Freelance Protection Relay Testing Jobs in Cincinnati, OH

The Relay Technician performs and supervises electrical testing, maintenance, commissioning, and troubleshooting of protective relays and associated control circuits in electrical power stations and substations. This role uses specialized relay test equipment and tools to verify the proper operation of electromechanical and microprocessor-based relays, ensuring safe and reliable performance of power system protection schemes.

• Drive daily to local and regional job sites and be available for periodic overnight travel as project needs require.
• Lead safety briefings on job sites and actively identify, eliminate, or mitigate hazards to maintain a safe work environment.
• Apply Human Performance Error Elimination concepts and tools during planning and execution of work.
• Analyze protection schemes for power circuits and other power system components to ensure proper coordination and operation.
• Perform installation, commissioning, testing, and functional testing of substation control circuits associated with relay panels, transformer change-outs, and circuit breaker change-outs.
• Review and analyze event records and make informed deductions about system performance and protection operation.
• Develop project execution plans, commissioning procedures, outage sequences, and energization procedures for substation and protection projects.
• Manage large-scale and complex projects, including planning, scheduling, and coordination of technical activities.
• Interact professionally with customers, provide technical updates, and address questions related to testing and commissioning activities.
• Perform complex troubleshooting of protective relays, control circuits, and associated apparatus in substations and power facilities.
• Conduct end-to-end relay testing using relay test software and evaluate relay operation based on fault types and test scenarios.
• Lead investigations of electrical-related issues and perform root cause analysis as needed to resolve protection and control problems.
• Calibrate and perform functional tests on both electromechanical and microprocessor-based protective relays used in substations.
• Serve as an on-site lead for projects, assign tasks to team members, prioritize activities, and coordinate with customers and other stakeholders.
• Read and fully understand protection and control schematic diagrams, one-line diagrams, and wiring diagrams, and identify mistakes or issues in drawings and designs compared with engineering and customer standards.
• Determine and interpret customer requirements and provide final deliverables, including accurate as-built prints and complete test results that meet specified standards.
• Review and understand manufacturers’ literature to support proper testing, commissioning, and troubleshooting of relays and associated equipment.
• Test transformers, circuit breakers, switchgear, and other electrical apparatus as part of protection and control projects.
• Participate in periodic safety trainings and NETA certification training sessions to maintain and enhance technical qualifications.

• At least 5 years of experience testing and troubleshooting protective relays in electrical power stations or substations.
• Hands-on experience with DOBLE test equipment for relay testing and apparatus testing.
• Strong ability to perform relay testing, relay protection verification, and functional testing of protective relays.
• Proficiency in troubleshooting complex protection and control issues in substations and related facilities.
• Ability to read and understand relay one-line diagrams, protection schematics, and detailed wiring diagrams.
• Experience with relay commissioning activities, including installation, configuration, and functional verification.
• Familiarity with SEL relays and SCL for configuration and analysis.
• Experience testing transformers, circuit breakers, switchgear, and other electrical apparatus in distribution and transmission environments.
• Knowledge of protection and controls for distribution and transmission systems, including protection schemes and coordination.
• Capability to analyze event records and relay reports to determine system behavior and fault response.
• Competence in developing project execution, commissioning, outage sequence, and energization procedures.
• Ability to lead projects on-site, assign tasks, and coordinate activities with customers and team members.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel locally and regionally with periodic overnight stays.

• NETA certification or strong interest in obtaining NETA certification, with support for Levels II, III, and IV.
• Experience working in data centers, distribution, and transmission environments.
• Understanding of protection schemes for various power system components and the ability to interpret customer protection standards.
• Ability to prepare accurate as-built documentation and comprehensive test result packages.
• Comfort working with manufacturers’ technical literature to guide testing and troubleshooting.
• Project management experience on large-scale and complex electrical projects.
• Strong communication skills for customer interaction and leading on-site teams.
• Commitment to safety and use of Human Performance Error Elimination concepts in daily work.

This is a field-based role with frequent local and regional travel to substations, power stations, and related facilities, with most projects located in Ohio and Indiana and occasional trips to Nashville for safety trainings and NETA certification sessions. The work is primarily performed in electrical substations, data centers, and power distribution and transmission environments, involving hands-on use of relay test equipment, DOBLE test equipment, laptops, and specialized software. Technicians typically work a full-time schedule with an additional 5–10 hours of overtime per week, depending on project demands. The environment emphasizes safety, ongoing training, and professional development, including multiple NETA certification preparation classes each year. Team members receive support for travel through company-provided cards for hotels, per diem when traveling, and access to a company vehicle and gas card. The role includes the use of fire-retardant clothing, safety boots, and prescription safety goggles as needed, with annual allowances for boots, safety goggles, and fire-retardant clothing. A company cellphone and laptop are provided to support field work, communication, and documentation. The culture focuses on continuous learning, safety, and high-quality technical work in a collaborative field setting.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of West Chester, OH.

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $75.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in West Chester,OH.

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 31, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

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