About this Lead Engineer - Protection & Controls - Major Projects Group role at Blattner Company
A DAY IN THE LIFE
As a Lead Engineer – Protection & Controls within the Major Projects Group, you will serve as the subject matter expert for protection and controls design across renewable, gas, and energy park projects. A typical day involves developing or reviewing protective relay settings and coordination studies, leading short-circuit and arc flash analyses, designing protection schemes for generators, transformers, and utility interconnections, and mentoring junior engineers. You will collaborate with internal project teams, utilities, vendors, and third-party engineering firms to deliver protection and controls designs that are safe, reliable, and compliant with company, state, and federal regulations.
The Lead Engineer – Protection & Controls will develop metrics and set objectives related to protection and controls engineering obligations, and will be a key proponent in the development and implementation of P&C design standards and NERC PRC compliance practices.
STEP INTO THE ROLE
- Develops or reviews protective relay settings and relay coordination studies for utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage systems spanning generators, gen-tie lines, collector systems, step-up transformers, breakers, and utility interconnection points across grid-connected, islanded, and transition operating modes.
- Performs short-circuit, fault current, and protective device coordination studies using tools such as ASPEN OneLiner, ETAP, CAPE, EasyPower, or SKM Power Tools, accounting for differing fault current contributions of synchronous machines and inverter-based resources on the same bus.
- Designs protection schemes for major equipment classes, including generator, bus differential, transformer differential, feeder overcurrent, distance, breaker failure, and synchrocheck protection for both synchronous and inverter-based sources. Performs arc flash studies per IEEE 1584 and grounding analyses for project substations.
- Coordinates islanding detection and anti-islanding protection design per IEEE 1547-2018, and voltage/frequency ride-through (UVRT/OVRT/FRT) settings, to prevent cascading trips across all asset types. Integrates protection systems with SCADA, EMS, and RTU infrastructure, coordinating relay communications design (IEC 61850, DNP3, Modbus) with SCADA engineers.
- Prepares and reviews P&C drawings including one-line diagrams, AC/DC schematics, wiring diagrams, and relay panel layouts. Reviews third-party engineer-of-record design packages to ensure compliance with industry, Blattner, and Client standards.
- Supports relay testing, commissioning, and energization planning. Develops test plans, supports factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT), and provides on-site support through initial energization. Supports NERC PRC compliance activities, including protection system audits and utility coordination for transmission interconnection requirements.
- Mentors junior engineers and supports the development of internal protection engineering standards and design practices.
- Reads and understands the electrical scope of projects in early project phases. Develops plans incorporating power quality, reliability, and cost efficiency into each proposal.
- Works with internal and external stakeholders to develop a clear and concise protection and controls scope of work. Reviews implications of changes, provides recommendations, and serves as a technical resource for Preconstruction and Operations teams throughout the project lifecycle.
- Provides contract and subcontract review and comments related to protection and controls scope, and identifies opportunities for streamlining work and reducing waste.
- Adheres to the company’s cultural basics and the National Society of Professional Engineer’s code of conduct. Must prioritize ‘We’ over ‘Me.’
- Position is estimated to require travel up to 25% of the time to project sites, client offices, and utility offices, subject to fluctuations as needs dictate.
- 10+ years of progressive engineering experience in protection and controls design for high-voltage transmission, substation, or large-scale generation systems.
- Experience with relay settings development and coordination studies for systems ranging from 13.8 kV through 345 kV, and proficiency with ASPEN OneLiner, ETAP, CAPE, EasyPower, or SKM Power Tools.
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, or related field, from an ABET-accredited college required, or relevant equivalent industry experience.
- A Professional Engineering (PE) license is preferred but not required.
- Familiarity with NERC PRC Reliability Standards, IEEE, NESC, NEC, and NFPA 70E, and working knowledge of IEC 61850, DNP3, and Modbus for relay and SCADA integration.
- Experience leading and mentoring engineers, and driving protection and controls design standards across solar, wind, and energy storage projects, including experience with Python or scripting for engineering automation.
- Competitive pay
- 100% employer paid HDHP insurance premiums for employees
- 401(k) with company match
- HSA and FSA options
- Dental and Vision insurance
- Education Assistance (Tuition Reimbursement)
- Work/Life balance
- Employee/Family focused culture
- Gym on site
- And more!
WHO ARE WE?
With more than 115 years of construction experience, Blattner has played a vital role in building America’s critical infrastructure, ranging from railroads and highways to dams and mines. Since 1997, the company has focused on renewable energy solutions and is responsible for some of the most significant solar, wind and storage projects in the U.S. Today, Blattner has installed over 20% of America’s utility-scale wind, solar and energy storage capacity. Blattner Company is the parent company of Blattner Energy and D.H. Blattner & Sons, of which all are members of the Quanta Services family of companies. Company headquarters are in Avon, Minnesota.
Blattner is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Blattner will not tolerate discrimination against any applicant for employment or employee on the basis of age (40 and over), ancestry, color, religious creed, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, mental disability, military or veteran status, national origin, physical disability, race, receipt of public assistance, sex, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. This commitment governs all aspects of employment including, but not limited to: hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, layoff, termination, compensation, discipline, and access to benefits and training. Additionally, Blattner is committed, in accordance with applicable law, to making reasonable accommodations for job applicants and employees based on a qualifying disability, a sincerely held religious belief or practice, and for pregnancy, childbirth or related health conditions. Applicants and employees who feel they have experienced or witnessed discrimination or who wishes to request a reasonable accommodation should contact the Human Resources Department. Blattner prohibits retaliation against any individual for making a complaint under this policy, for opposing discrimination, for participating in an investigation pursuant to this policy, or for requesting a reasonable accommodation.
