Protection Relay Settings Engineer
Protection & Relay Engineering · Remote (Engineering)
Why This Role Exists
Our project pipeline generates a steady volume of relay settings work across SEL and Woodward platforms — each protection scope requires settings files, controller parameters, and coordination with the broader automation logic. This role exists because every settings file you produce gets tested during secondary injection and ultimately witnessed by the owner — wrong parameters mean failed trips and retests. You own the relay settings packages, Woodward controller parameters, and ZSI logic configurations that go into the field. Your work is the boundary between design intent and commissioned reality.
What You Own
- SEL-751/700G/487E relay settings files (.rdb) per protection philosophy and coordination study
- Woodward easYgen 3400 genset controller parameter sets and Modbus TCP/RTU point maps
- Woodward LS-6 synchronizer/load-share configurations integrated with RTAC sequence logic
- ZSI element configuration (50/51/50N/51N coordination, restraint timers, GOOSE blocking logic)
- Protection philosophy documentation and time-current coordination curves
- Settings calculations and design basis for each protection zone
Systems You'll Touch
Vendor Platforms
Software Tools
Protocols
Standards
Site Activities
What Success Looks Like
First 90 Days
- Delivered 2+ complete SEL relay settings packages through internal review with supporting calculations
- Configured Woodward controller parameters for at least one genset controller type (easYgen 3400 or LS-6)
- Reviewed and marked up an existing protection coordination study — identified coordination gaps or improvement areas
First 180 Days
- Independently producing relay settings packages for full protection scopes (feeder, generator, bus)
- ZSI logic configuration delivered and validated through functional testing
- Contributing settings and coordination input to commissioning procedures
Required Background
- 5+ years relay settings and protection engineering for medium-voltage power systems
- SEL relay programming with AcSELerator QuickSet — 751, 700G, or 487E families
- Protection coordination per IEEE 242 — time-current curves, relay-to-relay coordination
- Settings calculations: CT ratios, pickup settings, time dial coordination, instantaneous elements
- Familiarity with Woodward generator controllers (easYgen series) or equivalent OEM platforms
Preferred Background
- Woodward RP-2000 configuration tool experience
- IEC 61850 GOOSE element configuration in SEL relays
- Zone-selective interlocking (ZSI) logic configuration
- NETA Level II or III certification
What to Expect in the Field
- Travel
- 10–20% for site commissioning support, periodic in-person project kickoffs
- Site Hours
- Standard office/remote hours for settings development; occasional site visits during commissioning
- Customer-Facing
- Limited direct client interface — primarily works with senior P&C engineers and commissioning leads internally
- Documentation
- Heavy — relay settings files, parameter sets, coordination curves, settings calculations, design basis documentation
- Field Safety
- Minimal field exposure; NFPA 70E awareness required for occasional site visits
Why Ziggurat
- Your settings files go into the field and get tested — you see the direct consequence of your work during commissioning
- Multi-vendor exposure: SEL, Woodward, CAT — not locked into a single relay family or OEM ecosystem
- Small firm means your relay expertise directly shapes protection philosophy across projects
- Remote-first for engineering work, with site visits when your settings are being commissioned
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 relay programming and protection studies service scopes.
Questions about this role? Email us at careers@zigguratautomation.com
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Let's Talk Engineering
Send your background.
First step: a 15-minute call with the principal engineer.