Protection & Controls Engineer

Leeward Energy•Dallas, TX

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) is seeking a P&C Engineer (P3) to provide electrical engineering support for projects at its operating plants. The role develops solutions to improve the safety and reliability of wind, solar, and battery energy storage (BESS) plants. It leads, designs, schedules, and addresses critical issues across LRE’s operating fleet while ensuring company guidelines for operational reliability are met. Managing complex, time-sensitive projects in a fast-paced environment and communicating effectively with engineering and operations teams are essential to the role. This position reports directly to the Engineering Manager - Electrical. It is an in-office role requiring presence at the office at least three days per week, with the possibility of working remotely two days per week subject to manager and policy approval. Applicants must already be authorized to work full-time in the United States for any employer, now and in the future; visa sponsorship is unavailable.

Requirements

4–6 years of experience in protection and control engineering, preferably in a NERC-regulated environment.
Experience performing protection system coordination studies and validating relay settings.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills for fault and short-circuit analyses.
Strong communication skills, including preparing audit reports, collaborating with stakeholders, and explaining ideas to non-engineers.
Ability to manage multiple projects and meet regulatory deadlines.
Familiarity with high-voltage substations (69 kV through 525 kV), equipment, and relay panels.
Practical knowledge of protection and control, SEL relays and settings, and P&C design.
Ability to read and interpret electrical drawings and protection systems to extract information for NERC PRC reports.
Ability to remain focused and reliable, complete tasks, and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
Ability to self-motivate and manage technical projects, including interacting with outside vendors.
Ability to manage priorities in a complex and dynamic environment.
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (four-year degree).
Current authorization to work for any employer in the United States on a full-time basis without requiring an employment visa now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

Strong knowledge of NERC PRC standards.
Professional Engineer (PE) license.
Master’s degree in Engineering.
Experience performing NERC PRC studies and a good understanding of NERC PRC studies.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain NERC PRC deliverables for regulatory compliance.
Perform protection system coordination studies and validate relay settings.
Design and review protection schemes for transmission, distribution, and generation assets.
Conduct fault studies and short-circuit analyses.
Monitor compliance with NERC PRC standards and prepare audit-ready documentation.
Investigate protection system misoperations and implement corrective actions in accordance with PRC-004.
Coordinate with internal teams and external utilities on inter-entity studies.
Prepare technical reports and evidence packages for NERC audits.
Maintain accurate records of relay settings, coordination studies, and misoperation analyses.
Participate in continuous improvement efforts to optimize protective coordination, reduce downtime, and enhance system operation.
Create detailed reports for internal and regulatory review that highlight protection system performance and effectiveness.
Lead, design, schedule, and address critical issues related to LRE’s operating fleet while supporting operational reliability.