Protection & Control Technician Senior | Power Generation

Arizona Public Service Company; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Arizona Public Service Company is seeking a Protection & Control Technician Senior to ensure the safe and efficient operation of its power generation assets. This role involves leading maintenance and installation projects, overseeing teams in the field, and ensuring compliance with industry standards. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and extensive experience in protection and control systems.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Comprehensive benefits

Employee development programs

Qualifications

• 5 years of related Protection and Control Commissioning experience.
• Must have a valid AZ driver's license.
• Experience in substation design concepts and protection schemes.

Responsibilities

• Lead advanced testing, installation, troubleshooting, and maintenance of protection systems.
• Oversee construction projects and provide technical guidance to less experienced technicians.
• Conduct site evaluations and develop field-engineered control drawings.

Skills

Safety practices

Problem solving

Technical expertise

Field leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Powerbase

Dranitz

Fluke

Omicron

Maximo

Job description

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Arizona Public Service generates reliable, affordable and clean energy for 2.7 million Arizonans. As the state’s largest and longest-serving energy provider, our more than 6,000 dedicated employees power our vision of creating a sustainable energy future for Arizona.

Our present and future success depends on the creative and dedicated people of our company who demonstrate the principles outlined in the APS Promise: Design for Tomorrow, Empower Each Other and Succeed Together.

Are you a technically skilled and solutions-driven professional who’s passionate about reliability, safety, and high-impact fieldwork? As a Protection & Control Technician Senior on our Power Generation Team, you’ll play a critical role in ensuring the safe, efficient, and uninterrupted operation of APS’s conventional and renewable generation assets across Arizona.
In this role, you'll be responsible for leading or performing advanced testing, installation, troubleshooting, and maintenance of protection, control, and metering systems. You may also serve as a field lead on construction or modification projects at power plants and renewable energy sites—working closely with internal teams and departments to coordinate project activities.
If you’re ready to be part of a team that powers Arizona’s future and values technical excellence, leadership, and field expertise, this is the role for you.

Key Skills & Tasks
Protection & Control Systems Maintenance
Diagnose, repair, calibrate, and perform maintenance of protection relays, metering equipment, and control systems to ensure system reliability and safety.
Installation & Commissioning
Lead or support the installation and shakedown of protection, control, and metering systems at generation and renewable sites, ensuring systems are configured, programmed, and tested according to engineering specifications and safety protocols.
Project Leadership
Oversee and/or coordinate field-engineered construction projects involving upgrades or modifications to generation and substation control systems, and provide technical guidance and direction to less experienced technicians and contractors on-site.
System Knowledge & Tools
Leverage familiarity with Powerbase and other operational tools to document work, track system performance, and maintain compliance records. Stay current on industry practices, safety standards, and emerging technologies in the protection & control space.
Travel & Field Readiness
Travel regularly to APS power generation sites across Arizona, working in varied environments with a focus on safety, precision, and responsiveness.

People We Want to Talk To
- Technicians who are equally comfortableleading projects and working hands-on in the field.
- Problem-solvers who thrive ontroubleshooting complex systems and delivering fast, accurate resolutions.
- Professionals who valuesafe work practices, technical rigor, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Field leaders who take initiative, own their work, and are always looking for ways to improve system reliability.

• Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent training
• Five (5) years related Protection and Control Commissioning experience.
• Must have a valid AZ driver's license.
• Requires proven technical expertise with little to no oversight.
• Requires experience in substation design concepts/protection scheme and electrical wiring practices relating to all substation controls.
• Requires advanced personal computer skills including working knowledge of both hardware and software applications (Dranitz, Fluke, Omicron, serveron, APT, Microsoft office, Maximo, acSELerator quickset, Hyperterminal, TOA preferred).

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work and communicate effectively with contractors, and other associated department personnel.
• Must have an understanding of the Accident Prevention Manual and Human Performance Tools.
• The ability to apply and solve mathematical formulas using algebra and trigonometry.
• A thorough understanding of electronic circuit fundamentals.
• A thorough understanding of three phase AC theory and the ability to use vectors.
• Understand zones of protection and considers potential implications to the system.
• Demonstrate the ability to read and comprehend protection and electrical wiring diagrams related to the functionality of control schematics.
• A comprehensive understanding of protection, metering, and control concepts for substation equipment including but not limited to breakers, transformers, CCVT, PT, Reactors, Capacitor banks.
• Ability to work on all types of relaying including electromechanical and microprocessor from manufactures including but not limited to Westinghouse, Basler, GE, SEL and Beckwith.
• Ability to work with communication devices, transducers, temperature monitors, busing monitors, and other communication devices.
  • This also includes knowledge of supervisory equipment (SCADA) used by APS (examples: Orion, RTAC, D20, status and control modules).
• Job requires travel statewide, majority of activities (80%) are field related and must be capable of working extended workdays as well as overnight out of town assignments for extended periods.

