Protection and Control Engineer

Placements24; Mbombela (Nelspruit); Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical aid and life insurance

Provident fund

Professional development/training

Company vehicle and travel allowance

Job summary

Placements24 in Nelspruit is seeking a Protection and Control Engineer to design, test, commission, and maintain protection systems for substations and transmission assets. You will ensure reliability, security, and efficient operation of the electricity network within Mpumalanga. The ideal candidate has 5+ years in power system protection, strong relay knowledge, and familiarity with IEC 61850, SCADA, and utility standards.

A PE/Pr. Eng.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering with specialization in Power Systems.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in power system protection and control engineering.
• Strong knowledge of protection relay technologies (electromechanical, digital, numerical) and software.
• Experience with protection coordination studies and software (ETAP, CAPE, CYME).
• Familiarity with substation automation, SCADA, and IEC 61850 communication protocols.
• Understanding of South African grid codes and utility standards.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills; good written and verbal communication.
• Professional Engineer (Pr. Eng.) or Pr. Eng. Tech. with ECSA is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Design protection relays and control schemes for high voltage substations and power systems.
• Develop protection settings, logic diagrams, and coordination studies for transmission and distribution networks.
• Plan and execute FAT/SAT for protection and control systems.

Skills

Analytical skills

Written and verbal communication

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering (Power Systems)

Tools

ETAP

CAPE

CYME

SCADA

Job description

About the Role Our client, a leading utility company, is seeking a specialized Protection and Control Engineer to join their team in Nelspruit. This role is critical for ensuring the reliability, security, and efficient operation of the electricity network. You will be responsible for the design, testing, commissioning, and maintenance of protection systems and schemes for substations and power transmission/distribution assets. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of protection relays, logic, system coordination, and relevant industry standards. This is a challenging and rewarding opportunity to contribute to the stability of South Africa's power infrastructure within the Mpumalanga region.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, specify, and apply protection relays and control schemes for high voltage substations and power systems.
• Develop protection settings, logic diagrams, and coordination studies for transmission and distribution networks.
• Plan and execute factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT) for protection and control systems.
• Commission new protection installations and modifications to existing systems in the Nelspruit area.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues related to protection system malfunctions and performance.
• Ensure all designs and installations comply with relevant SANS standards, IEC standards, and utility policies.
• Conduct root cause analysis of protection system failures and recommend improvements.
• Prepare technical documentation, including design reports, test procedures, and operational manuals.
• Stay updated on the latest technologies and best practices in power system protection and control.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, with a specialization in Power Systems.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience specifically in power system protection and control engineering.
• Strong knowledge of protection relay technologies (electromechanical, digital, numerical) and associated software.
• Experience with protection coordination studies and software (e.g., ETAP, CAPE, CYME).
• Familiarity with substation automation, SCADA, and communication protocols (e.g., IEC 61850).
• Understanding of South African grid codes and utility standards is essential.
• Excellent analytical skills and a systematic approach to problem-solving.
• Strong written and verbal communication abilities.
• Professional Engineer (Pr. Eng.) or Professional Engineering Technologist (Pr. Eng. Tech.) registration with ECSA is highly desirable.

Benefits

• Competitive annual salary package of ZAR.
• Comprehensive medical aid and life insurance benefits.
• Generous contribution to a provident fund.
• Opportunities for specialized training and professional development in protection engineering.
• Exposure to critical national infrastructure projects in Nelspruit.
• Paid annual leave and sick leave.
• Company vehicle and travel allowance for site duties.
• A stable and secure working environment within a key utility provider.