Relay Technician

Relay Technician / Senior Relay Technician

This role supports utility substation testing, commissioning, and protection and controls projects across Virginia, Maryland, and the Washington D.C. metro area, with major activity in Northern Virginia. Relay Technicians and Senior Relay Technicians perform relay testing, commissioning, troubleshooting, maintenance, and support of protection and control systems for transmission, distribution, and generation facilities. The position offers exposure to large-scale utility infrastructure upgrades driven by significant data center growth, advanced technical training, long-term project stability, and clear opportunities for career advancement.

Responsibilities

• Perform protective relay testing and commissioning activities for transmission and distribution substations and generation facilities.
• Conduct functional relay testing, acceptance testing, maintenance testing, and end-to-end testing on protection and control systems.
• Execute relay commissioning tasks, including verification of protection schemes, relay logic, control circuits, and relay settings.
• Troubleshoot protection systems, identify root causes of issues, and implement effective corrective actions.
• Review and interpret protection and control drawings, wiring diagrams, one-line diagrams, relay schematics, and logic diagrams to ensure accurate installation and operation.
• Support utility-level substation projects focused on testing, commissioning, maintenance, and upgrades of protection and controls infrastructure.
• Collaborate with project teams to plan and execute testing and commissioning activities safely, efficiently, and in accordance with utility standards and industry best practices.
• Utilize relay testing platforms such as OMICRON and similar systems to perform diagnostic and verification testing.
• Provide technical support during substation outages, cutovers, and energization events, ensuring protection systems operate as designed.
• Travel regionally to project sites, primarily in Northern Virginia and the Washington D.C. metro area, to support ongoing utility infrastructure upgrades.
• For Senior Relay Technicians: independently lead testing and commissioning activities, manage project execution, and mentor junior and mid-level technicians.
• For Mid-Level Relay Technicians: work under the guidance of Senior Relay Technicians, apply strong relay and protection and controls fundamentals, and develop toward independent project leadership.

Essential Skills

• Mid-Level Relay Technician: approximately 3–5 years of hands-on relay and protection and controls (P&C) experience.
• Senior Relay Technician: 5–7+ years of relay and protection and controls (P&C) experience, including utility-level relay work.
• Demonstrated experience in protective relay testing, including functional, acceptance, maintenance, and end-to-end testing.
• Proficiency in relay commissioning and verification of protection schemes, relay logic, control circuits, and relay settings.
• Strong protection and controls fundamentals, including knowledge of protection schemes and system coordination.
• Utility substation experience across transmission substations, distribution substations, and generation facilities.
• Ability to troubleshoot relay and protection systems effectively and resolve technical issues in the field.
• Ability to read, interpret, and work from electrical schematics, protection and control drawings, wiring diagrams, one-line diagrams, relay schematics, and logic diagrams.
• Experience using relay testing equipment and platforms such as OMICRON or equivalent systems.
• Capability to work under a Senior Relay Technician (mid-level) or independently lead testing and commissioning activities (Senior level).
• Ability to travel regionally as required to support project needs.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Background with utilities, utility contractors, EPC firms, testing and commissioning firms, or substation service companies.
• NETA certification is encouraged but not required; candidates with NETA certification are highly valued.
• OSHA safety certifications (such as OSHA 10 or OSHA 30) are preferred.
• Experience with SEL, ABB, Siemens, and GE protective relays.
• Familiarity with SCADA communications and fiber communications in a utility substation environment.
• Experience on major utility projects, including Dominion Energy and Duke Energy infrastructure programs, is preferred.
• Interest in pursuing NETA advancement, supported by structured training and incentive programs.
• Strong commitment to safety, quality, and adherence to utility standards and industry best practices.

Work Environment

The role is field-based, supporting utility substations and related facilities across Northern Virginia and the Washington D.C. metro area, with major project activity in locations such as Ashburn, Loudoun County, Leesburg, Manassas, and surrounding regions. The typical schedule consists of four 10-hour workdays, with regular opportunities for overtime. Sunday work may be compensated at enhanced pay…