Senior Protection Engineer (63444)

NEI Electric Power Engineering, Inc.; Lakewood (CO); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Employer-paid life insurance and long‑

Term disability

401(k) with employer matching

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Paid parental leave

Job summary

NEI Electric Power Engineering, Inc. is seeking a Senior Protection Engineer to lead protection studies, short-circuit analysis, and system modeling for utility clients. The role supports remote work or on-site in Lakewood, CO, with minimal travel.

You will develop detailed models and coordinate with stakeholders across projects. Requirements include a 4-year Electrical Engineering degree, 5+ years in protection engineering, and proficiency with ASPEN OneLiner and PSS CAPE.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with electric-power emphasis preferred.
• Five+ years of protection engineering experience in power systems or utilities.
• Demonstrated subject matter expertise in power-system protection.
• Strong transmission-level or generator protection experience preferred.
• Advanced proficiency with ASPEN OneLiner and PSS CAPE or similar software.
• Engineer-in-Training/FE credential required; PE licensure preferred.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States full-time.

Responsibilities

• Serve as protection engineering expert and provide technical leadership for studies, modeling, calculations, and design decisions.
• Develop, validate protection and short-circuit models in ASPEN OneLiner, PSS CAPE, or similar software.
• Perform utility interconnection and cluster studies.
• Conduct short-circuit studies for transmission, substations, and generation facilities.
• Review protection requirements and prepare clear study reports documenting methodology and risks.

Skills

Power-system protection

Protection engineering

ASPEN OneLiner

PSS CAPE

Transmission protection

Relay coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

EIT/FE credential

Professional Engineer licensure preferred

Tools

ASPEN OneLiner

PSS CAPE

PSSE

PowerFactory

ETAP

Job description

Job Details

Job Details: Level: Senior, Job Location: Remote or Lakewood CO - Lakewood, CO 80215, Position Type: Full Time, Education Level: 4 Year Degree, Salary Range: $100,000.00 - $165,000.00 Salary/year, Travel Percentage: Minimal: 0 - 10%, Job Shift: Day, Job Category: Engineering, Senior Protection Engineer - Transmission & System Studies

Position Summary

We are seeking a Senior Protection Engineer to serve as a subject matter expert in power system protection, short-circuit analysis, and protection-system modeling. This position will support utility clients at the individual facility level as well as grid level cluster studies as needed.

Essential Responsibilities

• Serve as the company’s protection engineering subject matter expert and provide technical leadership for protection-related studies, modeling, calculations, and design decisions.
• Develop, maintain, and validate detailed protection and short-circuit models in ASPEN OneLiner, PSS®CAPE, or similar software.
• Perform and support utility interconnection and cluster studies.
• Conduct short-circuit studies for transmission systems, substations, renewable-generation facilities, and other electric power systems.
• Evaluate available fault current, protection-system performance, relay coordination, equipment-duty requirements, and the impacts of new generation or transmission facilities on the surrounding system.
• Perform protection studies involving transmission lines, transformers, buses, generators, collector systems, and substation equipment.
• Develop, review, and validate protective-relay philosophies, settings, coordination, and application criteria.
• Review utility protection requirements, interconnection standards, planning criteria, and modeling requirements.
• Prepare clear, technically defensible study reports documenting assumptions, methodology, results, identified risks, and recommended mitigation measures.
• Perform technical review and QA/QC of protection studies, short-circuit models, calculations, relay-setting files, and engineering reports.
• Identify modeling discrepancies, protection gaps, coordination issues, overdutied equipment, and other system risks, and develop practical recommendations for resolution.
• Coordinate with utility engineers, clients, project managers, design engineers, and other stakeholders to obtain required system data, resolve technical questions, and communicate study findings.
• Establish and maintain study templates, modeling conventions, methodologies, QA/QC procedures, and best practices for protection and system studies.
• Provide guidance and troubleshooting support for ASPEN OneLiner, PSS®CAPE, and related power-system study tools.
• Mentor engineers and provide technical oversight for protection engineering and system-study assignments.
• Support regulatory and NERC compliance activities throughout applicable project phases, from conceptual design through testing and commissioning.
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of applicable utility requirements, NERC reliability standards, IEEE standards, NFPA requirements, the National Electrical Code, and other relevant codes and standards.
• As needed, review or support the development of one-line diagrams, three-line diagrams, protection and control schematics, wiring diagrams, SCADA interfaces, grounding designs, equipment specifications, and testing or commissioning documentation.
• Assist with proposals, scopes of work, project estimates, schedules, budgets, client presentations, and technical meetings.
• Occasionally support protective-relay testing, troubleshooting, commissioning, and startup activities.
• Maintain responsive client relationships and high ethical, technical, safety, and professional standards.
• Participate in relevant conferences, technical training, workshops, and continuing-education activities.
• Perform other job-related responsibilities as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited institution, with an electric-power emphasis preferred.
• Five or more years of relevant protection engineering, power-system studies, utility, consulting, or field experience.
• Demonstrated subject matter expertise in power-system protection.
• Strong experience in transmission-level protection or generator protection, with transmission experience strongly preferred.
• Advanced proficiency with: ASPEN OneLiner, PSS®CAPE or other similar software.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal, analytical, troubleshooting, and organizational skills.
• Engineer-in-Training/Fundamentals of Engineering credential required; Professional Engineer licensure preferred.
• Must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience conducting protection and short-circuit studies for transmission utilities, interconnection customers, renewable-generation facilities, or independent power producers.
• Experience with one or more of the following:
  • Arc-flash analysis
  • Harmonic studies
  • NERC compliance assessments
  • Reactive-power and load-flow studies
  • Grounding studies and design
  • Dynamic and transient-stability studies
  • Generator interconnection studies
  • Protection and control design
  • Relay testing and commissioning
• Working knowledge of additional power-system analysis tools, such as PSS®E, PSLF, PowerFactory, ETAP, SKM PowerTools, EasyPower, PSCAD, CDEGS, WinIGS, or WindMil.
• Experience applying NERC reliability standards and regional or utility-specific protection requirements.
• Professional Engineer licensure in one or more U.S. jurisdictions.

Work Environment

Hybrid or fully remote work model depending on location and project needs

Benefits & Total Rewards

• medical, dental, and vision coverage
• employer-paid life insurance and long-term disability
• a 401(k) with employer matching
• paid time off
• paid holidays
• paid parental leave

Benefits eligibility and details may vary by role and location and will be provided during the interview process.

Equal Opportunity and E-Verify

We are a proud equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or genetic information. NEI Electric Power Engineering participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your completed Form I-9 to confirm your work authorization in the United States.

Qualifications: