Senior Engineer - Protection Policy & Support

About us

Every day we deliver safe and secure energy to homes, communities, and businesses. We are there when people need us the most. We connect people to the energy they need for the lives they live. The pace of change in society and our industry is accelerating and our expertise and track record puts us in an unparalleled position to shape the sustainable future of our industry.

To be successful we must anticipate the needs of our customers, reducing the cost of energy delivery today and pioneering the flexible energy systems of tomorrow. This requires us to deliver on our promises and always look for new opportunities to grow, both ourselves and our business.

National Grid is hiring a Senior Engineer for our Protection Policy & Support group in Waltham, MA.  This role will be moving to our Northborough facility the end of 2022.

Job Purpose

The Senior Engineer responsibilities encompass a range of duties across our Protection Policy & Support and IEC 61850 engineering functions. The Protection Policy & Support function contributes to the development of technical policies, guidelines, and standards related to protection and control systems. This includes, but is not limited to, disturbance analysis and field support, Substation Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) and remote fault record retrieval, and support for NERC/NPCC audits and investigation of all transmission and substation disturbances on the National Grid New England System. The IEC 61850 function supports and contributes to the Company’s vision of a digital substation leveraging current IEC 61850 standards. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, developing and maintaining applicable standards and associated documentation, evaluating commercially available equipment and technologies, developing training material for engineering and operations organizations, managing the simulator lab, coordinating with key stakeholders across the Company, collaborating with industry and vendor contractors, and supporting capital work on IEC 61850 projects in New England.

Key Accountabilities

• Develop, review, and support the implementation of system protection, control, and network design standards and asset health strategies in consultation with internal stakeholders.
• Represent the Company on industry organizations, committees, and groups and participate in the formulation of industry-wide standards and practices.
• Manage working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver appropriate customized solutions and/or recommendations.
• Build and support cross-functional working practices in line with National Grid policies and processes.
• Communicate progress and status of work with regular cadence.
• Review and evaluate the technical specifications of protection systems and recommend technical design and process improvements.
• Develop standards for the protection and control systems for transmission and distribution substations and switchyards.
• Develop and implement Digital Fault Recorder (DFR) and Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) strategy to ensure proper coverage.
• Provide interpretation of protection requirements for the Bulk Power System (BPS).
• Provide technical support for new and existing protection at substations.
• Support audits and inquires related to protection to various regulatory entities such as ISO’s, PSC, NPCC, NERC, and FERC.
• Review of Transmission and Substation disturbances to evaluate protection system operation, identify mis-operations and create a Corrective Action Plan (CAP).

Supervisory/Interpersonal- Experience Required

• Demonstrate effective communication skills (verbal, written, and presentation) and leadership qualities.

• Able to lead and supervise a project team or virtual teams to achieve business objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering from an ABET accredited engineering institution is required.
• Advanced degrees in Engineering (e.g., M.S.) preferred.
• EIT Certification or Registered Professional Engineering License  preferred.
• 5+ years protection, control, automation, and/or integration work experience.
• Familiarity with IEC 61850 & associated standards, IEEE/ANSI Standards, NESCand National Electrical Code (as applicable).
• Proficient in Microsoft Office products (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, etc.).
• Knowledge of power systems, networking, and troubleshooting.
• Good working knowledge of industry standards, safety standards, existing electrical design codes, and federal and state regulations affecting protection.
• Experience creating new ways to plan and operate the electric supply and distribution systems using advanced analytics, emerging technologies, and industry trends.
• Experience with electric power facilities with an emphasis on protection and control systems preferred.
• Valid driver’s license required with a safe driving history

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