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Senior Protective Relay Engineer Jobs in Addison, IL

Sargent & Lundy

Lead Substation Engineer 1 - Grid

Chicago, IL · Hybrid

$105K - $139K/yr

Guide junior and senior-level engineers and designers in protection and controls engineering design ... Experience with various vendor protective relay equipment typically used in substation protection ...

Sargent Lundy

Lead Substation Engineer 1 - Grid

Chicago, IL · On-site

$118.02 - $180.31/hr

Guide junior and senior-level engineers and designers in protection and controls engineering design ... Experience with various vendor protective relay equipment typically used in substation protection ...

Sargent & Lundy

Lead Substation Engineer 2 - Grid

Chicago, IL · Hybrid

$105K - $139K/yr

Guide junior and senior-level engineers and designers in protection and controls engineering design ... Experience with various vendor protective relay equipment typically used in substation protection ...

Sargent & Lundy

Lead Substation Engineer 2 - Grid

Chicago, IL · Hybrid

$105K - $139K/yr

Guide junior and senior-level engineers and designers in protection and controls engineering design ... Experience with various vendor protective relay equipment typically used in substation protection ...

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Senior Protective Relay Engineer information

See Addison, IL salary details

$59.6K

$126.8K

$183.8K

How much do senior protective relay engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior protective relay engineer in Addison, IL is $126,793.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $104,700.00 and $143,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a senior protective relay engineer do?

A Senior Protective Relay Engineer is responsible for designing, testing, and maintaining protective relaying systems used to detect electrical faults and protect power systems. They analyze system requirements, develop relay settings, and ensure the correct operation of protective devices to prevent equipment damage and ensure safety. These engineers often lead teams, oversee relay installation and commissioning, and troubleshoot complex issues within substations and transmission systems. Their expertise is crucial for maintaining reliable and safe electrical power delivery.

What are some typical challenges faced by senior protective relay engineers during system upgrades or retrofits?

Senior Protective Relay Engineers often encounter challenges when managing system upgrades or retrofits, such as integrating new relay technologies with existing infrastructure and ensuring minimal downtime during transitions. Coordinating with other engineering teams, utility operations, and field technicians is essential to resolve compatibility issues and maintain system reliability. Additionally, staying current with evolving industry standards and regulatory requirements is crucial to ensure all protection schemes remain compliant and effective.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior protective relay engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Protective Relay Engineer, you need a deep understanding of power system protection, relay coordination, and a degree in electrical engineering, often paired with a Professional Engineer (PE) license. Proficiency with relay testing equipment, industry-standard software like SEL AcSELerator, and familiarity with SCADA and microprocessor-based relays are typically required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication skills set outstanding professionals apart in this role. These skills are crucial for ensuring electrical grid reliability, system safety, and successful project delivery in complex utility environments.

What is the difference between Senior Protective Relay Engineer vs Protective Relay Engineer?

AspectSenior Protective Relay EngineerProtective Relay Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's degree in electrical engineering; certifications like IEEE or NETABachelor's degree in electrical engineering; certifications like IEEE or NETA
Work EnvironmentDesign, testing, and troubleshooting protective relay systems in power substations or utility companiesAssist in relay system installation, testing, and maintenance in power plants or utilities
Industry UsageUsed in utility companies, power generation, and transmission sectorsCommonly employed in similar settings, often as entry to mid-level roles

The main difference between a Senior Protective Relay Engineer and a Protective Relay Engineer lies in experience and responsibility. Senior engineers typically lead projects, perform complex analysis, and mentor junior staff, while Protective Relay Engineers focus on supporting relay system installation and testing. Both roles require similar credentials and work in comparable environments within the power industry.

What are the most commonly searched types of Protective Relay Engineer jobs in Addison, IL?

