Senior Protection & Controls Engineer — East

Ziggurat Automation Inc.; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Ziggurat Automation Inc. is seeking a Senior Engineer specializing in Protection & Relay Engineering to work out of Charlotte, NC. This hybrid role involves overseeing protection coordination studies, relay settings, and automation logic for data center projects along the East Coast.

The candidate should have 7+ years of experience in medium-voltage power systems and be adept in SEL relay programming. The position demands strong skills in coordination studies, with travel expected during commissioning phases.

Qualifications

• 7+ years protection & controls engineering experience for medium-voltage power systems.
• Experience with programming SEL relay settings packages.
• Familiarity with protection coordination studies per IEEE 242.

Responsibilities

• Conduct protection coordination studies for medium-voltage distribution.
• Program SEL relays and perform automation tasks.
• Support commissioning procedures and witness testing.

Skills

Protection & controls engineering for medium-voltage power systems

SEL relay programming experience

Protection coordination study experience per IEEE 242

Secondary injection testing

Commissioning experience on energized facilities

Tools

SEL

Woodward

AcSELerator QuickSet

ETAP

Job description

Hiring Senior Engineer – Protection & Relay Engineering

ZA-33002 • Charlotte, NC (Hybrid) • Compensation discussed during final conversation.

Why This Role Exists

Every multi-vendor Tier III/IV data center protection system we deliver requires an engineer who owns the full P&C scope — coordination studies, relay settings, automation logic, and commissioning — under one accountability. This role exists because splitting that scope across firms creates handoff gaps that surface as retests during witness testing. Our East Coast pipeline serves the Virginia, North Carolina, and Southeast data center corridors — the densest concentration of hyperscale construction in the country. The work spans the same multi-vendor protection architecture: 2(N+1) medium‑voltage with IEC 61850 GOOSE, staged commissioning on live critical infrastructure.

What You Own

• Protection coordination studies for 2(N+1) medium‑voltage distribution per IEEE 242.
• SEL‑751/700G relay settings packages with trip scheme logic diagrams.
• Woodward easYgen 3400/LS‑6 generator controller programming and Modbus integration.
• IEC 61850 GOOSE configuration for zone‑selective interlocking across PRP networks.
• SEL RTAC‑3530 automation logic: mode transitions, load shed/add sequencing, SOE concentration.
• Commissioning procedures and witness test support through owner acceptance.
• As‑built documentation packages for turnover to operations.

Systems You’ll Touch

Vendor Platforms

• SEL
• Woodward
• CAT (Caterpillar)
• ABB

Software Tools

• AcSELerator QuickSet
• AcSELerator RTAC
• SEL Architect
• ETAP

Protocols

• IEC 61850 GOOSE
• DNP3
• Modbus TCP
• IRIG‑B

Standards

• NFPA 70E
• IEEE 242 (Buff Book)
• IEEE 1584
• IEC 61850
• IEC 62439‑3 (PRP/HSR)

Test Phases

• Factory Acceptance Test (FAT)
• Site Acceptance Test (SAT)
• Secondary injection testing
• Functional performance testing
• Witness testing

What Success Looks Like

First 90 Days

• Onboarded into an active East Coast project — reviewed protection philosophy, existing settings, and one‑line diagrams.
• Delivered first relay settings package (SEL‑751 or SEL‑700G) through internal review.
• Participated in site commissioning or witness testing on a current project.

First 180 Days

• Owning a full protection scope end‑to‑end on an East Coast data center project.
• Leading witness testing sessions with prime contractor and owner representatives.
• Contributing to IEC 61850 GOOSE or RTAC automation logic on at least one project.

Required Background

• 7+ years protection & controls engineering for medium‑voltage power systems.
• SEL relay programming experience (QuickSet, 751/700G families) with delivered settings packages.
• Protection coordination study experience per IEEE 242 — time‑current curves, relay coordination.
• Secondary injection testing with Omicron or Doble test sets — trip timing, coordination validation.
• Commissioning experience on energized critical facilities (data centers, substations, or industrial power).
• Working knowledge of NFPA 70E arc‑flash safety and energized work practices.

Preferred Background

• IEC 61850 GOOSE configuration experience — SCL files, publish/subscribe, multi‑vendor interoperability.
• Woodward generator controller programming (easYgen 3400, LS‑6, DTSC‑200).
• SEL RTAC‑3530 automation logic (IEC 61131‑3 Structured Text).
• NETA Level III or IV certification.
• Arc‑flash study experience per IEEE 1584.

What to Expect in the Field

• Travel 30–50% during commissioning phases, project‑dependent. East Coast sites primarily (VA, NC, GA, TN).
• Site Hours Standard office hours for design; site hours during commissioning (early starts, occasional weekends near milestones).
• Customer‑Facing Direct interface with prime contractor project managers and commissioning leads; owner witness testing coordinators during acceptance.
• Documentation Heavy — settings packages, coordination studies, trip scheme logic diagrams, commissioning procedures, as‑built documentation.
• Field Safety NFPA 70E compliance required — arc‑flash PPE for medium‑voltage switchgear, approach boundaries, LOTO procedures.