Protection Engineer

Kodiak Gas•The Woodlands, TX

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Protection Engineer is responsible for the design, configuration, testing, commissioning, and maintenance of electrical protection and control systems supporting power generation and associated electrical infrastructure. This role ensures the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of power generation assets by developing and maintaining protective relaying schemes that detect and isolate electrical faults, minimize equipment damage, reduce outages, and support system stability. The Protection Engineer collaborates closely with operations, engineering, and project teams throughout the lifecycle of electrical systems.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering required.
Minimum 3-7 years of experience in electrical protection, power systems engineering, power generation, utility, industrial, or energy-related environments preferred.
Strong understanding of electrical power systems, protective relaying, fault analysis, and system coordination principles.
Experience working with protective relays from manufacturers such as SEL, GE, ABB, Siemens, or equivalent.
Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
Ability to diagnose complex electrical and protection system issues.
Strong understanding of electrical drawings, one-line diagrams, relay logic diagrams, and control schematics.
Attention to detail and commitment to operational reliability and safety.
Effective written and verbal communication skills.
Strong organizational and project management abilities.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.
Ability to support both office-based engineering work and field commissioning activities.
Commitment to safety, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

Nice To Haves

Experience with power system modeling and analysis software such as ETAP, SKM, EasyPower, PSCAD, or equivalent preferred.
Knowledge of SCADA, control systems, HMI systems, and electrical communication protocols preferred.
Familiarity with natural gas compression facilities, reciprocating engines, turbines, generator controls, and industrial power systems preferred.
Professional Engineer (PE) license or progress toward licensure preferred.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and implement protective relaying schemes for generators, transformers, switchgear, motor control centers, substations, feeders, and medium-voltage distribution systems.
Configure, program, and maintain protective relays, including overcurrent, differential, distance, generator, transformer, bus, feeder, and motor protection systems.
Perform protection coordination studies, short-circuit studies, arc-flash analyses, and load flow evaluations to support safe and reliable system operation.
Develop relay settings and protection philosophies for new and existing power generation and compression facilities.
Conduct fault analysis and investigate system disturbances, equipment failures, and protection system operations to determine root causes and corrective actions.
Support startup, testing, commissioning, and energization activities for power generation equipment, substations, and electrical infrastructure.
Perform relay testing, verification, and validation activities using industry-standard testing equipment and software.
Review electrical designs, one-line diagrams, protection schematics, control drawings, and interconnection documentation.
Support synchronization, load-sharing, islanding, and power system stability requirements for generation assets.
Collaborate with operations and maintenance teams to troubleshoot electrical system issues and improve system reliability.
Develop technical standards, protection philosophies, relay setting procedures, and maintenance practices.
Ensure compliance with applicable NERC, IEEE, NFPA, NEC, utility interconnection, and company standards.
Prepare engineering studies, technical reports, relay coordination packages, commissioning documentation, and operating procedures.
Provide technical support for capital projects, equipment upgrades, facility expansions, and system modernization initiatives.