Microgrid Protections and Power Systems Engineer

Intersect is a company dedicated to innovative energy solutions and modern infrastructure, recently acquired by Google to enhance energy development. In this role, you will design and validate electrical protection schemes for microgrid environments, collaborating with various teams to ensure system safety and reliability.

Responsibilities:

• Design hardware and software-based electrical protection schemes for microgrid generation assets including batteries, wind, PV, reciprocating engines, and turbines across grid-connected, islanded, abnormal, and contingency operating modes
• Perform or oversee protection coordination studies and develop relay settings that ensure selectivity, reliability, and system safety
• Partner with electrical design, power systems, and controls teams to understand system behavior, communication limitations, and control responses that influence protection design
• Ensure protection interactions are well understood, properly coordinated, and integrated with supervisory controls and SCADA systems
• Review supplier documentation for transformers, switchgear, BESS, wind turbines, PV, reciprocating engines, and turbines to understand damage thresholds, risks, and operating limits
• Define appropriate protection functions, logic, and setpoints based on equipment characteristics and system requirements
• Develop clear documentation and configuration packages including relay settings, logic diagrams, and interface specifications with version control and traceability
• Support site testing and commissioning activities, including end-to-end functional testing and relay verification using test equipment
• Assist with post-event root-cause analysis by reviewing relay oscillography and event logs to improve system safety and reliability

Requirements:

• M.S. or PhD in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis in power systems or control systems
• 5-10+ years of experience in electrical protection design, relay settings development, and coordination studies
• Hands-on experience designing protections for utility-scale or industrial power systems
• Proficiency with protection relay logic, coordination analysis, and commissioning using relay test equipment such as OMICRON or Doble
• Familiarity with arc flash analysis, equipment duty calculations, and lockout/tagout procedures
• Understanding of inverter operating modes, fault ride-through behavior, and current-limited fault response
• Experience collaborating with transmission system operators on interconnection studies and protection coordination
• Familiarity with protection communications protocols such as IEC 61850, GOOSE messaging, DNP3, or Modbus, with awareness of cybersecurity considerations
• A detail-oriented, safety-first mindset and collaborative work style that supports reliable, field-ready system designs
• Experience with islanded or weak-grid systems is a plus