Lead Protection & Control Engineer

Pentangle Tech Services | P5 Group; Pleasant Hill (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Pentangle Tech Services | P5 Group seeks a Lead Protection & Control Engineer in Pleasant Hill, CA to drive high‑quality protection designs for T&D substations, data centers, and BESS projects. You will lead local/remote teams, coordinate with layout engineers, relay teams and vendors, and ensure successful integration with SCADA and cybersecurity features.

The role requires a BSEE with Power, 5+ years in protection, and a PE/EIT opportunity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, BSEE with Power major preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in protection schemes and relay coordination for AIS and GIS substations.
• P.E. license or EIT with willingness to pursue P.E licensure.
• Fluent in written and spoken English; strong presentation and relationship skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 20%, including international.
• Strong communication and teamwork abilities.
• Experience with ETAP and Aspen Oneliner for protection studies.
• Familiarity with NERC-CIP cyber security guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Ensure high-quality design of protection schemes for T&D substations, data centers, BESS; include one-lines and relay settings.
• Lead design teams to develop P&C diagrams and wiring schematics.
• Assess interoperability and communication features of protection relays for integrated SCADA solutions.
• Apply IEC61850 process and system bus concepts in substation projects.
• Able to produce P&C drawings, metering diagrams, and BOMs with safe, optimized designs.
• Coordinate P&C with electrical layout, relay settings, and field personnel.
• Interface with vendors and review P&C technical documentation.
• Prepare P&C engineering estimates for proposals.
• Support project execution with cost, schedule, safety and quality considerations.
• Develop FAT/SAT plans and assist field testing and commissioning.
• Review P&C deliverables for constructability and quality.
• Assist engineering manager to hit KPIs and drive process improvements.
• Uphold policies and deliver with humility and focus.

Skills

English proficiency

Leadership

Presentation skills

Team collaboration

Education

BSEE with Power major

Tools

ETAP

Aspen Oneliner

Job description

Job Title: Lead Protection & Control Engineer

Location: Pleasant Hill, CA

Duration: Long Term

Job Description

Job Summary:

The Lead Protection & Control Engineer works on T&D substations for AC, HVDC and FACTS projects with designers, peer engineers & leaders. The engineer is responsible to define, design, coordinate all technical aspects of HV / EHV substation protection & control and oversee technical plant integration and optimization at project level considering safety, quality, schedule and cost criteria. The engineer should have great attention to detail with a can-do attitude & customer responsiveness. The Lead Protection & Control Engineer may be identified as project engineer for small to medium size project, which are highly secondary engineering focused. The engineer shall continuously update themselves with new technology and have a mindset of continuous learning, consistent with grid transition needs. Functions with some autonomy but guided by established policies or review of end results.

Essential Responsibilities

• Ultimately be responsible to ensure high quality design of protection schemes for all kinds of T&D substations, Data Centers, Industrial, BESS applications including one-lines, three-lines, AC / DC schematics, and relay settings.
• Lead a local or remote design team to develop P&C designs (protection single line diagram, 3 Line Diagrams, panel general arrangement and schematics, wiring diagrams)
• Evaluate the interoperability, control features and communication/protocol aspects of IEC’s serving as protection relays to provide integrated solution including SCADA, Cybersecurity and telecommunication needs
• Be familiar with IEC61850 process and system bus architecture and its implementation for substations
• Able to work independently on the following P&C drawings: one line protection and metering diagrams, tripping tables/matrix, logic diagrams, Aux power DC and AC one line diagrams, relay protection and control schematics, metering, monitoring and alarm schematics, SCADA block diagram, racks and panels views, wiring diagrams, control house layouts, cable schedules and bill of materials. Develop optimized designs with a safety mindset.
• Coordinate P&C design with Electrical layout engineers and designers, Relay Setting Engineers, site managers, commissioning engineers and field personnel
• Coordinate with vendors and manufacturers and review technical documentation related to P&C design
• Interface with customer to resolve technical issues
• Prepare P&C engineering estimates. Estimate P&C equipment quantities and costs for proposals.
• During project execution, communicate with Project Engineering Manager to resolve engineering and design aspects that impact material cost, schedule, engineering budget, safety and quality.
• Perform applicable design calculations required for DC battery and charger sizing, voltage drop calculations, aux AC power design and to define CT and PT/CCVT parameters to be specified.
• Create and support development of FAT, SAT, Outages and cutover plans and procedures. Support field testing and commissioning either from office or by on‑site presence.
• Perform engineering and constructability reviews of P&C deliverables of own project and those of other teams (peer review).
• Support the engineering manager in meeting business KPIs and department goals. Be an active participant and contributor to improvements in design procedures, standards development, quality, productivity. Proactively participate in Return Of Experience and Lessons Learned.
• Execute projects while maintaining compliance to business policies, tools, procedures, methods. Embrace a culture of humility, transparency and deliver with focus.

Qualifications / Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university or college (BSEE with Power major strongly preferred)
• Minimum 5 years of experience in system protection schemes, relay selection, primary equipment interface requirements, operational analysis, communication systems and maintenance practices for transmission, distribution, and generation protection applications at both AIS and GIS substations.
• P.E. License or EIT with willingness to pursue and acquire P.E certification.
• Fluent in written and spoken English. Strong influencing and relationship building skills. Demonstrated presentation skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 20% of the time, including international, for meetings and on‑site commissioning tests for customer installations and comply with all relevant company travel and tax policies.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to work in a team environment
• Self-motivated with excellent organizational and time management skills
• Strong presence in front of customer with demonstrated commercial experience
• Knowledge of power system analysis software such as ETAP, Aspen Oneliner for relay coordination, load flows, short circuit and arc flash studies.
• Familiarity with NERC-CIP standards and guidelines for Cyber Security, Grid Interconnection
• Experience in technical problem solving and Lean techniques. Mastering of secondary engineering discipline (process, tools and technical aspects)
• Desired: Effective communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to work in a team environment
• Desired: Self-motivated with excellent organizational and time management skills
• Desired: Strong presence in front of customer with demonstrated commercial experience
• Desired: Knowledge of power system analysis software such as ETAP, Aspen Oneliner for relay coordination, load flows, short circuit and arc flash studies.
• Desired: Familiarity with NERC-CIP standards and guidelines for Cyber Security, Grid Interconnection
• Desired: Experience in technical problem solving and Lean techniques. Mastering of secondary engineering discipline (process, tools and technical aspects)