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Senior Protection & Control Setting Engineer

Arup

Houston, TX · HybridJob$150–175K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$150–175K/yr
Location
Houston, TXHybrid
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Bachelor's degree

Job overview

Arup seeks a Senior Protection & Control Settings Engineer to lead engineers and technical staff delivering substation projects for utilities, contractors, and developers. The role focuses on protection settings for high-voltage substations and renewable and data-center interconnections, with client and internal technical coordination. The engineer will oversee technical deliverables and support project design, construction, commissioning, and consulting work from Houston, Dallas, or Austin offices.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Protection SettingsRelay Logic DevelopmentProtection CoordinationRelay ConfigurationFERC and NERC RequirementsPower Systems ModelingRelay Coordination AnalysisASPEN OneLinerSiemens CAPEETAPSKMCYMEArc Flash StudiesPower System StudiesProtection Drawing InterpretationIEC 61850Project LeadershipTeam ManagementProject ManagementBudget ManagementIndependent WorkCollaborationCommunicationPrioritizationDeadline ManagementOrganization

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Electrical EngineeringProfessional Engineer License9+ Years Protection Relay Setting Experience

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Paid Time Off
401(k) Match

Full job description

ReqID: UNI0000UE

Joining Arup

Arup’s purpose, shared values, and collaborative approach have set us apart for over 80 years, guiding how we shape a better world.

We are seeking a Senior Protection & Control Settings Engineer with technical experience in the application of protection settings for HV substations for power utilities and for the interconnection of renewables and data centers. In this role you will lead a team of engineers and technical staff to support the delivery of substation projects for electric utilities, contractors and developers. You will be the technical interface with clients and internal team members. You’ll ensure deliverables meet performance, safety, regulation, and commercial requirements.

This position can be worked out of our Houston, Dallas or Austin offices.

The opportunity

  • Perform and lead others in system protection setting calculation, development of relay logic diagrams, and protection coordination on various substation projects up to 500kV voltage level.

  • Develop and review design basis documentation for protective settings, relay settings calculations and generate native relay configuration files using SEL AcSELerator, GE EnerVista and/or similar vendor software.

  • Apply industry standards for the protection of system equipment, including power buses, power transformers, HV/MV circuit breakers, capacitor banks, reactors, transmission lines, and distribution feeders.

  • Perform and review power system modeling and protective relay coordination analysis using ASPEN OneLiner, CAPE, ETAP, SKM, and/or CYME software.

  • Prepare and review design calculations, including short circuit calculation, current transformer performance and ratio selection, over-current element coordination, zone-distance element selection and coordination, and relay loadability calculation.

  • Lead designers to develop single line drawing, protection single line drawings, three lines drawings, schematic and wiring drawings for substation.

  • Lead the effort to create bill of materials for relay and panels and control building

  • Provide engineering support with construction and commissioning activities for substations.

  • Perform QA/QC for project deliverables to clients across multiple offices.

  • Support bid and execution phase design and consulting services.

Is this role right for you?

  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university.

  • Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) is preferred.

  • Proven 9+ years experience in development of protection relay setting for transmission substations.

  • Knowledge of FERC and NERC requirements as they pertain to electric utility reliability requirements.

  • Experience in power systems modeling and protective relay coordination analysis using ASPEN OneLiner or Siemens CAPE, ETAP, SKM, CYME software. Ability to perform Arc Flash and other power system studies is preferred.

  • Ability to read and interpret protection single lines, three lines, schematics, functional diagrams, etc.

  • Experience with IEC61850 and its implementation is preferred.

  • Proven project leadership: managing multi-disciplinary teams, multiple projects, delivering on time, managing budgets.

  • Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, as needed, to achieve agreed goals and results.

  • Excellent communication skills — able to interact with clients, regulatory bodies, vendors, and internal stakeholders. Ability to represent the company credibly.

  • The ability to prioritize work effectively, manage deadlines and organization skills required for our rapidly changing environment.

Please note that all applicants must apply directly via the job portal. If this role is not quite what you are looking for, but you are interested in other opportunities for a future with purpose, please sign up to our Talent Community where you will be kept up to date with roles suitable for you to shape a better world.

What we offer you

Benefits at Work - At Arup, we have a comprehensive and valuable benefits program that works for our employees and their families while keeping costs low. These benefits provide health and welfare security for you as well as paid time off for rest and renewal. As a member of Arup, everyone shares in our success through a global profit share scheme (payments are dependent on the firm’s financial performance). Our Global Profit Share Plan (paid bi-annually) provides an opportunity for you to share in the success of the Firm. As a valued employee of Arup, you can also choose to participate in our 401(k) plan with up to 10% company match to help you save for your future

Flexible Working - We believe that flexible arrangements create a more inclusive way of working that supports our diversity and the wellbeing of our people. Options for alternative schedules and the ability to work outside of the office for a portion of your workweek are available

Houston Hiring Range - The good faith base salary hiring range for this job if performed in Houston is $150,000 to $175,000 per year. This range is commensurate with experience, educational background, and skill level. Benefits are not included in the base salary. Please note hiring ranges for candidates performing work outside of Houston will differ.

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.

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EOE-Protected Veterans/Disability

How this job compares

Set against the 10,301 open Electrical Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 5, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$150–175K/yr
  • Texas median$111–160K/yr481 salary ranges
  • US median$106–165K/yr6,613 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $163K, is 17% above the Texas median midpoint ($138K) — in the top quarter of Electrical Engineer salary ranges in Texas.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 1,068 open Electrical Engineer jobs in Texas and 10,301 across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Texas
Experience
This posting asks for at least 9 years of experience — more than three in four Electrical Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 8,613 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 6,797 of the 10,301 open Electrical Engineer jobs (66%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 5, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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