Senior Protection Engineer

Ist (Integrators Of Systems Technology); Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 800 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology integrator in Pretoria is seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer to design and commission protection and telecontrol systems. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, ECSA registration, and 5-8 years of experience in power system protection. Responsibilities include technical leadership and mentoring of junior engineers. Competitive compensation is offered.

Qualifications

• 5-8 years of experience in power system protection and relay settings.
• Proven experience in commissioning and substation automation.
• Strong knowledge of SCADA/RTU integration and communication protocols.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and testing of protection and telecontrol systems.
• Develop complex protection schemes and conduct advanced fault analysis.
• Mentor junior engineers and support project planning.

Skills

Leadership

Technical mentoring

Fault analysis

Power system performance

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering

Professional registration with ECSA (PrEng)

Postgraduate degree in power systems protection or automation

Tools

SCADA systems

Protection relays (e.g., GE, ABB, SEL)

Job description

Company DescriptioniST (Integrators of Systems Technology) is a systems integrator operating in Sub-Saharan Africa.

We supply integrated, end-to-end solutions for Electrical and Telecommunications Utilities and Large Power Users in disciplines such as Advanced & Smart Metering Infrastructure, Fibre Planning, Geospatial Network Inventory Management, Protection and Control, Substation Automation, Transformer Monitoring & Diagnostics.

Our partnerships and experienced team bring the best of the world to Africa, ensuring top-tier technology solutions.

Role Description

We are looking for a Senior Electrical Engineer to lead the design, configuration, testing and commissioning of protection and telecontrol systems for transmission and distribution networks.

The role includes developing complex protection schemes, conducting advanced fault analysis, and ensuring safe and reliable power system performance.

Reporting to the Engineering Manager, you will provide technical leadership, mentor junior engineers, and support project planning, risk assessment, and client engagements.

Qualifications

• Essential Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering (B.Eng / B.Sc Eng Electrical).
• Professional registration with ECSA (PrEng) is required.
• Preferred Qualifications: Postgraduate degree or specialized training in power systems protection or automation.
• Certifications or vendor-specific training on protection relays (e.g., GE, ABB, SEL) and SCADA systems.
• Project management or leadership training.

Experience

5–8 years proven experience in power system protection, relay settings, commissioning, and substation automation.

Strong knowledge of SCADA / RTU integration, communication protocols, and power system studies is essential, with vendor-specific training and postgraduate qualifications considered advantageous.