Electrical Engineer II or III (Substation Design) (*Remote from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, or Illinois)

Minnesota Rural Electric Association is committed to a People First culture and is seeking an Electrical Engineer II or III to design and coordinate the installation of protective relaying and control schemes for transmission and substation networks. The role involves ensuring regulatory compliance, providing technical support, and collaborating with various departments to optimize operations.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible, with minimal supervision, for engineering and design of relay protection and control schemes for transmission lines, transformers, circuit breakers, motor-operated switches and other like devices. Includes one-line diagram development, design of schematics and preparing wiring diagrams
• Responsible for setting protective relays protecting transmission lines, transformers, capacitor banks and other electrical devices. Includes fault analysis and coordination of protective functions
• Provide engineering and design for metering of DPC’s transmission and distribution substations, ties with foreign power suppliers, and ties with municipal power systems
• Responsible for maintaining DPC’s fault model. Includes entering data, performing studies, providing data to other utilities, consultants or member cooperatives
• Review and monitor system equipment condition according to established program requirements and initiate response to conditions as needed. Responsible for analysis of equipment loading, equipment ratings, protection coordination, system power factor, voltage regulation, power factor, etc. to ensure proper application of the equipment to avoid overloads and to optimize facility operation
• Working knowledge of applicable policies, procedures, standards and codes including but not limited to ANSI, IEEE, NESC, NEC and NERC
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to the Electrical Maintenance Department, System Operations Department, Planning Department, Generation Division and other departments in the areas of protective relaying, metering, transformers, regulators, circuit breakers, substation design, maintenance procedures, etc. This may include on-site support during testing, commissioning, start up and troubleshooting
• Responsible for the preparation of equipment specifications and purchase requisitions for equipment such as transformers, circuit breakers, circuit switchers, regulators, capacitor banks, etc. Perform life cycle cost analysis of equipment as required. Evauate proposals for this equipment and prepare recommendation for acquisition
• Responsible for substation grounding activities according to the departmental program. These include review of existing ground grids, recommend modifications to ground grids because of substation changes, design new ground grids and review of newly designed ground grids. Familiar with equipment surge protection and application of surge protection. Must be familiar with ANSI/IEEE Standard 80 and 81
• Assist member cooperatives with technical problems such as stray voltage issues, regulator settings, grounding, transformer loading, phase balancing, equipment ratings, etc
• Develop operating procedures for substations, capacitor stations and other electrical equipment as needed
• Assist leader with scheduling, budget, cost analysis, and manpower forecasting
• Prepare engineering studies related to stray voltage, power quality, safety, etc. as directed
• Perform project management duties as required
• Represent DPC on technical committees or task forces as required
• May provide guidance to other engineers, coop students and summer students
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• BSEE – Power Systems option preferred
• Experience in the area(s) of power systems, electric machinery, protective relaying, metering, control systems, telecommunications, or electronics desirable
• Electric utility experience is preferred
• A working knowledge of AC three-phase systems, protective relaying, metering and computer-aided drafting
• Ability to read and understand manufacturer's drawings, technical bulletins, instruction leaflets, etc
• Adaptability to computer methods for daily work duties
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Engineering Economics knowledge
• Registered Professional Engineer or Certified Engineer-in-Training (EIT) actively pursuing registration
• Valid Driver's License
• Sitting, standing, walking, kneeling, crouching/stooping, squatting, bending reaching/stretching
• Operate/manipulate personal computer, keyboard, mouse, calculator, telephone, general office supplies (pens, stapler, tape dispenser, etc.), tape measure, and screwdriver
• Must be able to stand for extended periods of time while working outdoors
• Work indoors with occasional outdoor work at substations, power line right-of-ways, and power plants
• Must be able to traverse uneven terrain
• Must be able to communicate and work effectively in a team environment, within the company, and with outside customers
• Travel within the DPC system is periodically required
• Additional travel to off system locations for meetings, conferences and seminars is required
• Work under limited supervision in a variably paced, variable pressure work setting
• Adaptability to computer methods for daily work duties is desirable