What are the responsibilities and job description for the Protection, Controls, & SCADA Project Engineer position at Piper Maddox?
An established renewable energy and energy storage company is looking for an experienced Protection, Controls & SCADA Project Engineer to support the execution, commissioning, and operation of solar and battery energy storage projects across the U.S.
The company develops, finances, owns, and operates distributed solar, solar-plus-storage, and standalone battery storage projects. This role will sit within the engineering team and focus on the protection, controls, SCADA, and commissioning of these energy assets, with an emphasis on distribution-level and medium-voltage electrical systems.
What you'll do:
- Support protection and controls activities across solar, BESS, and other distributed energy projects, with a focus on distribution-level and medium-voltage systems
- Review protection and control schemes to ensure transformers, BESS systems, circuit breakers, and other electrical equipment are properly protected and operate as intended
- Work with engineering partners on relay protection settings, protection schemes, and electrical coordination
- Support SCADA and controls systems, including RTACs, RTUs, Modbus, DERMs, EMS, and utility communications
- Review how field equipment communicates with SCADA and control systems, helping ensure accurate data acquisition and reliable control functionality
- Support third-party commissioning activities and troubleshoot issues as projects are brought online
- Diagnose protection, controls, and communications issues in the field, including identifying breakdowns between equipment, SCADA, EMS, and utility systems
- Work closely with internal engineering teams, EPCs, utilities, consultants, and commissioning partners throughout project execution
- Support the integration and operation of solar and BESS assets, including monitoring how power is generated, stored, controlled, and distributed
- Review technical designs and documentation and provide input on protection, controls, SCADA, and overall system functionality
- Support multiple projects through development, construction, commissioning, and operation
What we're looking for:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field preferred
- Experience working with high-voltage or medium-voltage electrical systems, particularly at the distribution level
- Strong understanding of electrical protection and control schemes, including transformer protection, BESS protection, relay systems, and circuit breakers
- Strong SCADA and controls experience, with knowledge of RTACs, RTUs, data acquisition, and control functionality
- Experience with Modbus, DERMs, EMS, utility communications, or similar power system communication platforms
- Experience supporting commissioning, field troubleshooting, or bringing electrical systems and equipment online
- Background in utilities, generating stations, substations, power generation, or other electrical energy infrastructure preferred
- Renewable energy experience is not required; candidates from utilities, oil & gas, nuclear, renewable natural gas, or traditional power generation may be considered
- Relevant backgrounds may include SCADA Engineer, Protection & Controls Engineer, Project Engineer, Grid Connection/Interconnection Engineer, Substation Engineer, or Real-Time Operations/Controls Engineer
- Strong understanding of how protection, controls, SCADA, and field equipment interact within an electrical power system
- Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, with the ability to take a holistic view of protection, controls, and commissioning issues
- Field-based experience supporting commissioning, troubleshooting, or electrical infrastructure projects is preferred
- Fire protection experience
- Ability to work collaboratively with engineering teams, EPCs, utilities, consultants, and third-party commissioning partners