IEC 61850 / Protection Automation Engineer

Ziggurat Automation Inc.; Sacramento (CA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Ziggurat Automation Inc. is looking for an engineer specialized in Protection & Relay Engineering. This role requires expertise in IEC 61850 protocols and GOOSE datasets to manage and configure critical network communications and protocols in energy automation.

You will work in Sacramento, CA, with a hybrid work option, and engage in hands-on protocol level work. Candidates should have over 5 years of experience in automation engineering, focusing on protection communications and protocol conversions.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in protection or automation engineering.
• Experience with IEC 61850 implementation and GOOSE datasets.
• Ability to analyze network protocols using Wireshark.

Responsibilities

• Own IEC 61850 configuration scope and deliver RTAC logic programs.
• Participate in PRP network commissioning and verification.
• Manage automatic mode transitions and load shedding.

Skills

IEC 61850 implementation experience

GOOSE configuration

PRP or HSR network experience

SEL RTAC-3530 programming

Protocol gatewaying experience

Network protocol analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

SEL Architect AcSELerator

RTAC AcSELerator

Wireshark

Job description

Protection & Relay Engineering – Hiring ENG III – Sacramento, CA (Hybrid)

Why This Role Exists

Our protection architecture uses IEC 61850 GOOSE for peer‑to‑peer trip signals, PRP dual‑star networks for zero‑SPOF communication, and RTAC‑3530 controllers for protocol gatewaying and sequence logic. This role exists because that stack requires an engineer who can work at the protocol level — SCL files, GOOSE datasets, PRP multicast groups, and RTAC logic programs — not just relay settings. You own the automation layer between the protection relays and the SCADA/HMI system: IEC 61850 configuration, protocol conversion (GOOSE  DNP3  Modbus), and the deterministic logic that manages mode transitions, load shedding, and black‑start sequencing.

What You Own

• IEC 61850 GOOSE dataset configuration: publish/subscribe mappings, multicast group assignments, SCL/CID/SCD files
• PRP dual‑star network architecture: VLAN/VRF design, QoS for GOOSE traffic prioritization, dual‑plane separation
• SEL RTAC‑3530 logic programs (IEC 61131‑3 Structured Text): sequence control, mode management, load shed/add, SOE concentration
• Protocol gateway configurations: GOOSE → DNP3 → Modbus point maps, alarm/state model definitions
• Configuration management: versioned CID/SCD baselines, change control documentation across 134‑IED designs
• IRIG‑B time synchronization design and SOE timestamp correlation

Systems You’ll Touch

Vendor Platforms

• SEL Cisco

Software Tools

• SEL Architect AcSELerator
• RTAC AcSELerator
• QuickSet
• Wireshark

Protocols

• IEC 61850 GOOSE
• DNP3
• Modbus TCP
• IRIG‑B
• SNMP

Standards

• IEC 61850
• IEC 62439‑3 (PRP/HSR)

Site Activities

• Automatic mode transitions
• Automatic black‑start sequencing
• Priority‑based load shedding
• Sequenced load restoration

What Success Looks Like

First 90 Days

• Reviewed existing IEC 61850 configurations (SCL/CID files) and RTAC logic programs on a current project
• Delivered a GOOSE dataset configuration or RTAC logic modification through internal review
• Captured GOOSE messages with Wireshark and validated publish/subscribe behavior on a PRP network

First 180 Days

• Owning IEC 61850 configuration scope on at least one project — SCL engineering, GOOSE datasets, PRP multicast
• Delivering RTAC logic programs for mode management or sequence control
• Participating in PRP network commissioning — failover testing, GOOSE continuity verification

Required Background

• 5+ years protection or automation engineering with IEC 61850 implementation experience
• GOOSE configuration: SCL file engineering (CID/SCD), publish/subscribe mappings, dataset design
• PRP or HSR network experience per IEC 62439‑3 — dual‑plane architecture, DANP endpoints
• SEL RTAC‑3530 or equivalent automation controller programming (IEC 61131‑3)
• Protocol gatewaying experience: IEC 61850 GOOSE, DNP3, Modbus TCP/RTU
• Network protocol analysis with Wireshark — GOOSE message capture and troubleshooting

Preferred Background

• SEL Architect SCL engineering tool experience
• Industrial Ethernet network design: VLAN segmentation, QoS, Cisco IE switch configuration
• IEC 62443 zone/conduit model awareness for OT network security
• IRIG‑B time synchronization design and SOE correlation
• Configuration management for large IED deployments (100+ devices)

What to Expect in the Field

• Travel 20–40% during commissioning and network integration phases
• Site Hours: Standard office hours for configuration engineering; site hours during PRP network commissioning and GOOSE verification
• Customer‑Facing Interface with prime contractor network and controls engineers; vendor technical support for multi‑vendor interoperability
• Documentation Heavy — SCL/CID/SCD files, network architecture diagrams, RTAC logic documentation, GOOSE dataset specifications, protocol point maps
• Field Safety NFPA 70E awareness required for switchgear‑adjacent network equipment installation and testing

Why Ziggurat

• IEC 61850 GOOSE in production — not a pilot or proof‑of‑concept, but the operating protection communication layer on live critical systems
• 134‑IED designs with formal configuration management — work at a scale where protocol engineering matters
• Full‑stack automation: you touch the protocol layer, the logic layer, and the network layer, not just one slice
• Direct access to the principal engineer who architected the DSN protection network — learn from the design authority