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Apprentice Relay Protection Engineer Jobs in Illinois

Engineer

Springfield, IL · On-site

$68 - $83/hr

... relay protection, and electric operations. * Support capital improvement projects including project development, design review, construction support, testing, and commissioning. * Assist with system ...

Engineer

Springfield, IL · On-site

$75K/yr

... relay protection, and electric operations. * Support capital improvement projects including project development, design review, construction support, testing, and commissioning. * Assist with system ...

GAI Consultants is seeking a Relay Settings Engineer (EIT 2) with protective relay experience for transmission and distribution systems. The successful candidate will work on various substation and ...

Description GAI Consultants is seeking a Relay Settings Engineer (EIT 2) with protective relay experience for transmission and distribution systems. The successful candidate will work on various ...

GAI Consultants is seeking a Relay Settings Engineer (EIT 2) with protective relay experience for transmission and distribution systems. The successful candidate will work on various substation and ...

Showing results 41-60

Apprentice Relay Protection Engineer information

What is an apprentice relay protection engineer?

Apprentice Relay Protection Engineers are entry-level professionals who assist in the installation, testing, maintenance, and troubleshooting of protective relays and related equipment in electrical power systems. They typically work under the supervision of senior engineers as they learn the principles of power system protection and the operation of relays that help prevent damage to equipment during electrical faults. Their role is crucial in ensuring the safety and reliability of electrical grids, and they often work in utility companies or large industrial facilities. Apprenticeship in this field typically involves hands-on training as well as classroom instruction.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an apprentice relay protection engineer?

To thrive as an Apprentice Relay Protection Engineer, you need a solid background in electrical engineering principles, knowledge of power systems, and typically a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field. Familiarity with protection relay testing equipment, SCADA systems, and industry standards such as IEEE is important, and relevant certifications like EIT (Engineer-in-Training) can be advantageous. Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, effective communication, and a willingness to learn help you stand out in this role. These skills and qualities are crucial to ensure accurate system protection, maintain power grid reliability, and support safe, efficient project execution.

What are some typical challenges faced by apprentice relay protection engineers during their training period?

As an Apprentice Relay Protection Engineer, you may encounter challenges such as understanding complex relay schemes and adapting to the technical language used in the field. Staying up to date with frequent software and hardware updates, ensuring strict adherence to safety standards, and accurately interpreting protection diagrams can also be demanding. However, these challenges are usually addressed through hands-on mentorship, structured training programs, and collaborative teamwork with experienced engineers, which accelerates your learning and confidence.

What is the difference between Apprentice Relay Protection Engineer vs Relay Protection Engineer?

AspectApprentice Relay Protection EngineerRelay Protection Engineer
QualificationsBasic technical diploma or associate degree, on-the-job trainingBachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related field, professional certifications
Work EnvironmentEntry-level, supervised, training-focusedMore independent, responsible for designing and maintaining protection systems
ResponsibilitiesAssisting in relay testing, learning system operationsDeveloping protection schemes, troubleshooting, system optimization

The main difference between an Apprentice Relay Protection Engineer and a Relay Protection Engineer lies in experience, responsibilities, and qualifications. Apprentices are in training, focusing on learning and assisting, while relay protection engineers are more experienced professionals responsible for system design and maintenance.

What are the most commonly searched types of Relay Protection Engineer jobs in Illinois?

The most popular types of Relay Protection Engineer jobs in Illinois are:

What cities in Illinois are hiring for Apprentice Relay Protection Engineer jobs?

Cities in Illinois with the most Apprentice Relay Protection Engineer job openings:

Senior Substation Engineer

K&A Engineering Consulting

Oak Brook, IL • On-site

$100K - $130K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 25 days ago


Key responsibilities

  • Perform detailed review of existing protection schemes and incorporate them into new designs.

  • Lead overall protection design for capital projects and define relay protection functionality.

  • Review and support the implementation, testing, and commissioning of automation, protection, and SCADA systems.


