Job Description Summary
GE Vernova is seeking a skilled Protection Commissioning Engineer to lead and execute pre-commissioning, commissioning, startup, testing, and maintenance activities for protection and control (P&C) schemes, numerical relays, and substation automation systems. This role ensures safe installation, configuration, testing, troubleshooting, and customer handover of critical power infrastructure — including transmission substations, generation plants, and HVDC systems — while meeting rigorous safety, quality, schedule, and cost requirements.
Job Description
Core Responsibilities
Lead and execute pre-commissioning, commissioning, startup, testing, and maintenance of protection and control systems.
Perform and supervise electrical and functional testing of: Numerical distance, differential, overcurrent, and transformer protection relays (e.g., GE, SEL, ABB/Hitachi, Siemens).
Substation Automation Systems (SAS), SCADA, and IEC 61850 communication networks.
Protection schemes, intertripping, and GOOSE messaging.
Current Transformers (CT) and Potential Transformers (PT/VT) testing, ratio, polarity, and saturation checks.
DC control, trip, and auxiliary power supply systems.
HV circuit breakers, switchgear, and transformer protection interfaces.
Lead site teams, technicians, contractors, vendors, and subcontractors during protection testing phases.
Coordinate daily site testing activities and commissioning schedules with primary electrical teams.
Troubleshoot complex protection misoperations, wiring errors, logic issues, and perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
Manage punch lists, Non-Conformance Reports (NCRs), technical issues, site instructions, and protection setting change logs.
Review protection coordination studies, elementary diagrams, schematic drawings, relay setting files, and factory acceptance test (FAT) results.
Support customer coordination, end-to-end trip tests, energization, startup, and acceptance testing.
Maintain accurate technical reports, relay test records, configuration backups, daily reports, and project documentation.
Safety & Quality
Safety and quality leadership are core expectations of this role. The candidate must be comfortable working under:
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) requirements
OSHA / NFPA 70E standards
NETA / NERC / IEC standards
GE Vernova safety and quality procedures
Site-specific permit and energization requirements
Candidates must demonstrate the ability to maintain high safety and quality standards even under significant schedule pressure.
Leadership Expectations
Beyond technical execution, this role requires:
Mentoring junior engineers and technicians on protection testing methodologies.
Coordinating multidisciplinary site teams.
Managing contractors and suppliers.
Making sound decisions during critical energization and testing windows.
Communicating effectively with customers, protection design engineering, and project management.
Managing competing priorities under schedule pressure.
Providing technical leadership and remote troubleshooting support when needed.
Establishing best practices and driving continuous improvement in protection commissioning execution.
Project Management Component
This role carries project execution responsibility across the full project lifecycle for protection and control systems:
Planning → Mobilization → Installation → Pre-Commissioning → Commissioning → Testing → Energization → Startup → Customer Acceptance
Responsibilities include control over:
Schedule for P&C testing milestones
Testing resources and specialized test equipment (e.g., Omicron, Doble)
Costs and manpower
Technical documentation and relay settings configuration management
Risks and opportunities related to grid synchronization and protection schemes
Customer requirements
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, or equivalent experience.
5–8+ years of field experience in electrical power systems with a primary focus on protection and…