Protection Engineer

Delta Electronics Americas; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Delta Electronics Americas is seeking a Protection Engineer to lead the design, analysis, and validation of protection systems for microgrids and SST-based power systems. This role plays a crucial part in ensuring safe and reliable operations under various conditions.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering and over 5 years of experience in protection engineering, focusing on protection schemes, fault analysis, and collaboration across teams. A Master's degree and familiarity with relevant tools is preferred.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in power system protection engineering.
• Strong understanding of circuit breaker selection and operation.
• Ability to interpret system one-line diagrams and develop protection schemes.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop protection schemes for microgrid systems.
• Perform circuit breaker sizing and specification.
• Conduct protection coordination and selectivity studies.

Skills

Protection engineering

Fault analysis

Circuit breaker selection

Microgrid systems

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, or related field

Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Power Systems

Tools

ETAP

SKM

PSCAD

MATLAB/Simulink

RTDS

Job description

About the Role

The Protection Engineer is responsible for the design, analysis, and validation of protection systems for microgrids and Solid‑State Transformer (SST)‑based power systems. This role ensures safe and reliable operation of the system under both normal and faulted conditions through proper protection scheme design, circuit breaker selection and control, and coordination studies.

The Protection Engineer works closely with simulation, HIL, controls, and system design teams to develop protection strategies that align with system architecture, grid requirements, and operational constraints.

Key Responsibilities

Protection System Design

• Design and develop protection schemes for microgrid systems and SST‑based architectures.
• Define protection philosophy for:
  • Grid‑connected and islanded operation
  • Mode transitions and reconnection
  • Abnormal and fault conditions
• Select and specify protection elements including:
  • Overcurrent, differential, distance, and voltage/frequency protections
  • Inverter‑based protection strategies for limited fault current systems
• Perform circuit breaker sizing and specification based on:
  • Voltage class, duty cycle, and interrupting ratings
  • System topology and grounding scheme
• Define breaker control requirements including:
  • Trip logic and coordination with protection relays
  • Reclosing and sequencing logic (where applicable)
  • Integration with system controls and microgrid controllers
  • Ensure proper selection of switching devices for both AC and DC (if applicable).
• Perform protection coordination and selectivity studies across the system.
• Analyze and coordinate:
  • Relay settings and grading margins
  • Breaker trip timing and sequencing
  • Ensure coordination between:
    • Utility interfaces
    • SST protection
    • Downstream feeders and loads
    • DERs (where applicable)
  • Validate coordination under both grid‑connected and islanded conditions.

Fault Analysis & System Studies

• Symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults
• Analyze system response including:
  • Fault current magnitude and duration
  • Protection operation and clearing times
  • Impact on system stability and control performance
• Support both offline simulation and HIL validation of protection behavior.

Collaboration with Simulation & HIL Teams

• Work with simulation engineers to:
  • Model protection behavior in MATLAB/Simulink and EMT tools
• Work with HIL engineers to:
  • Validate protection schemes in RTDS environments
  • Test relay behavior and breaker operation under realistic fault scenarios
  • Support integration between protection systems and control/firmware implementation.

Documentation & Reporting

• Develop and maintain:
  • Protection philosophy documents
  • Coordination studies and reports
  • Device settings and configuration files
• Clearly communicate protection design decisions, assumptions, and risks.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in power system protection engineering.
• Strong understanding of:
  • Circuit breaker selection and operation
  • Experience performing coordination studies and fault analysis.
  • Familiarity with microgrid or distribution‑level power systems.
  • Ability to interpret system one‑line diagrams and develop protection schemes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Power Systems.
• Experience with:
  • Microgrids and inverter‑dominated systems
  • Familiarity with:
    • ETAP, SKM, PSCAD, or similar protection / fault analysis tools
    • MATLAB/Simulink for dynamic studies
    • RTDS or HIL environments for protection validation
  • Experience working with:
    • Utility protection teams or interconnection processes
    • Understanding of:
      • Low fault current challenges in inverter‑based resources
      • Coordination in islanded vs grid‑tied systems

EEO Statement

Delta Electronics Americas is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Delta Electronics America is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.