Job description

K&A Power Group � is a privately held company, providing comprehensive consulting, engineering and design, program/project management, construction management, and support services to power utility and industrial clients. Specializing in substation, transmission, distribution, distributed energy resources, and EPC services, we excel in solving complex challenges with precision-driven solutions. We pride ourselves on employing top talent, fostering a culture of excellence, and building meaningful relationships with clients and employees.
Powered By Innovation, Passion, And Purpose.
Start your K&A Career:
We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Senior Substation Engineer to join our team at K&A Engineering in Oakbrook, IL. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work on exciting and challenging projects that make a real impact in the energy and utility sectors. You'll be part of a dynamic, people-focused team where your expertise, ideas, and contributions will be valued and celebrated.
Role Expectations:
  • Perform detailed review of all existing protection schemes present in the subject area to incorporate into new design. Special areas of focus are anti-islanding schemes, generator intertie settings, SPS schemes, etc. (anything outside of normal). Basically, the goal is to ensure that we don't remove required protections already in place or at least be aware of how things work today before we modify existing schemes.
  • Lead overall protection design for all capital projects and define relay protection functionality/scheme in accordance with client standards
  • Review contractor provided relay settings, logic diagrams (including Goose messaging diagrams), and operational descriptions for all capital projects
  • Review/perform area relay coordination and determine what level of area coordination is required/needed (based on changes in fault duty and overall system performance due to the project changes)
  • Review contractor provided relay settings for all temporary builds and construction sequence steps including mobile settings
  • Review/provide input to Customer's Aspen model changes as required for individual capital projects
  • Provide design support during implementation/testing and commissioning of the above the items
  • Provide feedback to Customer on existing TM standards and help refine the Customer's design practices
  • Ensure all as-built documentation gets filed appropriately in the plant filing location at Customer
  • Lead overall automation and integration design for all capital projects
  • Review/design SCADA point indexes
  • Review contractor provided HMI screens/settings for all capital projects
  • Review/design Protection settings and settings basis
  • Review/design IED Data Maps
  • Review/create substation level operational descriptions (HMI operation, relay front panel operation, etc.)
  • Review automated maintenance data gathering (Digital Substation Data) point lists
  • Track all required licenses/firewalls and key automation and integration deliverables needed for project implementation
  • Provide design support during implementation/testing and commissioning of the above items
  • Perform constructability review and ensure adequate automation and integration coverage is available for each outage step (SCADA etc.)

What we're looking for:
  • Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) with a strong background and knowledge of all utilities engineering disciplines
  • 6+ years or more of relay/protection settings engineering experience
  • Proficient in Microsoft Project, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
  • Proven experience in Substation Design should include general arrangement, electrical equipment plans, elevation and section views, Equipment cable trays, cable design, conduit fill calcs, rigid bus calcs
  • Professional level skills in MicroStation, AutoCAD
  • PE requested

Pay Range $100,000�$130,000/annually
Why Join K&A?
People-First Culture:
We put our people at the center of everything we do, creating an environment where your professional and personal growth is a top priority.
Innovation & Learning:We encourage continuous learning and invest in your development through training, mentorship, and hands-on experience.
Collaborative Team Environment: We believe in the power of collaboration and working together to achieve the best outcomes for our clients and employees.
Recognition & Growth: We've earned our reputation through uncompromising precision and a commitment to excellence. As an agile and fast-growing company, we offer plenty of opportunities for your career advancement and growth.
Competitive Compensation & Benefits:We offeracomprehensive benefits package for eligible classified employees, including but not limited to:
  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
  • FSA, HSA, and Dependent Care Spending Account
  • 401K (Traditional and Roth with Company Match)
  • Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA)
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Paid Holidays and Flexible PTO
  • Tuition Reimbursement, Parking and Transit Reimbursement, and Pet Insurance
  • Long-Term Disability, Short-Term Disability, and Life Insurance
  • EAP (Employee Assistance Program)

Check out our career page for more information!
The salary range for this role considers a wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to technical ability, experience and training, licenses and certifications, and other related skillsets. The disclosed range is an estimate and has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled.