Principal Protection & Design Engineer – HV Substations / Power Systems

Location: Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, New Zealand (Christchurch preferred)

Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Industry: Power Transmission & Distribution / Electrical Engineering Consultancy / Grid Infrastructure

Relocation: International relocation assistance available, subject to individual assessment and agreement

Job Summary

We are representing an established New Zealand-based electrical engineering consultancy specialising in high-voltage substations, power system protection, secondary engineering, electrical network infrastructure and renewable energy integration.

Our client is seeking an experienced Principal Protection & Design Engineer to provide technical leadership in the design, analysis and delivery of protection and secondary systems for transmission, sub-transmission and distribution networks.

The successful candidate will be responsible for protection coordination studies, relay setting calculations, secondary system design, power system modelling, technical design reviews and the development of engineering solutions for complex electrical infrastructure projects.

This position requires a combination of advanced protection engineering expertise, technical judgement, multidisciplinary collaboration and commercial project delivery capabilities.

The role also involves mentoring engineers, providing technical guidance to project teams, supporting client relationships and contributing to engineering consultancy business development activities.

Singapore-based protection engineers with relevant utility, engineering consultancy or power infrastructure experience who are interested in relocating to New Zealand are encouraged to apply.

Key Responsibilities

Power System Protection Engineering

• Lead and undertake protection engineering studies for high-voltage transmission, sub-transmission and distribution networks.

• Develop protection philosophies, protection coordination strategies and associated engineering solutions.

• Perform protection coordination studies, fault calculations and relay setting calculations for electrical power systems.

• Develop, calculate, review and validate protection relay settings and associated Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) configuration files.

• Prepare protection logic diagrams, functional descriptions, setting schedules and engineering documentation.

• Undertake local and wide-area protection studies to assess network protection performance and coordination.

• Analyse protection requirements for networks incorporating inverter-based resources, including solar generation, wind generation and Battery Energy Storage Systems.

• Evaluate protection requirements associated with distributed generation, grid integration and anti-islanding schemes.

• Assess system fault conditions, protection selectivity, operating times and coordination requirements.

• Review protection designs and technical calculations prepared by other engineers.

• Provide technical recommendations to improve power system reliability, protection performance and operational safety.

Power System Modelling and Studies

• Develop, review and interpret power system models to support protection engineering assessments.

• Undertake relevant power system studies using specialist engineering software, including DIgSILENT PowerFactory and/or PSCAD.

• Perform fault studies and analyse network behaviour under normal and abnormal operating conditions.

• Assess the impact of network configurations, generation connections and system changes on protection requirements.

• Support engineering studies involving transmission, sub-transmission and distribution systems.

• Prepare technical reports documenting study assumptions, modelling methodologies, engineering findings and recommended solutions.

• Apply engineering judgement to identify system risks, protection limitations and opportunities for technical improvement.

Protection Relay Configuration and Secondary Design

• Develop and review protection settings for relevant high-voltage protection relay and IED platforms.

• Work with protection equipment and systems from manufacturers including SEK, Siemens and Schneider Electric, as applicable to project requirements.

• Prepare and review protection relay setting files, logic diagrams and associated configuration documentation.

• Undertake secondary engineering design activities for substation protection, control and monitoring systems.

• Develop and review secondary system drawings, schematics, wiring diagrams and associated technical documentation.

• Coordinate protection and control interfaces with primary electrical equipment, SCADA systems and other substation automation components.

• Review secondary design deliverables for technical accuracy, completeness and compliance with project specifications.

• Support the resolution of protection, control and secondary engineering interface issues.

• Provide technical support during equipment testing, commissioning and implementation activities when required.

Engineering Consultancy and Technical Leadership

• Act as a technical authority or lead engineer for assigned protection and secondary design projects.

• Provide specialist technical guidance to engineers, designers and multidisciplinary project teams.

• Undertake engineering feasibility assessments, technical investigations and solution development.

