Job Description

RCS Staffing is placing an Engineer III – Protection & Controls with a leading transmission and substation engineering firm. This is a direct-hire opportunity for an experienced P&C engineer ready to take on lead engineer responsibilities — designing protection and control systems for utility substations, transmission lines, and energy storage projects, managing project schedules and budgets, and mentoring junior staff. You will serve as the technical authority on complex P&C challenges across projects up to 500kV.

OVERVIEW OF YOUR ROLE In this role, you will provide protection and control design, engineering, technical support, and oversight to a transmission substation engineering and design team. You will lead discipline work on projects spanning utility substation modifications, battery energy storage systems, and solar collector substations — performing responsible charge engineering duties, managing project schedules and budgets, and supporting proposal development and cost estimating. You will direct and mentor a team of engineers and designers while serving as the go-to technical resource on complex P&C problems.

YOU WILL

• Lead P&C discipline work on utility substation and transmission line projects — serving as responsible charge engineer on assigned scopes.
• Design protection schemes for substation and transmission line equipment including bus, line, capacitor, and transformer protection, and develop associated relay settings.
• Read, interpret, design, and engineer P&C drawings and documentation through 500kV — including one-lines, three-lines, AC/DC schematics, panel layouts, wiring diagrams, and SCADA communication designs.
• Perform coordination, voltage drop, fault current, and insulation coordination studies; prepare calculation reports using client-specified software and standards.
• Develop project scopes, estimates, budgets, and schedules for substation P&C projects; manage budgets and schedules through execution.
• Lead and oversee a team of engineers and designers; check designs for technical accuracy, appearance, and adherence to client standards.
• Visit project sites to advise on P&C engineering issues and modify designs to resolve field construction challenges.
• Collaborate effectively with other design disciplines, construction contractors, consultants, material suppliers, and clients.
• Support proposal development and project cost estimating.

YOU ARE THE IDEAL CANDIDATE IF YOU HAVE

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering from an EAC/ABET-accredited program (or an NCEES-approved evaluation of non-ABET credentials, or a Master's/Doctoral degree from an institution with EAC/ABET-accredited undergraduate programs).
• 5–7 years of experience as a practicing engineer with a focus on protection and control design for utility substations and transmission systems.
• Advanced understanding of P&C fundamentals as they apply to utility substation and transmission line equipment.
• Proficiency in protection scheme design for bus, line, capacitor, and transformer applications, including relay settings development.
• Advanced understanding of SCADA communication design.
• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) — or the ability to obtain licensure within one year.
• Strong project management skills — able to manage budgets, schedules, and multi-task workloads while providing leadership to team members.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; customer-oriented with the ability to collaborate across disciplines and with external stakeholders.

IT'S A BONUS IF YOU HAVE

• Direct experience in the electric utility industry — utility background is strongly preferred.
• Experience on battery energy storage system (BESS) or solar collector substation projects.
• Experience supporting proposal development and project cost estimating for P&C scopes.
• Experience mentoring designers/drafters and checking designs for accuracy and client standard compliance.

ABOUT OUR CLIENT Our client is a leading transmission and substation engineering and design firm serving electric utilities across the United States. Their P&C team delivers high-quality engineering on a wide range of projects — from conventional utility substation modifications to cutting-edge battery energy storage and solar collector substation programs. Engineers here work on technically complex, high-visibility projects with direct impact on grid reliability and the energy transition.

WHO WE ARE RCS Staffing is a certified Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) specializing in the recruitment of professionals for best-of-class companies throughout the United States. Since 1994, RCS recruits top talent for direct hire, temp-to-perm and contract staffing positions and provides customized payroll services. Our Recruiting Specialties consist of all Engineering Disciplines, Project Management, Project Controls, Information Technology, Energy Efficiency and Business Professionals.

RCS is an equal opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type. RCS recruits, hires, and promotes for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, citizenship status, disability, military status, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, genetic information or age. All terms and conditions of employment such as compensation, benefits, work assignment, availability of facilities and privileges of employment are administered on the same basis of equality.