Staff Engineer

Wunderlich-Malec Engineering, Inc.•Saco, ME

8d•$75,000 - $125,000

About The Position

Wunderlich-Malec is hiring a Staff Engineer for its Electrical Testing group in Saco, Maine. The role provides electrical engineering design, relay settings, system studies, testing, commissioning, and technical consulting for utility, generation, industrial, institutional, and federal electrical power systems. The Staff Engineer serves as a technical lead on assigned projects, working independently while collaborating with engineers, designers, field technicians, and commissioning personnel. The position supports Protection & Control systems, relay settings, communications integration, SCADA interfaces, logic diagrams, and related engineering documentation. The role supports projects throughout their lifecycle, from conceptual design and detailed engineering through factory acceptance testing, field commissioning, startup support, and troubleshooting. It also involves communicating project risks, schedule concerns, technical challenges, and resource needs to project management and department leadership. The position combines standard office work, work-from-home, and field leadership. Travel of at least 25% is required. Work may involve varied temperatures, moisture, uneven or slippery surfaces, confined spaces, heights, noise, vibration, chemicals, and electrical hazards. Irregular or extended hours, on-call availability, and travel to complete projects may be required.

Requirements

A minimum of 2–8+ years of engineering and/or testing and commissioning experience.
In-depth understanding of three-phase power systems and Protection & Control schemes and implementation.
Experience leading project execution activities and client-facing technical efforts.
Experience creating and reviewing Protection & Control engineering design packages for utility, generation, industrial, institutional, and/or federal facility projects.
Experience with AutoCAD, MicroStation, or similar engineering design software.
Experience with PDF editing software such as Bluebeam Revu or similar applications.
Experience calculating relay settings and performing coordination studies for utility, distribution, generation, and industrial systems.
Experience using relay test sets with relay vendors such as SEL, GE, Beckwith, ABB, and Basler, as well as electromechanical relays.
Experience testing equipment such as circuit breakers, transformers, circuit switchers, MOABS, CTs, PTs, batteries and chargers, transfer switches, line tuners, wave traps, and carrier relays.
Experience testing and commissioning new and modified substations, including equipment isolation and restoration and complex circuit cutovers while mitigating inadvertent operations.
Experience with rotating machinery, including generators and excitation systems.
Experience testing previously programmed RTUs locally and remotely to system operators.
Experience with SCADA, RTU, and DFR systems.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, including Word and Excel.
Ability to travel a minimum of 25%.
Valid and unrestricted driver’s license that can be maintained.
Ability to perform the physical activities and work in the conditions described, including driving, lifting, climbing, working at heights, and exposure to varied temperatures, moisture, hazardous materials, and electrical voltages.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in engineering (electrical, mechanical, or engineering technology) from an accredited institution; preferred.
Knowledge of designing, programming, and calculating settings for electromechanical, solid-state, and microprocessor protection devices from platforms including GE, SEL, ALSTOM, SCHNEIDER, SIEMENS, Beckwith, Basler, Eaton, and ABB.
Ability to write code for macros or scripts that support studies or relay settings calculations.
Knowledge of and experience with power system study software such as CAPE, CYME, ASPEN, ETAP, SKM, or Synergy.
Knowledge and experience with fault analysis, postmortem analysis, and/or mis-operation mitigation.
Ability to motivate, mentor, and optimize in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.
Goal-oriented, proactive, and enthusiastic approach with strong drive and energy.
Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.
Problem-solving and decision-making ability.
Strong organizational, multitasking, and time-management skills.
Experience managing and/or supporting technical projects of various sizes and managing project budgets.
Ability to work independently and guide less experienced engineers and technicians.
Diverse skill set and ability to work effectively across engineering and field activities.

Responsibilities

Develop Protection & Control design packages, including diagrams, communication architecture, panel layouts, cable schedules, SCADA integration drawings, and relay settings documentation.
Perform relay coordination, short-circuit, load flow, and arc flash studies, power quality evaluations, protection system analysis, and relay settings calculations.
Review specifications, engineering drawings, operating philosophies, and client standards; provide redline markups of design packages, settings files, logic configurations, and communications designs.
Ensure designs, settings, studies, and commissioning activities comply with applicable client standards, NERC requirements, IEEE standards, utility requirements, and industry best practices.
Analyze relay event reports, oscillography, sequence-of-events records, fault data, and power quality information; prepare technical reports and corrective action recommendations.
Assist with planning and managing engineering resources, project execution strategies, commissioning activities, and technical deliverables.
Assist with engineering proposals, estimates, schedules, technical scopes of work, and project budgets.
Support or perform testing and commissioning of protective relays, circuit breakers, transformers, RTUs, SCADA equipment, communications systems, batteries, chargers, metering systems, and other substation equipment.
Support or perform system energization, field walkdowns, commissioning, startup activities, and troubleshooting during construction and operational phases.
Witness or perform critical tests, including DC functional trip testing, relay functional verification, end-to-end testing, SCADA point-to-point verification, communications testing, and post-installation validation.
Demonstrate safety consciousness in equipment handling and electrical and electronic procedures at diverse work sites.
Motivate and mentor team members and guide less experienced engineers and technicians.
Lead project execution activities and client-facing technical efforts.
Travel at least 25% and maintain a valid, unrestricted driver’s license.