• Lead or contribute to the preparation of engineering specifications, concept designs and detailed design reports.

• Conduct technical reviews, design verification activities and engineering quality assessments.

• Identify opportunities to improve technical processes, engineering methods and design quality.

• Research relevant developments in power system protection, substation technology and electrical network infrastructure.

• Contribute to engineering strategies, technical roadmaps and asset planning initiatives.

• Mentor graduate and junior engineers through technical coaching, peer review and professional development activities.

Project Management and Commercial Responsibilities

• Participate in project evaluation, technical scoping, engineering estimates and quotation preparation.

• Manage assigned engineering projects and technical work packages from planning through delivery.

• Coordinate engineering resources, technical activities, project schedules and deliverables.

• Monitor project budgets, engineering progress and technical quality requirements.

• Liaise with clients to clarify technical specifications, project objectives and engineering deliverables.

• Negotiate and agree technical scope requirements and proposed engineering solutions with relevant stakeholders.

• Attend project meetings, design reviews and technical coordination discussions.

• Identify engineering risks, project constraints and opportunities to optimise delivery.

• Ensure assigned projects are completed within agreed timeframes, budgets and quality standards.

• Support tender preparation, technical proposals, quotations and customer development activities.

• Identify potential business development opportunities arising from existing projects and client relationships.

Technical Documentation and Stakeholder Management

• Prepare high-quality technical reports, engineering presentations, design documentation and project deliverables.

• Author concept and detailed design reports, technical solution papers, engineering assessments and strategic technical documents.

• Communicate complex engineering findings clearly to clients, project managers and other stakeholders.

• Liaise with internal engineering teams, suppliers, subcontractors and external customers.

• Participate in technical workshops, industry conferences and professional development activities.

• Maintain strong working relationships with project stakeholders and engineering colleagues across different office locations.

Health, Safety and Engineering Quality

• Ensure engineering activities comply with applicable New Zealand health and safety legislation, relevant technical standards and organisational procedures.

• Apply appropriate engineering risk assessment and design safety principles.

• Identify technical hazards and contribute to the development of suitable risk mitigation measures.

• Support continuous improvement of engineering quality, safety practices and technical procedures.

• Ensure engineering deliverables are prepared, checked and reviewed in accordance with applicable quality requirements.

Essential Requirements

Professional Experience

• Approximately 10 years or more of directly relevant experience in electrical power systems, protection engineering or secondary electrical design.

• Extensive practical experience in protection and secondary engineering for transmission, sub-transmission or distribution networks.

• Demonstrated experience conducting protection coordination studies, protection setting calculations and fault studies.

• Experience undertaking power system modelling and protection-related studies using DIgSILENT PowerFactory and/or PSCAD.

• Experience assessing local and wide-area protection requirements, including applications involving inverter-based resources.

• Practical experience developing and reviewing protection relay settings and associated configuration files.

• Experience with protection relay systems from SEK, Siemens and Schneider Electric.

• Strong understanding of protection philosophies, protection coordination, secondary systems and electrical network operating principles.

• Demonstrated ability to prepare, review and approve technically complex engineering design deliverables within the limits of applicable authorisation.

• Experience providing technical guidance to other engineers and supporting multidisciplinary engineering teams.

• Strong engineering judgement, analytical capability and technical problem-solving skills.

• Ability to manage technical responsibilities with minimal supervision.

• Strong communication, technical report-writing and stakeholder-management skills.

• Commercial awareness and experience supporting project planning, budgeting, quotations or engineering consultancy delivery.

Preferred Experience

• Previous experience in a power systems engineering consultancy or electrical network utility.

• Relevant engineering experience in New Zealand, Australia or an equivalent international electricity utility environment.

• Experience in high-voltage substation protection and secondary design projects.

• Chartered Professional Engineer status or an equivalent recognised professional engineering credential.

