High Voltage Substation Technician (Testing & Commissioning)

Semco Maritime; Massachusetts; On-site; USD 120,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

3% employer retirement match

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Vacation 10-15 days

Holiday pay (8 hours)

Job summary

Semco Maritime in New Bedford, MA is seeking a technician for low voltage through 220kV, onshore and offshore. You will test and maintain switchgear, transformers, and protection systems on substations and wind turbines, providing relay testing and verification, insulation resistance, and commissioning support during energization.

As the lead HV specialist for US offshore wind projects, expect about 20% travel along the East Coast.

Qualifications

• Journeyman or master electrician license or equivalent apprenticeship.

Responsibilities

• Test and maintain switchgear, transformers, and protection systems on substations and wind turbines.

Skills

Electrical testing

Field troubleshooting

HV switching experience

Relay test equipment

Safety awareness

Education

Journeyman electrician license

Master electrician license

NETA Level II or higher

IBEW apprenticeship in substation/relay

Electrical engineering technology degree

Tools

Doble test sets

Relay test equipment

TTR test equipment

Job description

The role

You will be a technician for low voltage through 220kV, onshore and offshore. Our technicians test and maintain switchgear, transformers, and protection systems on substations and wind turbines. This includes relay testing and verification, breaker timing and coordination, insulation resistance and power factor, commissioning support during energization, and troubleshooting issues on assets. Your input to project management is both needed and valued as a subject matter expert.

If you’ve never worked on an offshore substation before, note the job requires you to be flexible and agile. Weather can limit access to offshore assets, and planning and preparation is crucial to ensure you’re ready to work when offshore because there's no truck to run back to. If you've spent your career in utility yards, this is the same electrical discipline with a harder logistics problem wrapped around it. Most techs find that's the interesting part.

You will be based in the New Bedford, MA area. You will be our lead HV specialist for US offshore wind projects, so expect 20% travel to projects along the US East Coast.

Why Semco instead of a Utility?

You'd see more asset types in a year than most techs see in five, and offshore wind in the US is early enough that the people performing this work now have a career path to become an industry leader in the near future.

Your Profile & Qualifications

• You trained as an electrician, or came up an equivalent route through utility, industrial, or military power work
• You've worked hands‑on with MV and HV cables, transformers, and switchgear
• You have substation experience, whether that's utility side, industrial, or independent testing
• You're fluent with the test sets: relay test equipment, Doble or equivalent, TTR, insulation resistance
• Documented HV switching experience. If you have it, lead with it. It changes the offer

Necessary Qualifications

At least one of: journeyman or master electrician license; a completed utility or IBEW apprenticeship in substation, relay, or power work; NETA Level II or higher; a military electrical or electronics rating with HV power experience; or an associate or bachelor's in electrical engineering technology with field time behind it.

What We Cover

• GWO Basic Safety Training and offshore medical
• HV switching authorization to our standard, including the offshore‑specific requirements
• Manufacturer training on the switchgear and relay platforms running on this project

Benefits

• We match 3% of employee contribution to retirement
• Medical, dental and vision insurance, Premium 100% paid
• 10-15 days paid vacation
• 8 hours of pay on designated company holidays

Salary range

$120,000 to $135,000 per year
Where you land in that range depends on your credentials and HV testing expierence

Welcome to Semco Maritime

At Semco Maritime, we create change. For people. For projects. And for the global energy sector. With us, you will join a community of over 2,300 of the most dedicated thinkers and doers in the energy industry who are driving real change and making their own personal mark on the global energy landscape.

While everyone knows why the energy transition is vital, we are concerned with the journey. How to get there. By providing the answers needed to make change real. Because we believe that global energy ambitions can only be realized through hard work and clever pragmatic solutions. This is what we do. This is what we invite you to participate in.

Safety is at the core of everything we do, and we are committed to protecting our people, partners, and the planet as we work towards a sustainable energy future.

So yes, working for us will change the energy sector – and may well change you too.

We know that our people are our greatest strength. We strive to build an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves, contribute their perspectives, and feel part of the team. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and believe that diverse teams help us find better solutions and move the energy transition forward.

Care to join the movement?

Change. With us.

Physical Requirements

Physical duties for this position include but are not limited to, ability to lift less than 25 lbs independently, 2 times per day; carry 10-25 lbs, 2 times per day. Visual abilities to include near, far, peripheral, depth perception, and ability to distinguish basic colors. Hearing requirements include the ability to hear and respond to instructions, communicate effectively in loud areas (pier/dock, warehouse). Other physical tasks include occasional prolonged standing/walking; use of hands for basic /fine grasping and manipulation, repetitive motion, reaching above and below the shoulders, pushing, pulling, kneeling, bending, twisting, and stooping. Other occupational requirements include talking, traveling, working around others, and with others. Will be exposed to dust or other irritants and electrical/mechanical/power equipment hazards. Physical duties are subject to change.

EEO Statement

Semco Maritime provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.