Substation Physical and Protection and Controls Staff Engineer

We are looking for someone in Fredericksburg, Virginia. We also offer relocation assistance if you are open to relocating to Fredericksburg, VA.

About Ampirical

At Ampirical, we're shaping the future of the power grid with precision, innovation, and purpose. Just as the ampere is the foundation of electric current, Ampirical is a core force driving the energy sector forward. We focus on quality, forward-thinking solutions, and empowering our team to grow and thrive.

We don’t just build projects—we build careers. If you’re looking for a place where your contributions matter and your professional development is supported every step of the way, we’d love to meet you. Watch this video to get a glimpse into our culture.

Why Ampirical?

💰 Salary Range: $130,000 - $185,000 - Commensurate (dependent on experience, education, and qualifications)

📈 Profit-Sharing Bonus: Semi-annual, performance-based (10% to 20% of salary)

🩺 Day-One Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision

💼 401(k) with 4% match and immediate vesting

🏖️ PTO: Starting at 80 hours of vacation & 40 hours of sick time per year 10 paid holidays

🗓️ Flexible Work Schedule: Every other Friday off

📚 Career Development: Advancement opportunities, tuition reimbursement

🧘 Perks: Gym membership stipend, wellness program, fertility benefits, pet insurance, and more

Your Role: Substation Physical and Protection and Controls Staff Engineer

What You’ll Do

Physical Design

• Lead the development of substation electrical design packages including general arrangement, equipment layout, grounding, conduit, bus schemes, shielding, and lighting.
• Perform quality reviews of physical design packages to ensure compliance with industry and client standards.
• Prepare scopes of work, estimates, and construction drawing packages for bids.
• Support field teams during construction and review submittals for design alignment.
• Interface with clients, vendors, and internal teams to ensure project alignment and constructability.
  
  

Protection & Control

• Identify appropriate protection and control schemes for transmission and distribution substations (69kV–500kV).
• Select proper protection devices for substation equipment.
• Perform quality checks for relay protection drawing packages including wiring diagrams, schematics, protection panels, one-line, and three-line diagrams.
• Support and review load calculations for panels, battery systems, voltage drop, and other substation components.
• Assist substation field personnel and conduct field pre-inspections for turnkey projects involving protection panels, breakers, transformers, SCADA, and related equipment.
• Ensure adherence to customer standards and industry regulations related to relay protection.
  
  

General & Leadership

• Act as Engineer of Record and provide backup support for design supervisors as needed.
• Mentor junior engineers and deliver technical training sessions.
• May manage the development of project proposals, bid preparation, and project schedules for assigned substation projects.
• Represent Ampirical at technical conferences and industry committees (e.g., IEEE).
  
  

What You Bring

🎓 Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited university (preferred emphasis in Power Systems)
• 10 years of experience - Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• 12 years of experience without a PE
  
  

📊 Experience

• 10 years of experience in substation design, including both physical and protection & control disciplines.
• Strong knowledge of SCADA, automation, settings, configuration, testing, commissioning, and protection & control engineering concepts.
• Familiarity with NERC/FERC, IEEE standards, and tools such as ETAP, WinIGS, IEEE 80/998.
• Experience with AutoCAD, Inventor, Bentley MicroStation/Substation software is a plus.
• Proven industry involvement (e.g., IEEE committees, conference presentations).
• Engineering supervisory experience preferred.
• Ability to travel to meet with clients and attend technical conferences.
  
  

Ampirical is an Equal Opportunity Employer, meaning we do not discriminate based on the following characteristics in our hiring and employment practices: Age, sex, color, race, creed, national origin, religion or religious attire, marital status, pregnancy (child birth or related medical conditions), citizenship status or amnesty, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, sickle-cell trait, status as a tobacco user or non-user, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law.