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Contract Relay Protection Engineer Jobs in Lockport, IL

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 ...

Train and qualify Relay Technician I, II, and junior engineers in protection and control practices. * Provide mentorship and technical leadership to field personnel. * Interface directly with ...

Train and qualify Relay Technician I, II, and junior engineers in protection and control practices. * Provide mentorship and technical leadership to field personnel. * Interface directly with ...

Showing results 41-60

Contract Relay Protection Engineer information

See Lockport, IL salary details

$58.2K

$99.2K

$195.6K

How much do contract relay protection engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for contract relay protection engineer in Lockport, IL is $99,196.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $70,200.00 and $102,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a contract relay protection engineer?

Contract Relay Protection Engineers are specialized professionals who design, test, and maintain protective relay systems for electrical power networks on a contract basis. Their main role is to ensure the safety and reliability of electrical systems by preventing damage from faults such as short circuits or equipment failures. Working as contractors, they may serve utilities, industrial clients, or engineering firms for specific projects or periods of time. They are responsible for relay settings, system coordination, troubleshooting, and compliance with industry standards.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a contract relay protection engineer?

To thrive as a Contract Relay Protection Engineer, you need a solid background in electrical engineering, experience with power system protection, and typically a bachelor's degree in engineering or related field. Familiarity with relay coordination software (such as SEL, GE, or ABB), AutoCAD, and relevant protection standards (IEEE, NERC) is essential, and a Professional Engineer (PE) license is often preferred. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication are important soft skills for this role. These competencies ensure the reliable design, installation, and maintenance of protective relay systems that safeguard electrical grids and infrastructure.

What are some common challenges faced by contract relay protection engineers when working with different utility clients?

Contract Relay Protection Engineers often encounter varying design standards, documentation practices, and communication protocols when partnering with different utility clients. Adapting quickly to each client's specific requirements and ensuring compliance with their protection schemes can be challenging. Additionally, balancing multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining high-quality deliverables requires strong organizational skills. Effective collaboration with both in-house teams and client representatives is essential for successful project execution.

What is the difference between Contract Relay Protection Engineer vs Substation Engineer?

AspectContract Relay Protection EngineerSubstation Engineer
CertificationsRelay protection certifications, electrical engineering licensesElectrical engineering licenses, substation design certifications
Work EnvironmentField and project sites, electrical substations, power plantsSubstation facilities, project planning, and design offices
Employer & IndustryPower utilities, electrical contractors, energy companiesUtility companies, engineering firms, infrastructure developers

The Contract Relay Protection Engineer primarily focuses on designing, testing, and commissioning relay protection systems within electrical substations, ensuring system reliability. In contrast, a Substation Engineer oversees the overall design, construction, and maintenance of substations. Both roles require electrical engineering expertise and certifications, but their daily tasks and focus areas differ, with the relay protection engineer specializing in protection systems and the substation engineer managing broader substation operations.

What cities near Lockport, IL are hiring for Contract Relay Protection Engineer jobs?

Cities near Lockport, IL with the most Contract Relay Protection Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Contract Relay Protection Engineer job openings in Lockport, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 7% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 8% Contract. Highlights an 94% In-person, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $99,196 per year, or $47.7 per hour.

Senior Protection & Controls Substation Engineer

Chicago, IL • On-site, Remote

Amped I LLC
Utilities • 11 - 50 employees

$115K - $136K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 2 days ago


Job description

Description

Amped I LLC was founded in 2010 as a design and engineering firm specializing in power infrastructure projects ranging from transmission to distribution for power utility, industry, government and commercial facilities. Amped I is a small, certified Women's Business Enterprise with the goal to provide exceptional value, integrity, and client satisfaction to all of our clients' needs. Amped I is also committed to both career growth and job satisfaction for each individual team member. We are proud and stand behind our core values of accountability, collaboration, positive energy, problem solving, and continuous improvement.


Job Summary

The Senior Protection & Controls Substation Engineer role is a mid-level, full-time, permanent position. This position is fully-remote, allowing you to work from home Monday - Friday each week. While working alongside a team of experienced electrical engineers and providing guidance to entry-level electrical engineers, this position assists in designing protection and control systems for substations. This position is an excellent launchpad if your long-term career goal is to work as a Licensed Professional Engineer on the transmission side of the power industry. If you're looking for an exciting opportunity where your contributions and career growth is valued from day one, we invite you to apply!


Duties/Responsibilities

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

  • Leads engineering projects and works with design engineers and drafters to ensure project milestones are submitted on-time and are high-quality
  • Create/modify design documents and drawings for a project, including one-lines, three-lines, control schematics and wiring diagrams, relay panel arrangements and specifications, conduit and cable sizing/routing, and generating bills of material
  • Design auxiliary AC and DC power systems
  • Develop SCADA system and communications interfaces
  • Work with various project teams to fully develop system integration of protection, control, automation and monitoring systems
  • Perform basic engineering calculations such as relay burden, voltage drop, short circuit calculations, battery sizing calculations, auxiliary AC and DC load tabulations, and others as needed to support successful projects
  • Perform relay coordination studies and prepare relay settings
  • Effectively communicate and coordinate project activities with Project Managers, clients, designers and drafters as needed
  • Perform engineering and technical quality reviews of packages created by other engineers and designers
  • Perform site walk-downs independently to scope project requirements
  • Coordination of material delivery to the project site
  • Supports Project Manager's needs for the project 
  • Joins Project Manager on all calls and meetings for the project

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Requirements

Required Skills and Abilities

  • Strong understanding of a substation project lifecycle at the utility level
  • Excellent technical communication and detail-oriented work practices
  • High comfort level with teaching, training, and mentoring team members

Education and Experience

  • Bachelor's degree from an ABET-accredited university in Electrical Engineering
  • EIT designation required, Professional Engineering License (PE) strongly preferred, but not required
  • Minimum 5 years experience in relay protection and control design of high voltage 15-500 kV substations

Compensation and Benefits:

We offer a competitive salary along with a comprehensive benefits package, including:

  • Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision plans, as well as access to telemedicine.
  • Retirement Plans: 401(k) with a company match.
  • Paid Time Off (PTO): Vacation days, sick leave, and personal time off.
  • Paid Company Holidays: Company paid holidays and one floating holiday.
  • Family Support: Paid leave policies for maternity, paternity, adoption, and foster care placement.
  • Life and Disability Insurance: Basic and supplemental life insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance.
  • Flexible Scheduling: Remote work and flexible work hours.

**In order to be considered for this position, please also complete the Culture Index assessment, linked here.


Our company embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We believe the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.