• Experience with renewable energy integration, inverter-based generation and grid-connected Battery Energy Storage Systems.

• Exposure to automatic voltage regulation (AVR), control systems and substation automation.

• Experience preparing technical proposals, engineering estimates and commercial quotations.

• Previous responsibility for leading engineering projects or managing technical delivery teams.

• Experience mentoring junior engineers and contributing to engineering standards or technical improvement programmes.

Engineering Project Exposure

Depending on project requirements, the successful candidate may contribute to:

• High-voltage transmission and sub-transmission substation projects.

• Distribution network protection and secondary design upgrades.

• Power system protection coordination and relay setting studies.

• Renewable energy generation and grid integration projects.

• Wind, solar and Battery Energy Storage System developments.

• Power system fault analysis and network performance studies.

• Substation control, automation and protection system modernisation.

• Electrical network asset management and technical improvement initiatives.

International Relocation Assistance

Our client is open to considering experienced engineering professionals currently based in Singapore who are interested in relocating to New Zealand.

Relocation assistance is assessed individually and may include:

• Flights for the successful candidate and eligible immediate family members.

• Assistance with relocation and shipment of household belongings.

• Temporary accommodation upon arrival.

• Home-search assistance and settling-in services.

• Storage and agreed surface travel expenses.

• Employer coverage of eligible Accredited Employer Work Visa costs for the candidate and family members.

• A contribution towards eligible Straight to Residence Visa application costs, where applicable.

Any immigration agency fees independently incurred by the candidate are the candidate's responsibility.

All relocation expenses must be mutually agreed before they are incurred.

Relocation Repayment Agreement

Relocation assistance is subject to a 24-month repayment agreement. If employment ends within the first two years, applicable relocation and resettlement expenses paid by the employer are repayable on a pro-rata basis.

Employee Benefits

Flexible Working

• Flexible work arrangements and hybrid working options where compatible with the role.

• Supportive working environment promoting professional and personal wellbeing.

• Opportunities to collaborate with engineering teams across different office locations.

Health and Wellbeing

• Annual personal wellbeing allowance towards eligible fitness, health and lifestyle expenses.

• Life and critical illness insurance coverage for eligible permanent employees.

• Discounted medical insurance options.

• Confidential employee assistance and counselling services.

• Workplace wellbeing programmes and team activities.

• Flu vaccinations for employees and eligible partners.

• Selected employee discounts, including fuel and electronic equipment.

Family Benefits

• Eligible primary caregivers may receive parental leave payment top-ups to 80% of regular income for up to 26 weeks.

• Eligible secondary caregivers may receive two weeks of paid parental leave.

• Additional family support benefits may apply in accordance with company policy.

Career and Professional Development

• Structured mentoring and leadership development opportunities.

• Annual performance and professional development discussions.

• Opportunities to develop specialist technical capabilities and engineering leadership skills.

• Exposure to multidisciplinary engineering projects and technical specialisations.

• Internal knowledge-sharing and cross-functional development opportunities.

• Long-service recognition benefits commencing from the second year of employment.

Workplace Culture

• Inclusive and collaborative engineering environment.

• Employee social clubs, company events and team-building activities.

• Recognition of professional achievements and individual contributions.

• Strong emphasis on workplace safety, technical excellence and continuous improvement.

All benefits are subject to applicable eligibility criteria and company policies.

Additional Information

This is a permanent New Zealand-based engineering opportunity.

The successful candidate may be based in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, with Christchurch being the preferred location.

Occasional travel may be required to meet clients, suppliers, project stakeholders and colleagues in other offices.

Flexible commencement dates may be considered to accommodate existing employment commitments and international relocation arrangements.

Applicants should provide an updated CV detailing their protection engineering experience, relevant power system studies, protection relay platforms, secondary design projects and technical leadership responsibilities.

All applications will be evaluated based on relevant engineering qualifications, technical experience, professional competence and suitability for the role.