Substation Engineer

Pond & Company; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing engineering firm in Atlanta is seeking a Substation Protection and Controls Engineer to support their dynamic Energy team. The ideal candidate should have over 5 years of experience with a strong focus on designing P&C systems and managing multiple projects. Responsibilities include conducting relay coordination studies and collaborating with internal teams and clients. The role also requires proficiency in AutoCAD and knowledge of substations standards. This position offers opportunities for mentorship and professional growth.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in electrical protection and controls.
• PE license or actively pursuing PE certification.
• Strong understanding of protection and control principles for utility substations.

Responsibilities

• Design protection and control (P&C) systems for substations.
• Conduct relay coordination studies.
• Manage project budgets and schedules.
• Collaborate with internal teams and clients.
• Provide technical support during construction.

Skills

Power systems knowledge

Relay coordination

Technical support

Project management

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Education

B.S. Electrical Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

MicroStation

ETAP

CYME

SKM

Job description

We are seeking a Substation Protection and Controls Engineer to join our growing Energy team. The ideal candidate will have 5+ years of relevant experience. This role involves supporting a dynamic team of engineering professionals in designing control equipment layouts, elementary diagrams, schematic and wiring diagrams, and plans for transmission and substation projects.

The work requires a solid understanding of power systems, transformers, protective relaying, and electrical engineering principles. The engineer will be involved in developing and reviewing designs for high voltage substations (12kV - 500kV) and will support protective relay settings calculations and analysis in accordance with current standards (e.g., IEEE, NERC). The engineer will manage multiple projects at various stages, ensuring timely completion, providing design support during implementation, maintaining proficiency in CAD software, and collaborating within a team to produce high-quality deliverables.

Key Responsibilities

• Design protection and control (P&C) systems for transmission and distribution substations.
• Develop and review one-line diagrams, relay metering one-line diagrams, protection schemes, AC/DC schematics, panel layouts, and wiring diagrams.
• Conduct relay coordination studies and develop relay settings for protective relays, including SEL, GE, ABB, and electromechanical relays.
• Specify and select protection relays, CTs, PTs, transformers, circuit breakers, SCADA RTUs, PMUs, and DFRs for substation applications.
• Perform short-circuit, load flow, and arc flash studies using ETAP, CYME, or SKM.
• Develop SCADA RTU configurations for substation automation and communication systems.
• Design communication block diagrams for substation network.
• Strong understanding of point-to-point wiring for panels is required.
• Proficient in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Electrical, MicroStation, ETAP, CYME and SKM.
• Ensure compliance with NERC, IEEE, NEC, NESC, and utility-specific protection standards.
• Knowledge of Air-Insulated (AIS) and Gas-Insulated (GIS) substations.
• Provide technical support during construction, commissioning, and relay testing.
• Review vendor drawings and specifications to ensure proper integration into substation P&C designs.
• Collaborate with internal teams, including substation physical engineers, project managers and other disciplines, as well as utilities, clients, and field engineers.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to team members.
• Assist with engineering release packages, including drawings and bills of materials.
• Prepare engineering deliverables, including contract documents and studies.
• Manage project budgets, schedules, and quality requirements.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Travel to client sites and industry conferences as needed.

Qualifications

• B.S. Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited university
• 5+ years of experience in electrical protection and controls
• PE license or actively pursuing PE certification
• Strong understanding of protection and control principles for utility substations and transmission line equipment