Applications & Proposal Engineer

Ziggurat Automation Inc.; Sacramento (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Ziggurat Automation Inc. in Sacramento, CA is seeking an ENG III for power system studies and design, focusing on defining P&C scope for multi-vendor integration and bid packages. Hybrid work arrangement in Sacramento area.

The role requires reading prime contractor specs, mapping interfaces, and producing scope clarifications, exclusions, and equipment lists for proposals. Travel modestly for site assessments may be involved.

Qualifications

• 5+ years protection & controls engineering for medium-voltage power systems.
• Familiarity with data centre or critical facility power architecture — generators, ATS, switchgear, UPS, PDU
• Experience reading and interpreting prime contractor specifications, one-line diagrams, and bid documents
• Scope definition and proposal writing — translating technical requirements into deliverable boundaries
• Multi-vendor awareness: SEL, Woodward, ABB, Eaton, or equivalent OEM protection/controls platforms

Responsibilities

• Define P&C subcontract scope including protection, controls, commissioning boundaries
• Clarifications and exclusions documentation — what is in scope, what is not, and where interfaces live
• Multi-vendor integration scope assessment across 8 manufacturer platforms
• Vendor interface matrices: protocol compatibility, boundary definitions, integration risk identification
• Quotation development with engineering hour estimates and equipment lists

Skills

Protection & controls engineering

Reading specs & one-line diagrams

Multi-vendor awareness

Proposal writing

Tools

ETAP

SKM

Job description

Power System Studies & Design

Sacramento, CA (Hybrid)

Hiring ENG III

• ZA-31006
• Sacramento, CA (Hybrid)
• Hybrid
• Compensation discussed during final conversation

Why This Role Exists

Every project starts before the project starts — with a scope definition, a vendor interface assessment, and a proposal that accurately describes what we will deliver, what we will not, and where the integration boundaries are. This role exists because P&C scope definition across 8 manufacturer platforms requires an engineer who can read specifications and translate them into actionable scope. You define the technical scope, clarifications, and exclusions that become the contract. When you identify a gap between a prime contractor's specification and the actual integration requirements, that gap gets documented before it becomes a change order.

What You Own

• Technical scope definition for P&C subcontract bids — protection, controls, commissioning boundaries
• Clarifications and exclusions documentation — what is in scope, what is not, and where interfaces live
• Multi-vendor integration scope assessment: which engineering activities apply to each of 8 manufacturer platforms
• Vendor interface matrices: protocol compatibility, boundary definitions, integration risk identification
• Quotation development with engineering hour estimates and equipment lists
• Legacy-to-modern equipment mapping and migration scope definition

Systems You'll Touch

Vendor Platforms

SEL Woodward ABB Eaton CAT (Caterpillar)

Software Tools

ETAP

Standards

IEC 61850

Protocols

DNP3 Modbus TCP

What Success Looks Like

First 90 Days

• Reviewed 2+ prime contractor RFP/specification packages and produced scope clarification documents
• Developed a vendor interface matrix for a multi-vendor P&C scope
• Contributed to a proposal package — engineering narrative, equipment list, or scope boundary definition

First 180 Days

• Independently defining P&C scope from prime contractor specifications — clarifications, exclusions, integration boundaries
• Produced at least one complete proposal package accepted by the principal engineer
• Identified scope gaps or integration risks that were incorporated into contract terms

Required Background

• 5+ years protection & controls engineering or applications engineering for medium-voltage power systems
• Familiarity with data centre or critical facility power architecture — generators, ATS, switchgear, UPS, PDU
• Experience reading and interpreting prime contractor specifications, one-line diagrams, and bid documents
• Scope definition and proposal writing — translating technical requirements into deliverable boundaries
• Multi-vendor awareness: SEL, Woodward, ABB, Eaton, or equivalent OEM protection/controls platforms

Preferred Background

• Subcontractor proposal experience — scope narratives, clarifications/exclusions, engineering hour estimates
• Modernisation/migration scope assessment — legacy system evaluation and upgrade planning
• ETAP or SKM modelling for preliminary study scope sizing
• Commissioning scope estimation and resource planning

What to Expect in the Field

• Travel 10–15% for site visits, constructability walks, and pre-bid assessments
• Site Hours Standard office hours for scope development; occasional half-day site visits for as-built assessment
• Customer-Facing Direct interface with prime contractor procurement and project managers during bid/proposal phase; vendor technical support for scope clarification
• Documentation Moderate — scope definitions, clarifications/exclusions, quotation packages, vendor interface matrices, equipment lists
• Field Safety Minimal field exposure; NFPA 70E awareness for site assessment visits

Why Ziggurat

• Your scope definitions become the contract — you shape what the project looks like before engineering starts
• Work across all 8 vendor platforms — scope assessment requires understanding every integration boundary
• Direct feedback from project execution: see how your scope boundaries hold up during delivery and commissioning
• Small firm means proposals move from your desk to the principal engineer's review, not through a bureaucracy

Hiring Process

• Screen — Background review against role requirements — vendor platform experience, relevant certifications, project types, and standards familiarity. Quick assessment of baseline alignment before investing either party's time.
• Resume review + 15-min intro call
• Technical Review — Deeper evaluation of technical depth. We review sample work — relay settings files, protection study reports, commissioning test procedures, or SCADA configuration packages — depending on the role. If samples aren't shareable, we discuss specific project scenarios in detail. Async work-sample review or 45-min technical call
• Interview — Scenario-based conversation with the principal engineer. Real project situations: how you'd approach a coordination study for a complex switchgear lineup, sequence a commissioning plan across multiple vendor platforms, or troubleshoot a protection scheme failure during site acceptance testing. 60-min video call with founder
• Exercise / Artifact Review — A practical evaluation matched to the role. Engineering roles receive a take-home exercise — review and mark up a set of relay settings, identify gaps in a protection study, or develop a test procedure for a specific scheme. Field-focused roles walk through a commissioning package or test report they've delivered, explaining their methodology and decisions. Take-home exercise (2–4 hrs) or artifact walkthrough (60 min)
• Final Conversation — Role scope, current project pipeline, working arrangements, and compensation. This is a two-way conversation — we want to confirm the role fits your goals, not just the other way around. 30-min call

This role supports our end to end , protection studies and power studies service scopes.

General interest

Protection & Relay EngineeringPower System Studies & DesignCommissioning & Field ExecutionIntegration & ControlsProject & Deployment Management

Let's Talk Engineering

First step: a 15-minute call with the principal engineer.