Power Equipment Technician

Job Description

This role focuses on testing, commissioning, maintaining, and troubleshooting protective relays and protection-and-control systems in utility substations and power stations throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. You support major utility infrastructure upgrades driven by rapid data center growth and increasing electrical demand, with a strong emphasis on safety, technical excellence, and reliable power system performance. Mid-level and Senior technicians work with advanced relay test equipment and software to analyze, validate, and document relay operation for transmission, distribution, and generation facilities.

• Lead site safety briefings and actively drive hazard identification and mitigation efforts at substations and power stations.

• Install, commission, and function test substation control circuits, relay panels, transformers, breakers, and associated protection equipment.

• Perform protective relay testing, including functional, acceptance, maintenance, and end-to-end testing using relay test equipment and software platforms such as OMICRON and similar systems.

• Analyze protection schemes for power systems, including relay logic, control circuits, and relay settings, to ensure correct coordination and operation.

• Review and validate relay settings, analyze event records, and troubleshoot complex relay and control issues in utility substations and generation facilities.

• Calibrate and test both electromechanical and microprocessor-based protective relays, ensuring accurate and reliable performance.

• Read, interpret, and work from protection and control drawings, wiring diagrams, one-line diagrams, relay schematics, and logic diagrams.

• Execute relay commissioning activities, including end-to-end protection system testing and verification of protection and control schemes.

• Perform protection system troubleshooting, diagnose equipment and scheme issues, and implement corrective actions to restore proper operation.

• Support testing and commissioning in transmission substations, distribution substations, and generation facilities, following utility standards and procedures.

• Serve as the on-site technical lead, interface directly with customers, and represent the organization professionally during field assignments.

• Provide technical guidance on protection and control practices, relay applications, and substation testing methodologies.

• Train, coach, and mentor junior relay technicians and relay engineers to develop their protection and control skills and field experience.

• For Senior-level technicians, independently plan, coordinate, and execute testing and commissioning activities and lead substation projects from start to finish.

• Collaborate with utilities, utility contractors, EPCs, testing and commissioning firms, and substation service companies to deliver high-quality field services.

• Document test results, relay settings, and commissioning activities accurately and clearly, following internal and utility reporting requirements.

• Travel regionally to various substation and generation sites to support ongoing infrastructure upgrade programs and project needs.

• Approximately 5 years of relay and protection-and-control (P&C) experience for mid-level Relay Technicians.

• 5–7+ years of relay and protection-and-control (P&C) experience for Senior Relay Technicians, including utility-level relay work.

• Hands-on experience with protective relay testing, including functional, acceptance, maintenance, and end-to-end testing.

• Proven relay commissioning experience in utility substations and power stations.

• Strong background in protection and controls, including protection schemes, relay logic, and control circuits.

• Demonstrated ability to perform protection system…