Major Accountabilities

1) Perform site evaluations using one-line diagrams to validate field conditions. Interpret Engineering drawings, Construction Standards Manual, survey notes, Accident Prevention Manual, and other drawings
2) Work in coordination with operations for outage scheduling in Transmission Outage Application (TOA) system and switching order development.
3) Develop new and/or redline existing control drawings for field engineered plant, substation and/or supervisory or automated transmission and distribution line equipment construction projects.
Assist project coordinator by yellow lining and modifying (if necessary) primarily complex projects.
Must have ability to field engineer, modify diagram prints/schematics per design standards as it relates to actual field conditions.
Respond to emergent call outs, troubleshoot protection and control systems, and restore system(s) back to a normal state for distribution, EHV and fossil generation systems.
Provide protection, metering, and control technical services that are integrated with planning and operational needs, reliably and cost effectively: troubleshoot protection, metering, and control system failures and problems.
4) Conduct shakedown, modify, calibrate and functional test new and existing power plant, substation and/or supervisory or automated transmission and distribution line equipment electrical equipment.
5) Lead evaluation and integration projects of new technology in order to reduce capital and O&M costs and improve overall system reliability.
6) Install and integrate new electrical equipment into new or existing energized substation of transmission and distribution lines for primarily complex jobs.
7) Assume a leadership role in the continuous development and application of company and industry standards wherever appropriate and maintain thorough documentation of all system designs and field changes. Demonstrate leadership with the ability to Project Manage resources and scope of work independently and document work performed and communicate progress updates, including administrative tasks.
8) Responsible to perform as site superintendent or inspector for multiple construction workgroups, maintenance of substation equipment and fossil power plant equipment. Independently plan and conduct work to meet required deadlines. Strong organizational skills with ability to optimize resources reducing costs and outage schedules.
9) Responsible for the planning, scheduling and testing of activities on-time without service interruptions. Inspection and Commissioning activities of all substation and fossil power plant equipment used in the delivery and control of power from AC/DC control voltage to EHV.
10) Perform electromechanical and microprocessor functional testing per regulatory requirements. Provide all testing and commissioning necessary to safely and effectively energize and release equipment to operations for remote control.
11) Functional test new and modified control schemes in preparation for energizing new or simple and complex retrofitted electrical equipment. Assure operations personnel that new substation and supervisory or automated transmission and distribution line electrical equipment can be safely energized and placed in normal operation.
12) Participate on project teams to assist in the development of project scope, schedules, and cost estimates for construction.
13) Effectively communicate with our internal customers to assess their needs and facilitate their understanding of any technical opportunities or limitations that may exist.
14) Assure operations personnel that new power plant, substation and/or supervisory or automated transmission and distribution line electricity

Export Compliance / EEO Statement

This position may require access to and/or use of information subject to control under the Department of Energy's Part 810 Regulations (10 CFR Part 810), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (15 CFR Parts 730 through 774), or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) (22 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter M Part 120) (collectively, 'U.S. Export Control Laws'). Therefore, some positions may require applicants to be a U.S. person, which is defined as a U.S. Citizen, a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (i.e. 'Green Card Holder'), a Political Asylee, or a Refugee under the U.S. Export Control Laws. All applicants will be required to confirm their U.S. person or non-US person status. All information collected in this regard will only be used to ensure compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws and will be used in full compliance with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of national origin and other factors. For positions at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Stations (PVNGS) all openings will require applicants to be a U.S. person.

Pinnacle West Capital Corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates ('Pinnacle West') maintain a continuing policy of nondiscrimination in employment. It is our policy to provide equal opportunity in all phases of the employment process and in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. This policy of nondiscrimination shall include, but not be limited to, recruiting, hiring, promoting, compensating, reassigning, demoting, transferring, laying off, recalling, terminating employment, and training for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, disability, age, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other classification or characteristic protected by law.

For more information on applicable equal employment regulations, please refer to EEO is the Law poster. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of every person hired to work in the United States, refer to E-Verify poster. View the employee rights and responsibilities under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

In compliance with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988, the Company is committed to a work environment that is free from the effects of alcohol and controlled substances, and free from the abuse or inappropriate use of prescribed and over-the-counter medications. The Company requires employees to be subject to drug and alcohol testing that is job-related and consistent with business necessity, regulatory requirements and applicable laws.

Onsite: Requires work to be performed in the field and/or at an APS facility. Depending on the responsibilities of the role, this may include, but is not limited to, working at a power plant, job site, or in the community.

*Employees are expected to reside in Arizona (or New Mexico for Four Corners-based employees).

*Role types are subject to change based on business need

CIP Requirement:

This position requires Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) access consistent with North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) standards. The applicant considered for this role will be required to obtain and maintain CIP access for the duration of employment in this position. A full seven (7) year criminal history will be obtained through the pre-employment background check process (or, for current employees, through supplemental background check process) to fulfill the CIP access requirements. In addition, this position requires an additional background check every seven years to maintain access.

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