Principal Engineer - Substation Protection & Control

Position OverviewPower your future with Qualus
as a Principal Protection and Control Engineer, to join our well-established Protection & Control team of engineers and designers in Canada, in our Transmission & Distribution Canada business.This role offers long-term workload stability, exposure to a diverse portfolio of projects, and the opportunity to provide technical leadership across utility and renewable energy clients.
You will work on projects ranging from 12 kV to 500 kV, supporting designs from early concept through construction and commissioning. This opportunity is ideal for a principal engineer who enjoys technical ownership, mentoring others, and solving complex system-level challenges.
Responsibilities
Act as the Qualus’ Protection & Control Subject Matter Expert (SME), providing technical governance across multiple projects and programs
Set and uphold protection, control, and metering philosophy, standards, and best practices for high voltage substations
Serve as Principal Engineer or Technical Authority on complex, high risk, or non standard projects, providing final technical approval and direction
Provide review and approval of:-Protection planning, philosophy, and application documents-One-lines, schematics, logic diagrams, panel layouts, and wiring diagrams
Oversee protection coordination studies and relay settings for utility transmission systems, including review and validation of work performed by others
Chair or participate in senior-level design reviews, hazard and risk assessments, and near miss investigations
Support Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs), Site Acceptance Tests (SATs), and critical field inspections for complex installations
Advise project teams on construction sequencing, outage planning, and commissioning strategy
Participate in client technical, Safety by Design, and constructability review meetings
Provide technical oversight for project scopes, feasibility studies, cost estimates, and definition-phase deliverables, including review of assumptions and risks
Support Business Development by contributing technical strategy, execution approaches, and risk assessments for proposals and pursuits
Act as a primary technical escalation point for clients, internal teams, and external partners
Mentor senior and junior engineers, and play a key role in the continuous improvement of P&C standards, tools, and engineering practices
Minimum Qualifications
20+ years of utility-focused protection, control, and metering engineering experience, with demonstrated system-level responsibility
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from a recognized university
Registration as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Canada, or eligibility to obtain (U.S. PE considered an asset)
Recognized expertise in substation protection philosophy, including transmission line, transformer, bus, and feeder protection
Extensive experience reviewing and approving detailed P&C design drawings and technical deliverables
Experience performing protection coordination studies and relay settings for high-voltage transmission systems
Hands‑on knowledge of protection software and platforms such as ASPEN, CAPE, EasyPower, SKM, and SEL / GE relay families
Practical experience with substation construction, commissioning, outage planning, and operational interfaces
Proven ability to provide technical judgment on non standard, complex, or first of kind applications
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Experience on EPC projects, and familiarity with utility maintenance and operational practices, are considered strong assets
Demonstrated capability to mentor
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Benefits & CompensationQualus offers a competitive benefits package for eligible employees, which may include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short- and Long-Term Disability coverage, Retirement Savings Plans (including employer matching where applicable), Flexible Spending and/or Health Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Parental Leave, Paid Time Off, and Company Holidays. Benefits offerings may vary based on position, work location, and eligibility requirements.The compensation range for this position is provided in accordance with applicable laws and market practices. The final base salary offered may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, internal equity, performance, and business needs. Compensation ranges are subject to change at the Company's discretion and as permitted by applicable law.Company OverviewQualus is a leading pure-play power solutions firm and innovator at the forefront of power infrastructure transformation, with differentiated capabilities across grid modernization, resiliency, security, and sustainability. The firm partners with utilities, commercial, industrial, data center, and government clients, and renewable and energy storage developers, offering comprehensive solutions through boutique and integrated advisory, planning, engineering, digital solutions, program management, energy efficiency and specialized field services. Qualus also provides software and technology enabled services and develops breakthrough solutions for critical power industry challenges such as distributed and variable resource integration, emergency management, and secure data exchange. The firm has over 2,000 professionals, with offices throughout the U.S. and Canada.
EEO StatementWe are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We are committed to providing an inclusive workplace and do not discriminate on any grounds protected by applicable human rights legislation across Canada and the US.
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