Field Commissioning Engineer - Utility Services

MMR Group; Brookhaven (MS); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Per diem & travel

Company vehicle

Benefits package

Career growth

Major projects exposure

Job summary

MMR Group is seeking a Field Commissioning Engineer to lead testing, commissioning, startup, and troubleshooting of Protection & Control systems for substations. You will serve as the technical lead, ensuring installation, testing, and energization meet design and safety standards.

Travel is extensive, supporting projects across MS/LA/TX/AR with customer coordination and field engineering leadership. The role requires 5–10 years in protective relaying, substation commissioning, and power system

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, or related field preferred.
• 5–10 years of experience in protective relaying, substation testing, commissioning, and power system operations.
• Ability to independently lead commissioning projects and travel extensively.

Responsibilities

• Lead commissioning and energization for transmission and distribution substations.
• Develop commissioning plans, test procedures, and startup checklists.
• Verify protection and control systems operation and relay settings.
• Coordinate energization, outages, and start-up activities.
• Mentor relay technicians and junior engineers.
• Prepare commissioning reports and turnover packages.

Skills

Protective relaying

Substation testing

Commissioning

Power system operations

Driver's license travel

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (or related)

Tools

Doble equipment

Omicron testing

Megger equipment

SCADA & RTU tools

Relay settings files

Job description

MMR Group Field Commissioning Engineer

Job Location: Brookhaven, Ms. District Office or Conroe Tx. Office are the headquarters with job locations predominately in MS, LA, TX, and AR.

Organization Description:

MMR Group is the largest privately owned open-shop electrical and instrumentation contractor in the United States, leading the industry in providing instrument and technical services. With over 30 offices acrossthe country, MMR offers a diverse range of services, including electrical construction and maintenance, power distribution, panel and modular control building fabrication, telecommunications and security systems, commissioning and start-up assistance, power development, maintenance services, mission-critical construction, and power engineering and design

Company Culture

At MMR, our people are our product. It is not equipment, tools, buildings, or dollars that have led to our success, but rather it is compassion, ingenuity, and drive to succeed instilled in our people.We are successful because we are committed to investing in our people, providing competitive salaries and benefits packages, and offering lifelong learning and development opportunities.Our investment in training programs and resources allows our employees to reach both their personal and professional goals. With a work hard, play hard mentality, MMR stands committed to being an exciting place to work.

Job Description:

MMR is seeking highly motivated Field Commissioning Engineer candidates to support the testing, commissioning, startup, and troubleshooting of utility substation Protection & Control (P&C) systems. The Commissioning Engineer will serve as the technical lead for commissioning activities, ensuring substation systems are installed, tested, and energized safely and in accordance with engineering design, customer requirements, and industry standards.

This role requires extensive knowledge of protection and control systems, protective relaying, substation equipment, and electrical testing procedures. The successful candidate will work directly with customers, project managers, construction teams, and engineering personnel to execute commissioning projects ranging from distribution substations to EHV transmission facilities.

This position is ideal for an experienced relay technician, commissioning specialist, or protection and control engineer seeking a field-focused leadership opportunity.

Essential Responsibilities-

Commissioning & Startup Activities

• Lead commissioning and energization activities for transmission and distribution substations.
• Develop and execute commissioning plans, test procedures, and startup checklists.
• Verify proper installation and operation of protection and control systems.
• Perform and oversee point-to-point checks, functional testing, and acceptance testing.
• Coordinate system energization and cutover activities.
• Support outage planning and switching activities.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts during startup and commissioning.

Protection & Control Systems

• Commission and validate:
  • Line protection schemes
  • Transformer protection systems
  • Bus differential systems
  • Breaker failure protection
  • Feeder protection
  • Generator protection
  • Capacitor bank protection
  • Load shedding systems
• Verify relay settings implementation and relay logic functionality.
• Conduct end-to-end protection testing and communication-assisted scheme testing.
• Analyze relay event reports, fault records, and oscillography data.
• Validate protection coordination and system performance.

Engineering Responsibilities

• Review construction drawings, relay settings, one-lines, wiring diagrams, and design packages.
• Identify design discrepancies and provide field engineering support.
• Support integration of protection, control, SCADA, RTU, and communication systems.
• Assist with engineering design improvements and commissioning lessons learned.
• Coordinate engineering changes and field revisions.
• Ensure compliance with utility standards, project specifications, and regulatory requirements.

Project Leadership

• Serve as technical lead for commissioning projects.
• Coordinate activities among:
  • Utility customers
  • Project managers
  • Construction teams
  • Relay testing personnel
  • Operations groups
• Manage commissioning schedules and project milestones.
• Support project planning and resource forecasting.
• Mentor relay technicians and junior engineers.
• Facilitate customer meetings and startup coordination meetings.

Documentation & Quality Control

• Develop commissioning reports and turnover packages.
• Review test results and ensure documentation accuracy.
• Maintain commissioning records and project files.
• Prepare punch lists and track project closeout items.
• Ensure all testing documentation meets customer and company requirements.

Safety Responsibilities

• Promote a safety-first culture in all field activities.
• Lead daily job safety briefings and hazard assessments.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, NFPA 70E, company, and customer safety programs.
• Stop work when unsafe conditions are identified.
• Serve as a safety leader for field crews and subcontractors.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, or related field preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and extensive commissioning experience will be considered.
• Minimum 5-10 years of experience in:
  • Protective relaying
  • Substation testing
  • Commissioning
  • Power system operations
• Strong understanding of utility transmission and distribution systems.
• Ability to independently lead commissioning projects.
• Ability to interpret:
  • One-line diagrams
  • AC/DC schematics
  • Wiring diagrams
  • Protection & Control drawings
  • Relay settings files
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel extensively.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred but not required.
• Experience with:
  • Entergy standards
  • Utility commissioning procedures
  • Renewable energy interconnections
  • Generator commissioning
  • IEC 61850 systems
• Previous experience serving as commissioning lead on major utility projects.

Relay Manufacturers

• SEL
• GE
• Siemens
• ABB
• Beckwith
• Basler

Test Equipment

• Doble F6150 / F6150sv
• Omicron CMC Series
• Megger equipment
• Omicron & Vanguard CT Testing Equipment
• SF6 Moisture testing (DILO)
• Ductoring
• Doble Power Factoring
• Doble Breaker Time & Travel Equipment
• Ground Grid Testing
• Primary injection equipment

Software Applications

• SEL AcSELerator
• Omicron Test Universe
• Doble Protection Suite
• ASPEN OneLiner
• RTAC configuration tools
• SCADA and communications platforms

Communications & Automation

• IEC 61850
• DNP3
• Modbus
• Mirrored Bits
• Fiber communications
• RTUs and SCADA systems
• Synchrophasor and PMU applications

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in energized electrical substations.
• Ability to travel up to 75-100% as project requirements dictate.
• Ability to climb ladders, work outdoors, and lift equipment up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work extended hours during outages, turnarounds, and commissioning events.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation package
• Per diem and travel reimbursement
• Company vehicle eligibility
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Career advancement opportunities
• Exposure to major utility, transmission, distribution, and renewable energy projects
• Industry-leading testing and commissioning equipment
• Collaborative, safety-focused culture

MMR Group, Inc. and its affiliated companies ("MMR") is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, genetic information or any other legally protected class.