Manager, Engineering and Substation Operations

Eetdbuyersguide; Vista (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. is seeking a seasoned Substation Engineering Manager to direct all substation field operations, inspections, maintenance, and protection coordination.

You will lead engineers and technicians, balance budgets, and ensure safe, reliable, and compliant performance across the transmission and distribution system. The role requires a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering, 8+ years in utility substation environments, and experience with relay protection.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 8+ years of electric utility substation engineering, operations, or related experience.
• Experience with relay protection and coordination for substation and distribution/transmission line systems.
• Supervisory experience of field personnel preferred.

Responsibilities

• Direct and supervise substation engineers and field personnel to ensure safe, reliable operations.
• Establish and manage substation inspection programs, preventive maintenance schedules, and condition-based monitoring.
• Serve as the single point of contact for all substation operations issues, coordinating across engineering, system operations, construction, and field crews.
• Lead, oversee, review, and approve relay protection coordination activities and related deliverables.
• Own relay and protection coordination from source to load.
• Develop and manage switching procedures, outage coordination, and emergency response protocols.
• Provide technical guidance to project teams on standards and protection philosophy.
• Improve department performance through training and mentoring of staff.
• Organize and prioritize department work to align with capital project milestones.
• Develop and manage department O&M and capital budgets to approved levels.
• Collaborate with NERC Compliance and stay familiar with applicable requirements.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action planning for system events.

Skills

Relay protection & coordination

Leadership

Budgeting & project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Professional Engineer (P.E.) license preferred

Job description

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN), parent company of Liberty, is a diversified international generation, transmission, and distribution utility. AQN is committed to providing safe, reliable, and cost-effective energy and water solutions through our portfolio of utility investments to over one million customer connections, largely in the United States and Canada.

At Algonquin, our vision is to be the most trusted utility service provider in North America - a premium regulated utility, known for our customer focus, commitment to sustainability, and strong community partnerships. Our employees are at the heart of that vision. We believe that when people are empowered to learn, grow, and contribute their ideas, we can achieve remarkable results together.

We are building a culture that values integrity, inclusivity, and innovation. By joining Algonquin, you'll be part of a team that is shaping the future of energy and water, while creating long-term value for our customers, communities, employees, and shareholders.

Purpose

Manage and direct all substation operations, maintenance, protection and control engineering, and field personnel activities. Responsible for planning, organizing, budgeting, directing, and leading all aspects of substation field operations (inspections, switching, maintenance, emergency response), relay and protection engineering for substations and the distribution/transmission line system (including reclosers, fuses, and sectionalizing devices), and capital planning activities associated with expansion and refurbishment of substation facilities. Serves as the single point of contact for all substation-related activities. Leads the development of manpower, man-hour, and labor cost requirements for projects and monitors actuals-to-estimate comparisons. Responsible for performance management, mentoring, and training of field personnel and engineers. Creates and maintains productive relationships with organizations both within and external to Operations and Engineering. Must be able to balance priorities, handle multiple assignments, and take decisive action.

Accountabilities

• Direct and supervise substation engineers and field personnel including technicians, electricians, and inspection staff to ensure safe, reliable, and compliant operations of all substation facilities.
• Establish and manage substation inspection programs, preventive maintenance schedules, and condition-based monitoring to maintain equipment health and regulatory compliance.
• Serve as the single point of contact for all substation operations issues, coordinating across engineering, system operations, construction, and field crews.
• Lead, oversee, review, and approve the work of the protection and control engineering function, including short circuit studies, relay settings, coordination studies, substation control drawings, and other necessary deliverables for substations and the line system.
• Own relay and protection coordination for the entire system, including substation relaying, line reclosers, sectionalizing fuses, and associated protective devices, ensuring proper coordination from source to load.
• Develop and manage switching procedures, outage coordination, and emergency response protocols for substation operations.
• Provide technical guidance to internal and external project teams for adherence to organizational design standards, protection coordination philosophy, and industry best practices.
• Improve overall department performance through continuous training, detailed instruction, professional development, and purposeful motivation of field operations and protection engineering personnel.
• Organize and prioritize the work of the department and assigned resources to align with projected capital project construction and in-service milestones.
• Develop and manage department O&M and capital budgets to approved levels.
• Collaborate with NERC Compliance department and monitor regulatory and standardizing bodies to maintain familiarity with applicable protection, operations, and maintenance requirements.
• Lead and oversee root cause analysis, corrective action planning, and submission of any applicable NERC data reporting for system events, relay misoperations, and equipment failures.
• Support the development and execution of asset management strategies for substation equipment, including transformers, breakers, switches, batteries, and protection systems.
• Manage contractor and vendor relationships for specialized substation maintenance, testing, and commissioning activities.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field
• 8+ years of electric utility substation engineering, operations, or related experience
• Demonstrated experience with relay protection and coordination for substation and distribution/transmission line systems
• Experience supervising field personnel preferred
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license preferred