Power Systems Protection Engineer

Location: Virginia
Salary: Up to $147,000 + Bonus
Employment: Permanent, Full-Time
Travel: Up to 50% Nationwide

About the Opportunity

We're partnering with an established electrical engineering and construction contractor seeking an experienced Power Systems Protection Engineer to join its growing engineering team.

This is an excellent opportunity for an engineer with strong expertise in power systems protection, automation and control, particularly within complex electrical distribution systems and mission-critical facilities.

The position will support major projects, including hyperscale data centre campuses, combining hands-on protection and controls engineering with system integration, commissioning and technical problem-solving.

What You'll Be Doing

• Designing complete power systems protection and automation schemes, incorporating equipment from multiple manufacturers.

• Developing protection and control strategies for complex electrical distribution systems.

• Programming and configuring protective relays, PLCs and RTACs.

• Designing automatic transfer schemes, load shedding, load management and system interlocks.

• Developing site-wide sequences of operation for electrical power systems.

• Performing or reviewing protection coordination studies, time-current curves and associated calculations.

• Reviewing vendor drawings, technical submittals and equipment specifications.

• Coordinating with equipment manufacturers, engineering teams, contractors and commissioning personnel.

• Supporting factory testing, site acceptance testing, pre-energisation verification and commissioning.

• Troubleshooting protection and control issues, analysing system events and identifying root causes.

• Supporting projects from initial design through installation, startup and operation.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related discipline.

• Ideally 8+ years of electrical power systems design experience.

• Strong experience designing complete protection and automation systems, rather than protective relay settings alone.

• Hands-on experience with protective relay logic and PLC/RTAC programming.

• Experience developing automatic transfer, load shedding and load management schemes.

• Ability to independently write and validate detailed sequences of operation.

• Strong understanding of electrical distribution equipment, switchgear, transformers and protection coordination.

• Experience reviewing vendor submittals and coordinating with multiple equipment manufacturers.

• Involvement in commissioning, startup, troubleshooting and electrical system testing.

• Strong communication, technical documentation and problem-solving skills.

• Willingness to travel nationwide up to 50%.

Experience with equipment and platforms such as SEL protective relays, SEL RTACs, Siemens SIPROTEC and ABB protection devices would be particularly valuable.

Candidates from industrial power systems, oil and gas, aerospace or mission-critical electrical environments may also be considered where their protection and automation experience is transferable.

We're particularly interested in engineers who have personally designed and implemented complete protection and automation schemes, including relay logic, transfer systems and sequences of operation.

Experience limited to relay settings or protection studies without broader system design and automation responsibility will not be sufficient.

What's on Offer?

• Competitive base salary up to approximately $147,000, depending on experience.

• 5% annual bonus opportunity.

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

• Comprehensive employee benefits package.

• Permanent, full-time employment.

• Opportunity to work on major hyperscale data centre and mission-critical projects.

• Exposure to complex power distribution, protection and automation systems.

• Long-term technical and professional career development within an established organisation.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to join a growing electrical engineering and construction business delivering sophisticated power systems for some of the country's most demanding facilities.

Unlike positions focused exclusively on relay settings or individual equipment packages, this role provides involvement in the complete protection and automation system, from initial design and programming through commissioning and operational verification.

You'll have the opportunity to work with multiple equipment manufacturers, solve complex technical challenges and contribute directly to the reliability and performance of critical electrical infrastructure.

Interested? Let's Talk.

Whether you're actively exploring new opportunities or simply curious about your next career move, we'd be happy to have a confidential conversation.

Apply directly or send me a message for more information.

If you have strong hands-on experience designing protection and automation systems, programming relays and RTACs, and developing sequences of operation, we'd love to hear from you.