Senior Protection / Protection Settings Engineer

About the protection engineer role

We are looking for an experienced independent consultant or senior protection engineer who can take ownership of a study from the initial data review through relay settings, grading calculations, the final protection coordination report, and technical close-out. Projects may include solar PV, battery energy storage systems (BESS), private networks, and DNO, DSO, TSO or iDNO-connected generation schemes.

Key responsibilities

• Review grid connection documents, single line and protection diagrams, relay schedules, fault levels, cable schedules, transformer data and equipment specifications.
• Review the protection architecture and advise on relay locations, protection zones, CT/VT measurement points, trip points, G99 or loss-of-mains relay location, and the circuit breakers to operate.
• Prepare a clear data request, identify missing information, define assumptions, and highlight technical risks before starting the study.
• Build or review the coordination model and independently calculate relay settings suitable for implementation on site.
• Produce time-current coordination curves demonstrating appropriate grading, sensitivity, and equipment protection.
• Review transformer unit protection settings, including differential and restricted earth fault protection where applicable.
• Produce a technically robust protection coordination report and protection device or settings schedule.
• Respond to technical comments from clients, network operators, ICPs, EPCs, technical advisers, and relay suppliers.

Essential protection experience

• At least seven years of direct protection settings and coordination study experience.
• Hands-on HV and MV protection studies for 33 kV, 66 kV, and/or 132 kV systems.
• Overcurrent and earth fault coordination using IDMT, definite-time, and instantaneous protection.
• Standard inverse, very inverse, and extremely inverse relay characteristics, grading margins, and current discrimination.
• Transformer differential and restricted earth fault protection.
• Maximum and minimum fault-level interpretation for grading, stability, and sensitivity checks.
• Transformer inrush checks and cable or transformer withstand review against protection operating times.
• CT and VT ratios, accuracy classes, application checks, and suitability for proposed protection functions.
• Protection scheme development covering relay locations, zones, CT/VT locations, trip logic, and breaker selection.
• Experience with renewable generation, BESS, DNO/iDNO interfaces, or private HV networks.
• The ability to produce a professional study report independently and explain or defend the proposed settings in technical review.

Useful additional experience

• High-impedance, cable differential, and standby earth fault protection.
• CT knee-point voltage, burden, lead resistance, saturation, stabilising resistor, and Metrosil calculations.
• Neutral earthing transformer and neutral earthing resistor protection.
• G99 and loss-of-mains protection, including measurement, trip, relay location, and intertrip considerations.
• RMU, ACB, MCCB, and fuse coordination for studies extending into LV systems.
• Protection of star-delta and delta-connected transformers, including earth fault sensitivity across windings.

AVC, AVR, and transformer voltage control

Grid transformer AVC, AVR, or voltage regulator experience is highly desirable, although it is not essential for an otherwise strong protection settings engineer. Relevant experience includes target voltage and bandwidth, voltage limits and inhibit settings, tap changer timing and limits, CT/VT inputs, line drop compensation, reverse power or current limits, and identifying commissioning-stage checks. Experience with Fundamentals SuperTAPP, TAPCON, or equivalent systems is useful.

Protection study software

Experience with at least one recognised protection coordination package is required:

• CAPTOR, ETAP, DIgSILENT PowerFactory, IPSA, SKM PowerTools, EasyPower, or equivalent software.
• Manufacturer relay setting tools from ABB, Siemens, Schneider, GE/Multilin, GE MiCOM, SEL, or similar are useful.

Typical deliverables

• Initial data request and assumptions or data-gap register.
• Protection coordination model or native study file, where applicable.
• Protection coordination and time-current curves.
• Relay settings and protection device schedule suitable for site implementation.
• Draft and final protection coordination reports.
• Where applicable, transformer differential, REF, standby earth fault, G99, loss-of-mains, and AVC/AVR settings.
• Assumptions, limitations, commissioning items, and responses to reasonable technical review comments.

Background and qualifications

• A degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Relevant experience from a consultancy, network operator, iDNO, ICP, EPC, renewable developer, relay manufacturer, or commissioning organisation.
• Chartered Engineer status or progress towards chartership is desirable, but strong practical study experience matters more than professional titles.

Commercial arrangement

Work is offered on an independent contractor or subcontractor basis, project by project. RenSolv normally agrees a fixed fee for each clearly defined study scope, including model preparation, calculations, reporting, and reasonable technical clarifications.

If a client materially changes the design and a substantial rerun of more than half a day is needed, the additional work will be treated as a variation and agreed separately before it proceeds.

How to apply

Please email the following to info@rensolv.com:

• Your CV or a brief company profile.
• A short summary of protection studies you have personally completed, particularly 33-132 kV settings and coordination work.
• The protection study software and relay platforms you use, including software you already have available.
• Your current availability.

The key requirement is someone who personally performs protection settings and grading calculations, independently delivers the report, and manages the subsequent technical discussion—not someone whose experience is limited to panel design, relay configuration, or commissioning. Professional indemnity insurance and confidentiality or NDA requirements will be confirmed during contractor onboarding.