The most popular types of Protective Relay Engineer jobs in Addison, IL are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Protective Relay Engineer jobs in Addison, IL look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Protective Relay Engineer jobs in Addison, IL are:

What cities near Addison, IL are hiring for Senior Protective Relay Engineer jobs?

Cities near Addison, IL with the most Senior Protective Relay Engineer job openings:

Senior Protective Relay Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Senior Protective Relay Engineer job openings in Addison, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, 5% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 85% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $126,793 per year, or $61 per hour.

Senior System Protection Engineer 2 - Grid

Sargent & Lundy

Chicago, IL • On-site

$100K - $152K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 26 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Lead the development and application of protection philosophies and settings for transmission lines, transformers, buses, breakers, capacitor and reactor banks, and station systems.

  • Perform system protection studies including short-circuit analysis, relay coordination, and protection settings development and verification using protection analysis tools.

  • Support and review substation protection & control design documents, and assist with commissioning, relay testing, and troubleshooting during construction and startup.

Sargent & Lundy rating

8.4

Company rating: 8.4 out of 10

Based on 10 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

121st of 453 rated engineering

Job description

Description
Sargent & Lundy is seeking a Senior System Protection Engineer to join our Grid Services team. This individual will have primary responsibility for system protection engineering-including relay settings, protection philosophies, and power system studies-with a secondary role in supporting and reviewing substation protection & control (P&C) design for high-voltage transmission and substation projects. Responsibilities include:
Lead the development and application of protection philosophies and settings for:
  • Transmission lines
  • Power transformers and autotransformers
  • Buses and breakers
  • Capacitor and reactor banks
  • Station service and auxiliary systems

Perform system protection studies, including:
  • Short-circuit analysis
  • Relay coordination and time-current curve development
  • Protection settings development and verification using CAPE and/or ASPEN (or equivalent tools

Configure, set, and troubleshoot microprocessor-based protective relays using vendor software such as SEL AcSELerator, EnerVista, and other major OEM relay software platforms.
Use Powerbase (or similar utility databases) to:
  • Manage relay records, settings, and configuration data
  • Align settings and documentation with client standards and change-management processes

Support event analysis and misoperation investigations, including:
  • Retrieval and interpretation of relay event records and oscillography
  • Recommendations for settings or scheme adjustments
  • Ensure that protection schemes and settings comply with client standards, NERC PRC requirements, IEEE/ANSI standards, and good utility practice.

Develop and review P&C design documents in coordination with substation design teams, including:
  • AC/DC one-lines and three-lines
  • Protection and control schematics
  • Wiring diagrams, logic diagrams, and panel layouts
  • Bills of material related to protection and control systems

Provide system protection requirements and markups to guide P&C design:
  • CT/VT ratios and burdens
  • Trip, close, and interlock logic
  • Communications and channel requirements for protection schemes

Support commissioning and field energization by:
  • Reviewing and commenting on relay and functional test plans
  • Responding to RFIs and field questions related to protection and control
  • Assisting with resolution of protection issues during construction and startup

This role offers a hybrid work arrangement, with the expectation of spending three days a week in the office, giving you the flexibility to work remotely for two days.
Dependent upon your location, this opportunity offers a generous relocation package.
Qualifications
We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.
Essential skills and experience:
  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program (or equivalent).
  • 7 or more years of experience in system protection engineering for transmission and/or substation projects, including:
    • Significant hands-on responsibility for relay settings and protection studies.
  • Strong background in system protection and relay logic, including:
    • Line, transformer, bus, breaker failure, and capacitor/reactor protection philosophies.
  • Proven experience performing fault studies and relay coordination using CAPE and/or ASPEN (or equivalent protection analysis tools).
  • Proficiency with at least some of the following relay configuration and settings tools:
    • SEL AcSELerator
    • EnerVista
    • Other major OEM relay software
  • Experience working with Powerbase or similar relay/asset databases for managing settings and protection data.
  • Demonstrated ability to check and interpret P&C drawings:
    • One-lines, three-lines, schematics, wiring diagrams, logic diagrams, and panel layouts.
  • Familiarity with applicable IEEE, ANSI, and NERC/PRC standards related to protection and control.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work directly with:
    • Utility clients
    • Equipment manufacturers
    • Construction and commissioning teams
  • Proven experience leading portions of projects, coordinating with multidisciplinary teams, and meeting schedule and quality requirements.

