Distribution Automation Hardware, Engineer 3

Southern California Edison; Santa Ana (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Southern California Edison in Santa Ana, CA is seeking a Distribution Automation Hardware Engineer 3 to lead design, deployment and ongoing improvement of automation hardware across the grid. You will oversee pilots through full‑scale implementations, mentor engineering peers, and ensure safety and regulatory compliance.

The role emphasizes technical excellence, cross‑functional collaboration with vendors, and root cause analysis to drive innovation in protection, switching, and grid monitoring.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a scientific/technical/math field.
• Five or more years of engineering experience in operations, production, construction or maintenance environments.
• Possess a valid Class C Driver’s License.

Responsibilities

• Ensure technical issues and problems are resolved in a timely, efficient, and cost‑effective manner utilizing available resources.
• Supervise, lead, and coordinate work with full‑time and contract employees in the execution of new technical strategies, equipment or standards.
• Conduct life cycle assessments for utility infrastructure materials and processes; improve preventive maintenance procedures to decrease overall downtime.
• Conduct risk assessments and implement risk mitigation strategies to ensure safety and reliability of engineering projects.
• Support audits and inspections; ensure compliance with environmental, health, and safety regulations.
• Provide engineering and technical guidance for identification, analysis, and resolution of high‑impact, complex problems in engineering.
• Ensure engineering facility design basis is controlled and design basis documentation is maintained; conduct studies with technical responsibility for planning high‑impact projects.
• Provide support and technical training to junior engineering levels.
• Protect the company’s assets and customer data with the highest standards of conduct and integrity.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Power system knowledge

Regulatory compliance

Analytical problem solving

Mentoring

Stakeholder engagement

Engineering judgment

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or a scientific/technical/math field

California EIT certificate or Professional Engineer license

Tools

ADMS

OMS

DMS/SCADA

EMS

CYME

Job description

Join the Clean Energy Revolution

Become a Distribution Automation Hardware Engineer 3 at Southern California Edison (SCE) and build a better tomorrow. In this role you will lead the design, deployment, and continuous improvement of advanced automation hardware solutions throughout SCE’s territory, including devices involved with protection, switching, voltage‑var support, grid monitoring/communication, and remote/micro grid. You will oversee projects from pilot through full‑scale implementation, collaborating with cross‑functional teams and vendors to ensure technical excellence, operational readiness, and safety compliance. Serve as a subject‑matter expert in automation hardware, driving innovation through root cause analysis, stakeholder engagement, and mentoring of engineering peers.

As a Distribution Automation Hardware Engineer 3, your work will help power our planet, reduce carbon emissions, and create cleaner air for everyone. Are you ready to help us build the future?

Responsibilities

• Ensure technical issues and problems are resolved in a timely, efficient, and cost‑effective manner utilizing available resources.
• Supervise, lead, and coordinate work with full‑time and contract employees in the execution of new technical strategies, equipment or standards.
• Conduct life cycle assessments for utility infrastructure materials and processes; improve preventive maintenance procedures to decrease overall downtime.
• Conduct risk assessments and implement risk mitigation strategies to ensure the safety and reliability of engineering projects.
• Support audits and inspections; ensure compliance with relevant environmental, health, and safety regulations.
• Provide engineering and technical expertise and guidance for the identification, analysis, and resolution of high‑impact, complex, and/or cross‑functional problems in engineering.
• Ensure the engineering facility design basis is controlled and design basis documentation is maintained. Conduct engineering and related studies with full technical responsibility for planning and coordinating high‑impact complex projects.
• Provide support and technical training to junior engineering levels.
• A material job duty of all positions within the Company is ensuring the protection of all its physical, financial and cybersecurity assets and properly accessing and managing private customer data, proprietary information, confidential medical records, and other types of highly sensitive information and data with the highest standards of conduct and integrity.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or a scientific/technical/math field.
• Five or more years of experience in engineering within operations, production, construction or maintenance environments.
• Possess a valid Class C Driver’s License.

Preferred Qualifications

• California EIT certificate or Professional Engineer license.
• Advanced experience leading complex, high‑impact engineering projects requiring independent judgment.
• Strong knowledge of power system transmission and/or distribution engineering, including distribution equipment, system design, operations, and analysis using tools such as ADMS, OMS, DMS/SCADA, EMS, CYME, or equivalent.
• Proven ability to act as a technical authority, providing expert recommendations and influencing decisions with significant business or operational impact.
• Experience with modeling, simulation, and validation tools.
• Advanced proficiency in analytical tools to automate workflows and support engineering decision‑making.
• Demonstrated leadership in project management, including use of formal project management methods and tools for scope definition, scheduling, risk management, budget control, milestone tracking, and issue resolution.
• Experience establishing project objectives, timelines, deliverables and risk mitigation plans, and driving execution across cross‑functional teams.
• Strong working knowledge of engineering standards, regulatory requirements, and applicable laws and codes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting complex technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical teams or initiatives.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office products.

Additional Information

• This position’s work mode is hybrid. The employee will report to an SCE facility for a set number of days with the option to work remotely on the remaining days. Unless otherwise noted, employees are required to work and reside in the state of California. Further details of this work mode will be discussed at the interview stage. The work mode can be changed based on business needs.
• Visit our Candidate Resource page to get meaningful information related to benefits, perks, resources, testing information, hiring process, and more!
• Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
• The primary work location for this position is Santa Ana, CA.
• Position will require up to 10% traveling and being out in the field throughout the SCE service territory.
• This position has been identified as a NERC/CIP impacted position — prior to being hired, the successful candidate must pass a Personnel Risk Assessment (PRA) or Background Investigation. Once hired, the candidate must complete specified training prior to gaining un‑escorted access to assigned work location and performing necessary job duties.

About Southern California Edison

The people at SCE don’t just keep the lights on. Our mission is so much bigger. We’re fueling the kind of innovation that’s changing an entire industry, and quite possibly the planet. Join us and create a future with cleaner energy, while providing our customers with the safety and reliability they demand. At SCE, you’ll have a chance to grow personally and professionally, making a real impact in Southern California and around the world.

Southern California Edison is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.

We are committed to ensuring that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodations at [e-mail] or [phone] and select option 2.