Lead Protection and Controls Engineer

Monterra•,

1d•Remote

About The Position

Monterra is a consulting engineering firm specializing in power infrastructure for modular data centers, battery storage, microgrids, onsite generation, and EV charging. The Lead Protection and Controls Engineer will be the firm's first Controls Engineer and its technical authority and in-house subject matter expert on microgrid controls and protection. The role owns controls and protection design across the firm, works closely with the electrical engineering team, develops engineering standards and processes, and helps translate engineering expertise into AI-powered workflows. The approximate time allocation is 60% client project delivery, 20% discipline building, and 20% shaping AI workflows. The position covers microgrid control philosophy and sequences of operation, operating modes and transitions, controller and inverter integration, control and communications architecture, and coordination with equipment vendors and integrators. It also owns protection philosophy, relay coordination and settings, protection equipment specifications, and production of protection and control drawings. The engineer will guide interconnection protection through utility review, respond to utility and AHJ comments, support construction RFIs and submittals, and assist integrators with commissioning questions. The role also establishes and continuously improves Monterra's controls and protection standards, design practices, and quality controls. The engineer defines and validates technical rules followed by AI agents and collaborates with Monterra's product and engineering team to improve their engineering output. The position is remote-first, with occasional travel for site visits, customer meetings, conferences, and team gatherings.

Requirements

At least 7 years of experience in power system protection and controls, including significant microgrid controls work for generation, BESS, or MV systems.
Hands-on experience writing sequences of operation and implementing microgrid operating modes, including islanding, resynchronization, black start, load shedding, and transitions between modes.
Experience with utility interconnection protection, including IEEE 1547 and direct transfer trip.
Experience with protection relay settings and coordination for MV, generator, and BESS applications using SEL or similar relays, including protection for low-fault-current, inverter-dominated islanded systems.
Strong communication and collaboration skills, including explaining engineering decisions to non-specialists and working closely with clients and teammates.
Qualities valued include curiosity, teamwork, pursuit of excellence, ownership and accountability, self-direction, creative problem-solving, and the ability to be both scrappy and meticulous as needed.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on configuration of SEL RTAC or comparable automation controllers.
Field commissioning experience with distributed energy resources, turbine systems, or BESS, and understanding of how design decisions affect startup.
Experience with gas turbine or reciprocating generator controls, including governor/AVR interfaces, paralleling, and load sharing.
Experience with grid-forming BESS integration, including PCS and plant controller interfaces.
Working knowledge of IEC 61850 GOOSE, DNP3, and Modbus for integration with SCADA, EPMS, and BMS.
Data center power and controls experience, including ATS and UPS interfaces and modular power systems.
Experience with fully off-grid or prime-power microgrids, including aeroderivative turbines.
Hands-on relay coordination studies using ETAP, SKM, ASPEN, or similar tools.
Comfort with AI tools and enthusiasm for using AI to improve engineering workflows; software development experience is not required.

Responsibilities

Develop control philosophies and sequences of operation for data center and industrial sites integrating utility service, BESS, gas turbines, reciprocating generators, solar, and critical loads.
Define microgrid operating modes and transitions, including grid-connected operation, islanding, resynchronization, black start, load shedding, generator dispatch, and ride-through.
Specify microgrid controllers and BESS plant controllers, and integrate grid-forming and grid-following inverters with rotating generation.
Define controls and communications architecture linking the microgrid controller, relays, generators, BESS, and site SCADA/EPMS/BMS, including points lists for integrators.
Coordinate controls interfaces with equipment vendors and integrators, including generator controls, paralleling, and load sharing.
Own protection philosophy, relay coordination, and relay settings for MV systems, generators, BESS, and PV, for both grid-connected and islanded operation.
Specify relays, instrument transformers, and transfer-trip and interlock schemes.
Produce protection and control one-lines, three-lines, DC control schematics, and relay panel layouts.
Define interconnection protection to IEEE 1547 and utility requirements, including direct transfer trip, and take designs through utility interconnection review.
Respond to utility and AHJ comments and support construction RFIs and submittals.
Provide clear design packages and settings to integrators and remotely support them with questions during commissioning.
Establish and continuously improve controls and protection standards, including control philosophy templates, standard schemes, a details library, and QC checklists.
Define technical rules for AI agents, review and validate their engineering output, and collaborate with the AI platform team to improve the system.
Own controls and protection design across the firm and work closely with the electrical engineering team.