Senior Protection and Control Engineer

Placements24; Mbombela (Nelspruit); Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work flexibility

Travel opportunities

Medical aid

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Senior Protection and Control Engineer for a remote role with occasional travel to Nelspruit and project sites. You will lead protection design, testing, and commissioning for HV networks and substations, ensuring reliability and safety of the power system.

The ideal candidate has 8+ years in protection engineering, hands-on experience with modern relays (Siemens/ABB/GE/SEL) and SCADA, and a Pr.Eng or eligibility. Travel will be required to project sites as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering; Master's preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in power system protection and control engineering.
• Experience with modern numerical protection relays from leading manufacturers (Siemens, ABB, GE, SEL).
• Willingness to travel to Nelspruit and other project sites as required.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement protection and control schemes for HV equipment and substations.
• Specify protection relays, control systems, and associated hardware.
• Develop protection settings and coordination studies based on fault analysis.
• Oversee FAT & SAT of protection and control systems.
• Troubleshoot protection relays and SCADA-related issues.
• Ensure compliance with IEC, IEEE, NERC and company standards.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to protection philosophy development.

Skills

Power system protection

Protection relays

SCADA

Fault analysis

Coordination studies

IEC 61850

Troubleshooting

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Omicron

Doble

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leading energy infrastructure company, is seeking a highly experienced Senior Protection and Control Engineer to join their operations team, with a remote work arrangement complemented by occasional travel to Nelspruit and project sites. This role is central to ensuring the stability, reliability, and safety of the electrical power system through the expert application of protection and control schemes. You will be responsible for the design, specification, testing, and commissioning of protection systems for transmission and distribution networks, substations, and generation facilities. The ideal candidate will possess deep technical expertise in power system protection, a strong understanding of modern protection relays and control systems, and a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating potential risks. This is a critical role offering significant technical challenge and the opportunity to influence national grid infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement protection and control schemes for high-voltage electrical equipment and substations.
• Specify protection relays, control systems, communication equipment, and associated hardware.
• Develop protection settings, coordination studies, and tripping logic based on system requirements and fault analysis.
• Oversee and perform factory and site acceptance testing (FAT & SAT) of protection and control systems.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues related to protection relays, control circuits, and SCADA systems.
• Ensure all designs and installations comply with relevant industry standards (e.g., IEC, IEEE, NERC) and company policies.
• Collaborate with system planning, operations, and commissioning teams to ensure seamless integration and reliable performance.
• Mentor and guide junior protection and control engineers.
• Contribute to the development of protection philosophies and standards.
• Conduct root cause analysis of protection system maloperations.
• Stay current with advancements in protection technology, digital substations, and cybersecurity for control systems.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in power system protection and control engineering.
• In-depth knowledge of protection principles for transmission and distribution systems, generators, and motors.
• Expertise with modern numerical protection relays from leading manufacturers (e.g., Siemens, ABB, GE, SEL).
• Proficiency in protection relay testing equipment and software (e.g., Omicron, Doble).
• Experience with SCADA systems, substation automation, and communication protocols (e.g., IEC 61850).
• Strong understanding of power system studies, including fault analysis and coordination.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication abilities.
• Professional Engineer (Pr.Eng) registration with ECSA is highly desirable.
• Ability to travel to Nelspruit and other project sites as required.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical aid, life insurance, and retirement fund.
• Significant opportunities for professional development and specialized training.
• Remote work flexibility with occasional travel requirements.
• Impactful work on critical energy infrastructure projects.
• Collaborative and technically stimulating work environment.
• Access to advanced protection and control technologies.
• Generous leave policy.