Senior Protection Engineer

About the role

We are seeking a Senior Protection Engineer to join our established electricity business in Wellington. You will support the operation, maintenance, and development of critical power infrastructure, delivering protection engineering solutions across our distribution network.

Key responsibilities

• Develop, review, and maintain protection schemes for distribution networks.
• Perform protection settings calculations, coordination studies, and relay configuration for network assets.
• Support fault investigations, network performance analysis, and root‑cause assessments.
• Provide technical input for substation upgrades, new connections, renewable energy integration, and network expansion projects.
• Review and approve protection design documentation, schematics, and commissioning procedures.
• Assist with testing and commissioning activities for protection and control systems.
• Collaborate with operations, commissioning, and project delivery teams to ensure successful outcomes.
• Contribute to network planning and system improvement initiatives focused on reliability, safety, and compliance.
• Mentor and guide junior engineers within the team.

Required profile

• Strong experience in protection engineering within transmission and/or distribution power systems.
• Proven ability to complete protection studies, relay coordination, and settings development for high‑voltage networks.
• Experience with substations, transformers, feeders, generators, and associated protection systems.
• Exposure to modern numerical protection relays (e.g., SEL, GE, Siemens, ABB, Schneider Electric).
• Experience supporting commissioning, testing, and energisation in live network environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.

Required skills

• Protection scheme development
• Relay coordination studies
• Numerical protection relays (SEL, GE, Siemens, ABB, Schneider Electric)
• Power system analysis
• Fault investigation
• Substation protection design
• Testing and commissioning of protection systems