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Contract Protection & Controls Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Sr Protection & Controls Engineer

Frisco, TX ยท On-site

$90K - $120K/yr

... protection and controls design, including wiring diagrams, schematics, and relay system design. * Professional Engineer (PE) license is required. To Thrive in This Role, You Will Need: * Demonstrated ...

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Contract Protection Controls Engineer information

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$55K

$96.6K

$131K

How much do contract protection & controls engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 31, 2026, the average yearly pay for contract protection & controls engineer in the United States is $96,574.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $83,500.00 and $108,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a Contract Protection & Controls Engineer do?

A Contract Protection & Controls Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining protection and control systems within electrical power networks, often under contract for utility or industrial clients. Their work ensures the safe and reliable operation of electrical systems by preventing faults and managing system stability. They handle tasks such as system analysis, relay coordination, preparing technical documentation, and ensuring compliance with industry standards. These engineers often collaborate with project managers, contractors, and other engineers to deliver projects on time and within budget. Their expertise is crucial for minimizing system downtime and protecting critical infrastructure.

What is the difference between Contract Protection & Controls Engineer vs Electrical Engineer?

AspectContract Protection & Controls EngineerElectrical Engineer
CertificationsPE license, control system certificationsPE license, electrical engineering degrees
Work EnvironmentIndustrial plants, power stations, control system sitesDesign offices, manufacturing facilities, project sites
Industry UsagePower, energy, manufacturing sectorsConstruction, electronics, energy, manufacturing

The Contract Protection & Controls Engineer focuses on designing and maintaining control systems and protection schemes for industrial and power facilities, ensuring safety and reliability. Electrical Engineers have a broader scope, including designing electrical systems, power distribution, and electronic components. While both roles require electrical credentials and work in related environments, the Protection & Controls Engineer specializes in control systems and protection schemes specific to industrial applications.

What are the typical challenges faced by a Contract Protection & Controls Engineer when working on short-term projects?

Contract Protection & Controls Engineers on short-term projects often need to quickly adapt to new teams, project scopes, and site-specific systems. Balancing multiple project deadlines while ensuring compliance with safety and regulatory standards can be challenging, especially when documentation or system histories are limited. Effective communication and rapid learning are essential for integrating into new environments and collaborating with electrical, instrumentation, and operations teams to deliver reliable protection and control solutions.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Contract Protection & Controls Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Contract Protection & Controls Engineer, you need a solid background in electrical engineering, power systems, and contract management, often supported by a relevant degree and engineering licensure. Expertise in industry-standard protection relays, SCADA systems, and familiarity with technical standards such as IEEE or IEC, as well as certifications like Professional Engineer (PE), are typically required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication skills help you collaborate with stakeholders and manage complex project requirements. These skills and qualities are crucial to ensuring the safe, reliable, and compliant operation of electrical systems within contractual frameworks.
More about Contract Protection Controls Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Contract Protection & Controls Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Contract Protection & Controls Engineer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Protection & Controls Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Protection & Controls Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Contract Protection & Controls Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Contract Protection & Controls Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Contract Protection & Controls Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 83% In-person, and 17% Hybrid job distribution, with an average salary of $96,574 per year, or $46.4 per hour.

Protection & Controls Engineer

K&A Engineering Consulting

Rochester, NY โ€ข On-site

$105K - $115K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 24 days ago


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 Protection & Controls Engineer to join our team at K&A Engineering in Rochester, New York. 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 Avangrid TM 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
  • 7 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 $105,500-$115,000/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)
  • Relocation Assistance

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.