Senior Protection Engineer

NEI Electric Power Engineering•Lakewood, CO

1d•$100,000 - $165,000•Remote

About The Position

NEI Electric Power Engineering is seeking a Senior Protection Engineer to serve as a subject matter expert in power-system protection, short-circuit analysis, and protection-system modeling. The engineer will support utility clients at the facility level and in grid-level cluster studies. Transmission-level protection experience is strongly preferred; candidates with strong generator-protection expertise will also be considered. Advanced proficiency in ASPEN OneLiner is required, and PSS®CAPE is preferred. Additional experience in areas such as arc-flash, harmonic, NERC compliance, reactive-power, load-flow, and grounding studies is valued. The role provides technical leadership for protection-related studies, modeling, calculations, and design decisions. It includes developing and validating models, conducting and reviewing studies, evaluating system and equipment risks, preparing technical reports, coordinating with clients and project stakeholders, and mentoring engineers. The engineer may also support design documentation, compliance activities, testing, commissioning, proposals, and client meetings. The position is full-time. Work may be hybrid or fully remote depending on location and project needs, with a combination of office work and periodic field engagement. Travel is typically 15–25% and varies by project. The posting's job details list a day shift and a travel percentage of 0–10%.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited institution.
Five or more years of relevant protection engineering, power-system studies, utility, consulting, or field experience.
Demonstrated subject matter expertise in power-system protection.
Strong experience in transmission-level protection or generator protection; transmission experience is strongly preferred.
Advanced proficiency with ASPEN OneLiner.
Advanced proficiency with PSS®CAPE or other similar software.
Effective written and verbal communication skills.
Strong interpersonal, analytical, troubleshooting, and organizational skills.
Engineer-in-Training/Fundamentals of Engineering credential required.
Must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

Electric-power emphasis in the Electrical Engineering degree.
Professional Engineer licensure.
Experience conducting protection and short-circuit studies for transmission utilities, interconnection customers, renewable-generation facilities, or independent power producers.
Experience with arc-flash analysis.
Experience with harmonic studies.
Experience with NERC compliance assessments.
Experience with reactive-power and load-flow studies.
Experience with grounding studies and design.
Experience with dynamic and transient-stability studies.
Experience with generator interconnection studies.
Experience with protection and control design.
Experience with relay testing and commissioning.
Working knowledge of additional power-system analysis tools, such as PSS®E, PSLF, PowerFactory, ETAP, SKM PowerTools, EasyPower, PSCAD, CDEGS, WinIGS, or WindMil.
Experience applying NERC reliability standards and regional or utility-specific protection requirements.
Professional Engineer licensure in one or more U.S. jurisdictions.

Responsibilities

Serve as the company’s protection engineering subject matter expert and provide technical leadership for protection-related studies, modeling, calculations, and design decisions.
Develop, maintain, and validate detailed protection and short-circuit models in ASPEN OneLiner, PSS®CAPE, or similar software.
Perform and support utility interconnection and cluster studies.
Conduct short-circuit studies for transmission systems, substations, renewable-generation facilities, and other electric power systems.
Evaluate available fault current, protection-system performance, relay coordination, equipment-duty requirements, and the impacts of new generation or transmission facilities on the surrounding system.
Perform protection studies involving transmission lines, transformers, buses, generators, collector systems, and substation equipment.
Develop, review, and validate protective-relay philosophies, settings, coordination, and application criteria.
Review utility protection requirements, interconnection standards, planning criteria, and modeling requirements.
Prepare technically defensible study reports documenting assumptions, methodology, results, identified risks, and recommended mitigation measures.
Perform technical review and QA/QC of protection studies, short-circuit models, calculations, relay-setting files, and engineering reports.
Identify modeling discrepancies, protection gaps, coordination issues, overdutied equipment, and other system risks, and develop practical recommendations for resolution.
Coordinate with utility engineers, clients, project managers, design engineers, and other stakeholders to obtain system data, resolve technical questions, and communicate study findings.
Establish and maintain study templates, modeling conventions, methodologies, QA/QC procedures, and best practices for protection and system studies.
Provide guidance and troubleshooting support for ASPEN OneLiner, PSS®CAPE, and related power-system study tools.
Mentor engineers and provide technical oversight for protection engineering and system-study assignments.
Support regulatory and NERC compliance activities through applicable project phases, from conceptual design through testing and commissioning.
Maintain working knowledge of applicable utility requirements, NERC reliability standards, IEEE standards, NFPA requirements, the National Electrical Code, and other relevant codes and standards.
As needed, review or support development of one-line and three-line diagrams, protection and control schematics, wiring diagrams, SCADA interfaces, grounding designs, equipment specifications, and testing or commissioning documentation.
Assist with proposals, scopes of work, project estimates, schedules, budgets, client presentations, and technical meetings.
Occasionally support protective-relay testing, troubleshooting, commissioning, and startup activities.
Maintain responsive client relationships and high ethical, technical, safety, and professional standards.
Participate in relevant conferences, technical training, workshops, and continuing-education activities.
Perform other job-related responsibilities as assigned.