Remote Protocol Engineer Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

SCADA & Automation Engineer – Oil & Gas 

About the Position 

As a SCADA & Automation Engineer in the Oil & Gas group, your primary responsibility will be the design, implementation, testing, commissioning, and support of SCADA and automation systems under the responsible charge of a Professional Engineer. Based on project needs and your technical expertise, you may also contribute to protection & control engineering, electrical design, power system studies, and related engineering projects while delivering safe, high-quality solutions that meet client expectations for schedule, budget, and technical performance.  

Salary Range: $125,000 - $175,000 / year 

The salary range above is based upon the Denver, Colorado labor market.  

This opportunity is available to both local / in-office (Lakewood, CO) and full-time remote candidates. 

Essential Responsibilities 

• Design, configure, program, test, and commission SCADA systems, PLCs, RTACs, HMIs, protective relays, and industrial networking equipment. 

• Develop RTAC logic, protocol conversion, data concentration, alarm management, and HMI visualization solutions for industrial and oil & gas applications. 

• Configure, integrate, and troubleshoot industrial communication protocols including IEC 61850 (GOOSE), DNP3, Modbus, OPC, and other SCADA communication protocols. 

• Perform detailed design of electrical power, protection & control, and SCADA systems including one-line diagrams, protection and control schematics, communication network architecture, wiring diagrams, cable schedules, grounding systems, and equipment layouts. 

• Support field startup, commissioning, troubleshooting, maintenance, and system validation activities for SCADA, automation, protection & control, and electrical power systems. 

• Prepare engineering deliverables including technical reports, calculations, specifications, commissioning procedures, testing documentation, RFIs, and construction support documents. 

• Coordinate with clients, contractors, vendors, utilities, and multidisciplinary engineering teams throughout project execution. 

• Review engineering work prepared by designers, drafters, and field personnel to ensure quality, accuracy, and compliance with project requirements and applicable standards. 

• Lead or support project execution activities including scope definition, technical reviews, schedule coordination, commissioning planning, and client interface activities. 

• Travel as required to support field assignments, commissioning activities, client meetings, and project execution. 

Additional Responsibilities 

• Opportunities exist to broaden your technical expertise by supporting multidisciplinary engineering projects across SCADA, protection & control, electrical design, and power system studies. 

• Perform or support electrical power system studies, including short circuit, load flow, protection coordination, arc flash, harmonic analysis, relay settings, grounding analysis, motor starting, cable ampacity, insulation coordination, lighting analysis, AC/DC station service, and other engineering calculations. 

• Develop, maintain, and validate electrical system models using ETAP, PSCAD, PSS®E, Milsoft, SKM, EasyPower, or equivalent software. 

• Support power system analysis and engineering projects across the transmission, distribution, industrial, renewable energy, and utility sectors. 

• Contribute to multidisciplinary engineering efforts involving electrical design, protection & control, substation engineering, network architecture development, and technical consulting services. 

• Provide engineering support during project planning, design reviews, field investigations, commissioning, and system troubleshooting. 

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop innovative, cost-effective, and technically sound engineering solutions that meet client objectives. 

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or electrical engineering technology from an accredited institution. 

• 3-8+ years of engineering or field experience in SCADA, automation, substations, protection & control, or industrial electrical systems. 

• Experience configuring and commissioning SEL RTACs, protective relays, and SCADA systems. 

• Experience developing RTAC logic, communications mappings, data concentrator applications, and protocol conversions. 

• Experience configuring, integrating, testing, and troubleshooting industrial communication protocols including IEC 61850, DNP3, and Modbus. 

• Working knowledge of substation automation, industrial networking, SCADA architectures, and protection & control systems. 

• Proficiency with AutoCAD and Microsoft Office applications. 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively interact with clients and multidisciplinary project teams. 

• Ability to travel approximately 25%, including extended field assignments as required. 

• Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• FE and/or PE license. 

• Experience performing electrical power system studies such as short circuit, load flow, protection coordination, arc flash, grounding, harmonic analysis, relay settings, and related engineering calculations. 

• Experience with ETAP, PSCAD, PSS®E, Milsoft, SKM, EasyPower, or equivalent power system analysis software. 

• Experience supporting utility, oil & gas, industrial, renewable energy, or transmission and distribution projects. 

• Knowledge of NEC, NESC, IEEE, and other applicable industry standards. 

Working Conditions 

Work Environment: 

Work is performed in an office setting, and some field work is also required 

Travel: 

Approximately: 25%  

Physical Activities: 

Managerial Responsibilities: 

Must be able to lift 50lbs.  

Team Member is responsible for managing their own work schedule with input from their supervisor and completing assigned tasks. 
Team Member should identify discrepancies in assigned work and bring to attention of supervisor or engineer responsible for the project in a timely manner. Team Member’s work product should be self-checked in a manner that is suitable for review by the supervisor or engineer responsible for the project. 

About NEI Electric Power Engineering 

Serving Others. Enriching Environment. Improving Continually. Quality Results. Voted as a top workplace by the Denver Post for three straight years (2020, 2021, 2022), our values have been woven into the fabric of who we are since 1982, guiding our decision making throughout the years. As an engineering services firm, NEI’s mission is to create a great organization that serves people and solves problems. 

Since NEI’s founding, we have developed a culture of collaboration and accountability, both across our teams and departments, and externally with our clients across the United States. We believe in two core ideas: hiring great people and celebrating our team members diverse background and unique experiences; bringing in new, unique, and exciting perspectives that can only strengthen NEI as we chart out path into the future. 

We are a proud equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, martial status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or genetic information.  

Team Member Benefits 

We believe that taking care of our team members is of the utmost importance. We strive to foster a community of belonging, professional development, and industry involvement; providing our team with the benefits, tools, and support systems to excel in their roles. Out comprehensive benefits package includes:  

• 100% Employer paid team member premiums for Medical, Dental, Vision, Basic Life Insurance, and Long-Term Disability
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• 401(k) with employer matching; 100% immediate vesting
• Annual & discretionary bonus programs
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Employer paid licensure (FE/PE), certifications, seminars, & conferences
• Paid parental leave
• Tuition reimbursement
• Eight (8) paid holidays including a floating holiday to use at your discretion
• Annual Team Building
• Hybrid work environment with remote flexibility
• Career development, training, and coaching opportunities
• Pet insurance