Senior Protection Engineer

About the role

This senior position supports the operation, maintenance, and development of critical power infrastructure for a well‑established electricity business in Wellington. You will lead protection engineering solutions across distribution assets, ensuring network reliability, safety, and supporting future growth initiatives.

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 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 for 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 equipment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Ability to engage effectively with internal stakeholders, contractors, and project teams.

Required skills

• Protection scheme development
• Protection settings calculations
• Relay coordination studies
• Relay configuration (SEL, GE, Siemens, ABB, Schneider Electric)
• Fault investigation and root‑cause analysis
• Power system analysis for HV networks
• Substation protection design
• Renewable energy integration
• Testing and commissioning of protection systems