Relay Field Engineer — Southeast
Commissioning & Field Execution · Charlotte, NC (Field)
Why This Role Exists
Relay commissioning requires an engineer with test equipment in hand — someone who can perform secondary injection, verify trip timing against coordination curves, and validate wiring from relay terminals to switchgear contacts. This role exists separately from the commissioning engineer because device-level relay testing is a distinct skill from system-level commissioning planning. You test every relay and controller before the system goes live. When the witness testing coordinator asks to see trip timing data, you are the person who produced it.
What You Own
- Secondary injection testing for SEL protection relays — 50/51/50N/51N elements, trip timing verification
- As-found/as-left settings documentation for relay replacements and retrofits
- CT/PT ratio verification and wiring continuity checks from relay terminals to switchgear
- GOOSE subscription verification post-installation — publish/subscribe validation on PRP networks
- Trip timing measurement against coordination study curves — confirming relay behavior matches design intent
- FAT bench testing: DTSC-200 ATS controllers, relay parameter verification, I/O wiring validation
Systems You'll Touch
Vendor Platforms
Software Tools
Protocols
Standards
Test Phases
What Success Looks Like
First 90 Days
- Performed secondary injection testing on SEL-751 or SEL-700G relays on an active project site
- Produced test reports in NETA/ANSI format with as-found/as-left settings comparison
- Demonstrated NFPA 70E compliance practices during energized MV switchgear testing
First 180 Days
- Independently executing relay-level SAT on project sites — secondary injection, wiring verification, trip timing
- Bench FAT testing for controllers (DTSC-200, easYgen 3400) with parameter and I/O verification
- ZSI GOOSE functional testing: blocking signal verification and selective trip timing across PRP networks
Required Background
- 5+ years relay testing and electrical testing on medium-voltage power systems
- Secondary injection testing with Omicron CMC or Doble F6150 (or equivalent) — trip timing, coordination validation
- Test report documentation per NETA/ANSI standards — as-found/as-left format
- Wiring verification: CT/PT ratio checks, continuity testing, relay-to-switchgear terminal verification
- NFPA 70E compliance: working on or near energized MV switchgear with arc-flash PPE
Preferred Background
- NETA Level II or III certification
- SEL relay testing (AcSELerator QuickSet for settings verification)
- IEC 61850 GOOSE verification — Wireshark capture, publish/subscribe validation
- PRP network failover testing
- Woodward DTSC-200 or easYgen 3400 bench FAT experience
What to Expect in the Field
- Travel
- 40–60% during testing campaigns. Southeast region primarily (VA, NC, GA, TN, FL).
- Site Hours
- Site hours during testing: early starts for LOTO, occasional weekend milestones. Off-hours for energized testing windows.
- Customer-Facing
- Interface with prime contractor commissioning leads during witnessed testing; site safety coordination
- Documentation
- Heavy — test reports, as-found/as-left records, wiring verification checklists, trip timing data sheets
- Field Safety
- NFPA 70E compliance mandatory — arc-flash PPE (Cat 2+ for MV), approach boundaries, LOTO for each relay position, daily safety briefings
Why Ziggurat
- Your test data proves the protection system works — relay settings, coordination curves, and GOOSE messaging all validated by your measurements
- Multi-vendor relay testing: SEL, Woodward, CAT controllers — not limited to one OEM test protocol
- Direct collaboration with the engineers who wrote the settings you are testing — questions get answered by the design authority
- Field expertise valued as engineering input, not treated as a service function
Hiring Process
Screen
Background review against role requirements — vendor platform experience, relevant certifications, project types, and standards familiarity. Quick assessment of baseline alignment before investing either party's time.
Resume review + 15-min intro call
Technical Review
Deeper evaluation of technical depth. We review sample work — relay settings files, protection study reports, commissioning test procedures, or SCADA configuration packages — depending on the role. If samples aren't shareable, we discuss specific project scenarios in detail.
Async work-sample review or 45-min technical call
Interview
Scenario-based conversation with the principal engineer. Real project situations: how you'd approach a coordination study for a complex switchgear lineup, sequence a commissioning plan across multiple vendor platforms, or troubleshoot a protection scheme failure during site acceptance testing.
60-min video call with founder
Exercise / Artifact Review
A practical evaluation matched to the role. Engineering roles receive a take-home exercise — review and mark up a set of relay settings, identify gaps in a protection study, or develop a test procedure for a specific scheme. Field-focused roles walk through a commissioning package or test report they've delivered, explaining their methodology and decisions.
Take-home exercise (2–4 hrs) or artifact walkthrough (60 min)
Final Conversation
Role scope, current project pipeline, working arrangements, and compensation. This is a two-way conversation — we want to confirm the role fits your goals, not just the other way around.
30-min call
This role supports our testing commissioning and relay programming service scopes.
Questions about this role? Email us at careers@zigguratautomation.com
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First step: a 15-minute call with the principal engineer.