Electrical Engineer, Transmission Protection

FirstEnergy Corp; Reading (Berks County); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

FirstEnergy is seeking a Transmission Protection Engineer to perform relay protection functions across transmission and sub-transmission systems. You will study and protect lines, interconnections, and substations to ensure reliable operation, focusing on protection schemes, relay settings, and system analyses for FE assets within the service territories.

Positions are available in Akron, Greensburg, and Reading with consideration for other reporting locations based on expertise.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering or ABET-equivalent; FE preferred.
• Minimum 2 years engineering experience required.
• Electrical engineering is preferred; PE license or Engineering Technology degree with ABET accreditation plus advanced degree accepted.

Responsibilities

• Provide protection system design specifications for transmission and substation projects.
• Develop relay settings and coordinate studies using time-current curves and R-X diagrams.
• Model transmission systems for short-circuit calculations and fault location.
• Analyze SCADA alarms and ED Outage Analysis records for system reliability.
• Ensure compliance with NERC PRC standards and FE protection criteria.
• Support storm restoration and provide technical reports and presentations.

Skills

Relay protection

Protective relay design

Time-current coordination

CAPE software

PowerBase

SCADA data analysis

System protection analysis

Education

BSEE/BSCE/BSME or ABET-accredited equivalent

PE license or FE certificate (preferred)

Tools

CAPE (Computer Assisted Protection Engineering)

PowerBase

SCADA

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION FirstEnergy

About the Opportunity

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Co., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp.

All employees who apply for a posted position must notify their supervisors that they have applied. Employees who have not been in their current positions for at least one year or who are in a position with specific requirements beyond one year, must obtain approval from their supervisor before applying.

A Transmission Protection Engineer is responsible for performing relay protection functions across FirstEnergy's (FE) transmission and sub-transmission systems. The primary focus is on studying and protecting the transmission and sub-transmission lines, system interconnections, and transmission and sub-transmission substations to ensure reliable operation. Engineers will primarily work on relay protection system designs, setting development and system analyses for those FE assets contained within FirstEnergy's service territories.

Positions are available in Akron, Ohio, Greensburg, PA and Reading, PA with consideration given to other reporting locations based on expertise within FirstEnergy's territories.

EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE ALREADY APPLIED DO NOT NEED TO APPLY AGAIN

• Providing technical support and guidance to develop transmission and sub-transmission infrastructure projects, plans and capital budgets to maintain the reliability and integrity of the FE transmission protection system.
• Developing protective relay design specifications for transmission line and substation projects for use by Design Engineers in developing construction implementation packages. This includes specifying the types of protection schemes to be employed including specific details on relay models and communication architecture, instrument transformer selection, input and output contact assignments, etc.
• Performing timely completion of modeling of the transmission system for short circuit calculation, relay modeling and coordination, breaker duty calculations and fault locating ensuring compliance with NERC, RF and FE protection criteria.
• Developing relay settings for new and existing protection schemes. This involves performing relay setting coordination studies through the use of "time-current coordination" curves, "resistance-reactance" (R-X) diagrams, and step-distance diagrams, as well as the utilization of the short circuit, one-line, coordination graphics, relay checking and system simulator modules of the CAPE (Computer Assisted Protection Engineering) software program.
• Participating in the peer review, electronic issuance, as-left verification and retention of all protection settings through the use of the company's setting management system - PowerBase.
• Performing timely analysis of automatic trippings of the transmission and sub-transmission systems. Gathering and analyzing SCADA alarm data, relay targets, digital fault recorder and relay event records and documents the findings in the ED Outage Analysis (EDOA) system.
• Following up on incorrect operations with work requests and corrective action plans to field personnel.
• Documenting findings and status of corrective action plans periodically to FE management and RFC.
• Performing studies related to new load and generation interconnection facilities attaching to the assigned area.
• Performing transmission protection activities with the FE operating companies (distribution), other utilities, nonutility generation, the Regional Transmission Organization, and Reliability Councils.
• Following established procedures and retaining evidence to support compliance with the various NERC Protection and Control (PRC) Reliability Standards.
• Providing staff assistance to management and higher levels of professionals, as needed.
• Conducting technical research; Compiling and analyzing moderately complex data; Solving practical problems.
• Preparing technical reports and summaries; Making presentations when necessary.
• Demonstrating a solid commitment to all aspects of safety.
• Meeting customer needs by providing sound service and responsiveness.
• Exercising sound decision making by developing alternatives and recommendations to technical work processes.
• Supporting FE storm restoration processes including performing assigned field storm roles during significant system disturbances.
• An employee hired at the Engineer IV level will be expected to perform all of the above responsibilities with more proficiency, and in a more independent manner. Further, the Engineer IV level employee will be assigned additional responsibilities related to those above.

Engineer II Qualifications include:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering (BSEE, BSCE, BSME) from an ABET accredited institution is required. Acceptable alternatives are: (1) a Professional Engineer's (PE) License (2) a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology from an ABET accredited institution (3) a Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering or technical field of study (non-ABET) plus an advanced degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering from a university with an ABET accredited Bachelor's program. Electrical Engineering is preferred. A Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Certificate is preferred. Minimum of 2 (two) years of Engineering experience is required.

Engineer III Qualification Include:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering (BSEE, BSCE, BSME) from an ABET accredited institution is required. Acceptable alternatives are: (1) a Professional Engineer's (PE) License (2) a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology from an ABET accredited institution (3) a Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering or technical field of study (non-ABET) plus an advanced degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering from a university with an ABET accredited Bachelor's program. Electrical Engineering is preferred. A Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Certificate is preferred. Minimum of 3 (three) years of Engineering experience is required.

Engineer IV Qualifications include:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering (BSEE, BSCE, BSME) from an ABET accredited institution is required. Acceptable alternatives are: (1) a Professional Engineer's (PE) License (2) a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology from an ABET accredited institution (3) a Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering or technical field of study (non-ABET) plus an advanced degree in Electrical, Civil or Mechanical Engineering from a university with an ABET accredited Bachelor's program. Electrical Engineering is preferred. A Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Certificate is preferred. Minimum of 5 (five) years of Engineering experience is required with a BS in Engineering or minimum of 7 (seven) years of Engineering experience is required with a BS in Engineering Technology.

All employees must have an account to use a FirstEnergy computer to apply for jobs. If you do not know if you have an account, please contact the IT Service Desk at 330-315-4357, Option 1 - 1 for assistance.