Valued but not required skills and experience:
  • Professional Engineer (P.E.) license or the ability to obtain a P.E. within a reasonable timeframe.
  • Experience with protection and control design and settings for a range of voltage levels (e.g., 69 kV-230 kV and above).
  • Experience developing and reviewing P&C design documents in coordination with substation design teams.
  • Prior consulting and utility engineering experience supporting utility or ISO/RTO clients.
  • Experience supporting field commissioning, relay testing, and troubleshooting of in-service protection systems.
  • Familiarity with utility standards and practices for documentation, settings management, and change control.

AI & Automation at Sargent & Lundy
In this role, we expect people to be willing or able to lead others who use modern tools:
  • You are expected to lead others in taking engineering problems from issue to solution by setting expectations for using data and modern tools such as automation and AI to improve workflows, reduce rework, and deliver cost-effective designs.
  • Leaders in these roles often direct automation and process-improvement work, for example, how teams automate calculations, summarize technical documents, or generate design documentation and guiding when and how AI or agentic AI tools are used while ensuring results are checked.
  • Overseeing engineers who program or script (e.g., Python, MATLAB, advanced Excel) to automate engineering tasks, with review of automated outputs, is valued but not required.
  • We also value additional learning, such as a minor, certificate, or other experience in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, or related fields that enables effective oversight of automation and agentic AI-enabled engineering workflows.

Award-Winning Benefits
At Sargent & Lundy, we care about the health and well-being of our employees. Our commitment extends beyond the workplace, offering comprehensive healthcare plans and generous paid time off to support our team members in every aspect of their lives. We understand the importance of work-life balance, which is why we are proud to provide competitive, award-winning benefits. Our dedication to employee satisfaction has earned us the prestigious Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Award for compensation and benefits in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Health & WellnessFinancial BenefitsWork-Life Balance
  • Health Plans: Medical, Dental, Vision
  • Life & Accident Insurance
  • Disability Coverage
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Back-Up Daycare
  • FSA & HSA
  • 401(k)
  • Pre-Tax Commuter Account
  • Merit Scholarship Program
  • Employee Discount Program
  • Corporate Charitable Giving Program
  • Tuition Assistance
  • First Professional Licensure Bonus
  • Employee Referral Bonus
  • Paid Annual Personal/Sick Time (PST)
  • Paid Vacation
  • Paid Holidays
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Paid Bereavement Leave
  • Flexible Work Arrangements

Compensation Range
$100,019 - $152,807
Transparency Statement
Sargent & Lundy discloses compensation ranges that comply with all local and state regulations. The total compensation package for eligible positions will include a base salary or an hourly rate and a comprehensive benefits package, reflecting our commitment to rewarding performance and supporting the overall well-being of our employees. Individuals may also be eligible to participate in our yearly discretionary bonus.
Equal Opportunity
Sargent & Lundy is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any protected status as defined by applicable law.

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About Sargent & Lundy

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Sargent & Lundy is one of the most experienced full-service architect-engineering firms in the world. Founded in 1891, the firm is a global leader in power and energy with expertise in grid modernization, renewable energy, energy storage, nuclear power, and fossil fuels. Sargent & Lundy delivers comprehensive project services--from consulting, design and implementation to construction management, commissioning and operations/maintenance--with an emphasis on quality and safety. The firm serves public and private sector clients in the power and energy, gas distribution, industrial, and government sectors.

Industry

Civil engineering construction

Company size

1,001 - 5,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Chicago, IL, US

Year founded

1891

Social media

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