Senior IEC 61850 Protection Engineer

Tesco Automation Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Tesco Automation is hiring a Senior IEC 61850 Protection Engineer to design PAC philosophies, protection schemes, and application logic for digital substations. This senior, hands-on role focuses on Siemens DIGSI and ABB/Hitachi PCM600, translating protection principles into robust IEC 61850 implementations across station bus and process bus architectures.

You will develop protection architectures for HV/MV, configure IEDs, perform SCL engineering, and support FAT/SAT and site commissioning,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or closely related discipline.
• Senior-level experience in power system protection with IEC 61850 project delivery.
• Experience designing PAC philosophies, schemes, and logic—not only device configuration.
• Hands-on proficiency with Siemens DIGSI and ABB/Hitachi PCM600.
• Knowledge of IEC 61850 data modeling, SCL files, GOOSE, MMS, and Sampled Values.
• Ability to work independently on complex multi-vendor PAC designs and produce clear engineering documentation.
• Legally eligible to work in the USA and/or Canada.

Responsibilities

• Develop PAC philosophies, protection principles, and logic for HV/EHV and MV applications.
• Design and implement IEC 61850 protection architectures using GOOSE, MMS, and Sampled Values.
• Configure and commission protection IEDs in Siemens DIGSI and ABB/Hitachi PCM600, including function blocks, interlocking, control sequences, and trip logic.
• Perform SCL engineering (ICD/CID/SCD), dataset and control-block design, and multi-vendor system integration.
• Prepare protection specifications, logic diagrams, I/O lists, test plans, and as-built documentation.
• Support FAT, SAT, and site commissioning, including functional testing of IEC 61850-based schemes.
• Troubleshoot protection behavior, communications, and network issues (PRP/HSR, VLANs, PTP timing as applicable).
• Mentor project engineers and contribute to Tesco’s IEC 61850 University training and knowledge-sharing work as needed.
• Travel within North America to support design reviews, testing, and commissioning.

Skills

IEC 61850 experience

Protection design

Multi-vendor PAC design

Independent work

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering

Tools

Siemens DIGSI

ABB PCM600

Omicron testing tools

vPAC/RTDS

Job description

Open to qualified applicants who are already legally eligible to work in Canada or the United States. Tesco Automation does not sponsor work permits or employment visas for this role.

About Tesco Automation

Tesco Automation is a system integrator and consultant specializing in IEC 61850 digital substations and protection, automation, and control (PAC) systems. We deliver multi-vendor integration, turnkey P&C solutions, commissioning, and hands-on training for utilities, data centers, and industrial clients across North America.

Position Summary

We are hiring a Senior IEC 61850 Protection Engineer to design PAC philosophies, protection schemes, and application logic for digital substants. This is a senior, hands-on role focused on Siemens DIGSI and ABB/Hitachi PCM600, with responsibility for translating protection principles into robust IEC 61850 implementations across station bus and process bus architectures.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop PAC philosophies, protection principles, and logic for HV/EHV and MV applications (line, transformer, bus, feeder, and related schemes).
• Design and implement IEC 61850 protection and control architectures using GOOSE, MMS, and Sampled Values.
• Configure and commission protection IEDs in Siemens DIGSI and ABB/Hitachi PCM600, including function blocks, interlocking, control sequences, and trip logic.
• Perform SCL engineering (ICD/CID/SCD), dataset and control-block design, and multi-vendor system integration.
• Prepare protection specifications, logic diagrams, I/O lists, test plans, and as-built documentation.
• Support FAT, SAT, and site commissioning, including functional testing of IEC 61850-based schemes.
• Troubleshoot protection behavior, communications, and network issues (PRP/HSR, VLANs, PTP timing as applicable).
• Mentor project engineers and contribute to Tesco’s IEC 61850 University training and knowledge-sharing work as needed.
• Travel within North America to support design reviews, testing, and commissioning.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a closely related discipline.
• Senior-level experience in power system protection and control, with substantial IEC 61850 project delivery.
• Demonstrated experience designing PAC philosophies, schemes, and logic—not only device configuration.
• Strong hands-on proficiency with Siemens DIGSI and ABB/Hitachi PCM600.
• Working knowledge of IEC 61850 data modeling, SCL files, GOOSE, MMS, and Sampled Values.
• Ability to work independently on complex multi-vendor PAC designs and produce clear engineering documentation.
• Already legally eligible to work in the USA and/or Canada.

Required Qualifications

• Process bus / IEC 61869 merging-unit experience.
• Testing experience with tools such as Omicron or equivalant.
• Virtualized protection (vPAC) or HIL/RTDS exposure.
• P.Eng / PE registration.
• Experience supporting utility or data-center digital substation programs.