Protection & Controls Engineer — Substation Relay Design

East River Electric Cooperative; Madison (SD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement pension plan

Health insurance with HSA

Paid training and development

Wellness program

Generous paid time off

9/80 work schedule

Job summary

East River Electric Cooperative is seeking a Protection and Controls Engineer to design protection schemes and control layouts for substations. You will work with experienced engineers, gaining hands‑on experience while contributing to reliable wholesale power for members.

The role emphasizes collaboration, training, and adherence to industry standards as you progress toward PE registration and broader project responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering is required or closely related field.
• PE registration or ability to obtain within four years is preferred.
• Working knowledge of IEEE, RUS, NESC, NEC, and NERC standards.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and work on protection and control projects, including substation one‑line drawings, protective relaying, control plans, and wiring layouts.
• Assist with protection coordination, analysis, and planning studies under supervision.
• Review power system events to understand relay and equipment behavior.
• Program protective relays, RTUs, meters, and other smart devices.
• Build project schedules and assign tasks for internal and external teams.
• Collaborate with team members and consultants to meet project goals and standards.
• Support development of project budgets and forecasts.
• Participate in field construction activities for hands‑on experience.

Skills

Protection design

Substation relays

Project scheduling

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

MS Office

Job description

East River Electric Cooperative is seeking a Protection and Controls Engineer to design protection schemes and control layouts for substations. You will work with experienced engineers, gaining hands‑on experience while contributing to reliable wholesale power for members.

The role emphasizes collaboration, training, and adherence to industry standards as you progress toward PE registration and broader project responsibilities.