

• Lead and mentor protection and control engineering teams, supporting professional development and technical knowledge sharing.
• Provide technical oversight of engineering deliverables, ensuring quality, consistency, and compliance with project specifications and standards.
• Coordinate engineering activities across primary, civil, system studies, and commissioning teams to ensure effective multidisciplinary integration.
• Interface with clients, project managers, contractors, and equipment vendors to ensure technical alignment and successful project delivery.
• Support development of technical procedures, engineering standards, and best practices within the organization.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.

Experience

• At least, +10 years of experience in protection and control engineering for HV substations.
• Proven experience delivering secondary systems across multiple project phases (concept, design, commissioning)
• Experience providing technical leadership and mentoring within engineering teams

Technical Skills

Strong expertise in:

• Protection and control system design for HV substations (line, transformer, busbar and feeder protection schemes)
• Substation automation and SCADA integration
• Protection coordination and relay settings philosophy
• Control logic, interlocking schemes, and communication networks
• Integration of protection systems with primary equipment and system studies

Experience with engineering tools and platforms such as:

• AutoCAD
• Protection relay configuration and analysis tools

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and technical decision-making capabilities
• Ability to combine hands-on engineering with team leadership
• Excellent communication and stakeholder coordination skills

Nice to Have

• Experience working on UK transmission or distribution substation projects
• Exposure to National Grid standards and protection philosophies
• Experience with IEC 61850 substation automation systems
• Experience configuring protection relays such as ABB, GE, Siemens, or SEL
• Commissioning and field testing experienceChartered Engineer (CEng) or equivalent professional certification

Additional Information

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

About AECOM

AECOM is proud to offer comprehensive benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Depending on your employment status, AECOM benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, disability benefits, paid time off, leaves of absences, voluntary benefits, perks, flexible work options, well-being resources, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, service recognition awards, retirement savings plan, and employee stock purchase plan. AECOM is the global infrastructure leader, committed to delivering a better world. As a trusted professional services firm powered by deep technical abilities, we solve our clients’ complex challenges in water, environment, energy, transportation and buildings. Our teams partner with public- and private-sector clients to create innovative, sustainable and resilient solutions throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm that had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. Learn more at aecom.com.

What Makes AECOM a Great Place To Work

You will be part of a global team that champions your growth and career ambitions. Work on groundbreaking projects - both in your local community and on a global scale - that are transforming our industry and shaping the future. With cutting-edge technology and a network of experts, you’ll have the resources to make a real impact. Our award-winning training and development programs are designed to expand your technical expertise and leadership skills, helping you build the career you’ve always envisioned. Here, you’ll find a welcoming workplace built on respect, collaboration and community - where you have the freedom to grow in a world of opportunity.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in your potential and are here to help you achieve it. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.