Lead Engineer - Protection & Controls - Major Projects Group

Blattner Company; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 122,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

HDHP insurance premiums for employees

401(k) with company match

HSA and FSA options

Dental and Vision insurance

Education Assistance (Tuition Reimurse

Work/Life balance

Gym on site

Job summary

Blattner Company is seeking a Lead Engineer – Protection & Controls for the Major Projects Group. You will serve as the subject matter expert for protection and controls design across renewable, gas, and energy park projects, developing relay settings, coordination studies, and protection schemes for generators, transformers, and interconnections.

You will collaborate with internal project teams, utilities, vendors, and third‑party engineering firms to deliver safe, reliable designs that comply

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive engineering experience in protection and controls design.
• Experience with relay settings development for systems ranging from 13.8 kV through 345 kV.
• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from an ABET-accredited program; PE license preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop or review protective relay settings and coordination studies.
• Lead short-circuit, arc-flash analyses and protection scheme design.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to P&C design standards.
• Coordinate protection and controls with SCADA, EMS, and RTU teams.

Skills

Protection & Controls design

Relay settings development

Mentoring junior engineers

Coordination studies

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering

Tools

ASPEN OneLiner

ETAP

CAPE

EasyPower

SKM Power Tools

Job description

Lead Engineer - Protection & Controls - Major Projects GroupSkip to main contentThis website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember you. We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience and for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media. To find out more about the cookies we use, see our Privacy Policy.If you decline, your information won't be tracked when you visit this site. A single cookie will be used in your browser to remember your preference not to be tracked.#Lead Engineer - Protection & Controls - Major Projects Group page is loaded## Lead Engineer - Protection & Controls - Major Projects GroupApplylocations: Remote/Traveling (For Corporate Use Only)time type: Full timeposted on: Posted Yesterdayjob requisition id: R8440**A DAY IN THE LIFE**As a Lead Engineer – Protection & Controls within the Major Projects Group, you will serve as the subject matter expert for protection and controls design across renewable, gas, and energy park projects. A typical day involves developing or reviewing protective relay settings and coordination studies, leading short-circuit and arc flash analyses, designing protection schemes for generators, transformers, and utility interconnections, and mentoring junior engineers. You will collaborate with internal project teams, utilities, vendors, and third-party engineering firms to deliver protection and controls designs that are safe, reliable, and compliant with company, state, and federal regulations. The Lead Engineer – Protection & Controls will develop metrics and set objectives related to protection and controls engineering obligations, and will be a key proponent in the development and implementation of P&C design standards and NERC PRC compliance practices.**STEP INTO THE ROLE*** Develops or reviews protective relay settings and relay coordination studies for utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage systems spanning generators, gen-tie lines, collector systems, step-up transformers, breakers, and utility interconnection points across grid-connected, islanded, and transition operating modes.* Performs short-circuit, fault current, and protective device coordination studies using tools such as ASPEN OneLiner, ETAP, CAPE, EasyPower, or SKM Power Tools, accounting for differing fault current contributions of synchronous machines and inverter-based resources on the same bus.* Designs protection schemes for major equipment classes, including generator, bus differential, transformer differential, feeder overcurrent, distance, breaker failure, and synchrocheck protection for both synchronous and inverter-based sources. Performs arc flash studies per IEEE 1584 and grounding analyses for project substations.* Coordinates islanding detection and anti-islanding protection design per IEEE 1547-2018, and voltage/frequency ride-through (UVRT/OVRT/FRT) settings, to prevent cascading trips across all asset types. Integrates protection systems with SCADA, EMS, and RTU infrastructure, coordinating relay communications design (IEC 61850, DNP3, Modbus) with SCADA engineers.* Prepares and reviews P&C drawings including one-line diagrams, AC/DC schematics, wiring diagrams, and relay panel layouts. Reviews third-party engineer-of-record design packages to ensure compliance with industry, Blattner, and Client standards.* Supports relay testing, commissioning, and energization planning. Develops test plans, supports factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT), and provides on-site support through initial energization. Supports NERC PRC compliance activities, including protection system audits and utility coordination for transmission interconnection requirements.* Mentors junior engineers and supports the development of internal protection engineering standards and design practices.* Reads and understands the electrical scope of projects in early project phases. Develops plans incorporating power quality, reliability, and cost efficiency into each proposal.* Works with internal and external stakeholders to develop a clear and concise protection and controls scope of work. Reviews implications of changes, provides recommendations, and serves as a technical resource for Preconstruction and Operations teams throughout the project lifecycle.* Provides contract and subcontract review and comments related to protection and controls scope, and identifies opportunities for streamlining work and reducing waste.* Adheres to the company’s cultural basics and the National Society of Professional Engineer’s code of conduct. Must prioritize ‘We’ over ‘Me.’* Position is estimated to require travel up to 25% of the time to project sites, client offices, and utility offices, subject to fluctuations as needs dictate.**WHAT YOU’LL NEED*** 10+ years of progressive engineering experience in protection and controls design for high-voltage transmission, substation, or large-scale generation systems.* Experience with relay settings development and coordination studies for systems ranging from 13.8 kV through 345 kV, and proficiency with ASPEN OneLiner, ETAP, CAPE, EasyPower, or SKM Power Tools.* Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, or related field, from an ABET-accredited college required, or relevant equivalent industry experience.* A Professional Engineering (PE) license is preferred but not required.**WHAT SETS YOU APART*** Familiarity with NERC PRC Reliability Standards, IEEE, NESC, NEC, and NFPA 70E, and working knowledge of IEC 61850, DNP3, and Modbus for relay and SCADA integration.* Experience leading and mentoring engineers, and driving protection and controls design standards across solar, wind, and energy storage projects, including experience with Python or scripting for engineering automation.**HOW WE INVEST IN YOU*** Competitive pay* 100% employer paid HDHP insurance premiums for employees* 401(k) with company match* HSA and FSA options* Dental and Vision insurance* Education Assistance (Tuition Reimbursement)* Work/Life balance* Employee/Family focused culture* Gym on site* And more!#LI - Remote$121,680.00 - $176,436.00 Individual Compensation to be determined based on the applicant's applicable experience and qualifications balanced against internal equity.**WHO ARE WE?** With more than 115 years of construction experience, Blattner has played a vital role in building America’s critical infrastructure, ranging from railroads and highways to dams and mines. Since 1997, the company has focused on renewable energy solutions and is responsible for some of the most significant solar, wind and storage projects in the U.S. Today, Blattner has installed over 20% of America’s utility-scale wind, solar and energy storage capacity. Blattner Company is the parent company of Blattner Energy and D.H. Blattner & Sons, of which all are members of the Quanta Services family of companies. Company headquarters are in Avon, Minnesota. *Blattner is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Blattner will not tolerate discrimination against any applicant for employment or employee on the basis of age (40 and over), ancestry, color, religious creed, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, mental disability, military or veteran status, national origin, physical disability, race, receipt of public assistance, sex, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. This commitment governs all aspects of employment including, but not limited to: hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, layoff, termination, compensation, discipline, and access to benefits and training. Additionally, Blattner is committed, in accordance with applicable law, to making reasonable accommodations for job applicants and employees based on a qualifying disability, a sincerely held religious belief or practice, and for pregnancy, childbirth or related health conditions. Applicants and employees who feel they have experienced or witnessed discrimination or who wishes to request a reasonable accommodation should contact the Human Resources Department. Blattner prohibits retaliation against any individual for making a complaint under this policy, for opposing discrimination, for participating in an investigation pursuant to this policy, or for requesting a reasonable accommodation.*