Commissioning Protection Engineer

GE Vernova; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 113,000 - 189,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation Assistance Provided

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k) with company matching

Tuition assistance

Paid holidays

Job summary

GE Vernova, Inc. is seeking a Protection Commissioning Engineer to lead pre-commissioning, commissioning, startup, testing, and maintenance of protection and control systems for critical power infrastructure, including substations and HVDC systems.

You will guide site teams, supervise testing, and ensure safety, quality, and timely project delivery. The role requires extensive field work (60-75%), strong troubleshooting, and experience with numerical relays and SAS/SCADA systems; US-based travel

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, or equivalent experience.
• 5-8+ years of field experience in electrical power systems with a primary focus on protection and control commissioning.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute pre-commissioning, commissioning, startup, testing, and maintenance of protection and control systems.
• Coordinate daily site testing activities and commissioning schedules with primary electrical teams.
• Troubleshoot complex protection misoperations, wiring errors, logic issues, and perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
• Manage punch lists, NCRs, technical issues, site instructions, and protection setting change logs.
• Review protection coordination studies, diagrams, relay setting files, and FAT results.

Skills

Protection testing

Relay testing

Field leadership

Project coordination

Travel readiness

English fluency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Omicron Test Universe

Doble ProTest

Job description

Job Description Summary

GE Vernova is seeking a skilled Protection Commissioning Engineer to lead and execute pre-commissioning, commissioning, startup, testing, and maintenance activities for protection and control (P&C) schemes, numerical relays, and substation automation systems. This role ensures safe installation, configuration, testing, troubleshooting, and customer handover of critical power infrastructure — including transmission substations, generation plants, and HVDC systems — while meeting rigorous safety, quality, schedule, and cost requirements.

Job Description

Core Responsibilities

• Lead and execute pre-commissioning, commissioning, startup, testing, and maintenance of protection and control systems.


• Perform and supervise electrical and functional testing of:
  
  
  
  • Numerical distance, differential, overcurrent, and transformer protection relays (e.g., GE, SEL, ABB/Hitachi, Siemens).
  
  
  • Substation Automation Systems (SAS), SCADA, and IEC 61850 communication networks.
  
  
  • Protection schemes, intertripping, and GOOSE messaging.
  
  
  • Current Transformers (CT) and Potential Transformers (PT/VT) testing, ratio, polarity, and saturation checks.
  
  
  • DC control, trip, and auxiliary power supply systems.
  
  
  • HV circuit breakers, switchgear, and transformer protection interfaces.
  
  


• Lead site teams, technicians, contractors, vendors, and subcontractors during protection testing phases.


• Coordinate daily site testing activities and commissioning schedules with primary electrical teams.


• Troubleshoot complex protection misoperations, wiring errors, logic issues, and perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA).


• Manage punch lists, Non-Conformance Reports (NCRs), technical issues, site instructions, and protection setting change logs.


• Review protection coordination studies, elementary diagrams, schematic drawings, relay setting files, and factory acceptance test (FAT) results.


• Support customer coordination, end-to-end trip tests, energization, startup, and acceptance testing.


• Maintain accurate technical reports, relay test records, configuration backups, daily reports, and project documentation.

Safety & Quality

Safety and quality leadership are core expectations of this role. The candidate must be comfortable working under:

• Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) requirements


• OSHA / NFPA 70E standards


• NETA / NERC / IEC standards


• GE Vernova safety and quality procedures


• Site-specific permit and energization requirements

Candidates must demonstrate the ability to maintain high safety and quality standards even under significant schedule pressure.

Leadership Expectations

Beyond technical execution, this role requires:

• Mentoring junior engineers and technicians on protection testing methodologies.


• Coordinating multidisciplinary site teams.


• Managing contractors and suppliers.


• Making sound decisions during critical energization and testing windows.


• Communicating effectively with customers, protection design engineering, and project management.


• Managing competing priorities under schedule pressure.


• Providing technical leadership and remote troubleshooting support when needed.


• Establishing best practices and driving continuous improvement in protection commissioning execution.

Project Management Component

This role carries project execution responsibility across the full project lifecycle for protection and control systems:

Planning -> Mobilization -> Installation -> Pre-Commissioning -> Commissioning -> Testing -> Energization -> Startup -> Customer Acceptance

Responsibilities include control over:

• Schedule for P&C testing milestones


• Testing resources and specialized test equipment (e.g., Omicron, Doble)


• Costs and manpower


• Technical documentation and relay settings configuration management


• Risks and opportunities related to grid synchronization and protection schemes


• Customer requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, or equivalent experience.


• 5-8+ years of field experience in electrical power systems with a primary focus on protection and control commissioning (experience level depending on seniority).

Desired Strengths

Strong candidates will have experience in several of the following areas:

• Protection & Control | Numerical Relays (SEL, GE, Siemens) | IEC 61850 GOOSE | SCADA / Substation Automation | CT/PT Testing | Primary & Secondary Injection | HV Substations | GIS | HVDC | Auxiliary DC Systems | Electrical Testing | Commissioning


• Hands-on experience with relay testing software (e.g., Omicron Test Universe, Doble ProTest).


• Proven experience leading field testing teams.


• Willingness to travel extensively (approximately 60-75%+, depending on position).


• Ability to work in Canada, the U.S., and potentially internationally.


• Knowledge of OSHA, NFPA 70E, IEEE, NETA, NERC, and IEC standards (including IEC 61850).


• Strong Microsoft Office skills.


• Fluency in English required; French or other languages are an asset depending on region.

Certifications (Advantageous)

• Professional Engineer (P.Eng. or P.E.) license


• OSHA 30 certification


• Other relevant safety or protection engineering certifications

Most Important Qualities

The ideal candidate combines:

Protection expertise + hands-on relay testing + commissioning leadership + troubleshooting + safety culture + customer management + project execution.

This person can personally configure relays, inject test signals, diagnose protection scheme issues, lead the team to resolve them, communicate effectively with the customer and utility, manage schedule impacts, and ensure protection systems are ready and safe for energization.

GE Vernova offers a great work environment, professional development, challenging careers, and competitive compensation. GE Vernova is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

GE Vernova will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen (as applicable).

Relocation Assistance Provided: Yes

For candidates applying to a U.S. based position, the pay range for this position is between $113,200.00 and $188,800.00. The Company pays a geographic differential of 110%, 120% or 130% of salary in certain areas. The specific pay offered may be influenced by a variety of factors, including the candidate’s experience, education, and skill set.

Bonus eligibility: discretionary annual bonus. This posting is expected to remain open for at least seven days after it was posted on November 06, 2026.

Available benefits include medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage; access to Health Coach from GE Vernova, a 24/7 nurse-based resource; and access to the Employee Assistance Program, providing 24/7 confidential assessment, counseling and referral services. Retirement benefits include the GE Vernova Retirement Savings Plan, a tax-advantaged 401(k) savings opportunity with company matching contributions and company retirement contributions, as well as access to Fidelity resources and financial planning consultants. Other benefits include tuition assistance, adoption assistance, paid parental leave, disability benefits, life insurance, 12 paid holidays, and permissive time off.

GE Vernova Inc. or its affiliates (collectively or individually, \"GE Vernova\") sponsor certain employee benefit plans or programs GE Vernova reserves the right to terminate, amend, suspend, replace, or modify its benefit plans and programs at any time and for any reason, in its sole discretion. No individual has a vested right to any benefit under a GE Vernova welfare benefit plan or program. This document does not create a contract of employment with any individual.