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Specialist Engineer - Protection and Control Planning - Job Opportunity at BC Hydro

Burnaby, Canada
Full-time
Senior
Posted: August 19, 2025
Hybrid
CAD 127,900 - 161,800 per year

Benefits

Comprehensive health and dental coverage positioning BC Hydro as a premium employer in the utilities sector
Minimum 15 paid vacation days exceeding standard entry-level offerings
Lifetime pension plan providing exceptional long-term financial security rare in today's market
Flexible hybrid work model balancing collaboration and work-life integration
Professional development and training programs supporting continuous career advancement
Safety-sensitive role classification ensuring comprehensive workplace protections

Key Responsibilities

Lead strategic planning and integration of protective relaying schemes and remedial action schemes across transmission networks, directly impacting grid reliability for millions of customers
Execute advanced digital fault studies and complex relay analysis to optimize protection system performance, ensuring regulatory compliance and minimizing outage risks
Evaluate and approve interconnection requests from independent power producers, facilitating BC's clean energy transition and grid modernization
Provide executive-level technical leadership across multiple departments, influencing major infrastructure investment decisions and organizational strategy
Resolve critical engineering challenges with full autonomy, protecting billions of dollars in electrical infrastructure assets
Direct technical teams including engineers and consultants, managing multi-million dollar project resources and innovative engineering solutions
Champion technical compliance standards and lead departmental initiatives, establishing best practices across BC Hydro's protection systems
Mentor emerging engineering talent while fostering BC Hydro's commitment to diversity and inclusion, building the next generation of power system experts

Requirements

Education

A degree in Electrical Engineering recognized by Canadian Universities (preferably power engineering). Master's degree or higher preferred.

Experience

A minimum of 10 years of experience in engineering, design, and implementation of electric utility protection and control systems.

Required Skills

Technical knowledge in design, application and implementation of transmission and generation protection & control system systems for utility substations from 12kV to 500kV with overhead and cable transmission line, transformer, shunt and series capacitor, reactor, circuit breakers experience Demonstrated experience meeting requirements and measures within relevant NERC PRC standards Ability to communicate effectively and clearly including verbal and technical writing Ability to investigate, analyze and solve a variety of engineering problems such as unexpected misoperation of protective devices Effectiveness in work leadership with ability to coordinate and lead multiple projects, and plan and manage project resources Experience with project management principles managing the engineering component (scope, schedule, cost, technical risk) of large and/or technically complex projects Ability to manage client relationships and expectations to ensure their needs are met and to work closely with stakeholders to drive innovation, find engineering solutions that add value to reach consensus

Certifications

Registered, or eligible for immediate registration, as a Professional Engineer with Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (EGBC) Class 5 Driver's License in good standing
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Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

The electric utility sector is experiencing unprecedented transformation driven by renewable energy integration, requiring sophisticated protection and control systems to manage bidirectional power flows and variable generation sources. This creates high demand for specialists who can navigate both traditional grid protection and modern smart grid technologies. Cybersecurity concerns in industrial control systems have elevated the importance of protection engineers who understand both operational technology and information technology security frameworks, particularly with increasing regulatory scrutiny from NERC CIP standards. The aging electrical infrastructure across North America requires extensive modernization and replacement programs, creating sustained demand for experienced protection engineers who can manage complex system upgrades while maintaining reliability. Grid modernization initiatives and the push toward net-zero emissions are driving utilities to invest heavily in advanced protection schemes, remedial action systems, and automated switching capabilities to accommodate distributed energy resources.

Salary Evaluation

The offered salary range of CAD 127,900 - 161,800 is highly competitive for the Canadian market, positioning in the top 25% for senior protection engineers. This represents approximately USD 95,000 - 120,000, which is above market rate when considering BC Hydro's comprehensive benefits package and pension plan. The range reflects the specialized nature of transmission-level protection work and BC Hydro's position as a premium employer in the utilities sector.

Role Significance

Typically leads cross-functional teams of 5-12 professionals including engineers, technicians, and contractors on major projects, while collaborating within a department of 20-30 protection and control specialists. The role involves matrix management of resources across multiple concurrent projects and provides technical mentorship to 3-5 junior engineers.
This is a senior individual contributor role with significant technical leadership responsibilities and minimal direct supervision. The position functions at a principal engineer level with authority to make independent decisions on complex technical matters affecting critical infrastructure. The role serves as a technical authority within the organization and interfaces with executive leadership on strategic initiatives.

Key Projects

Major substation protection system upgrades involving replacement of legacy electromechanical relays with modern digital protection schemes across multiple voltage levels Development and implementation of wide-area protection schemes and special protection systems to enhance grid stability and prevent cascading outages Integration of renewable generation facilities requiring sophisticated protection coordination studies and custom relay settings development Cybersecurity compliance initiatives involving hardening of protection and control networks against emerging threats while maintaining operational reliability

Success Factors

Deep technical expertise in modern digital protection systems combined with thorough understanding of power system fundamentals and fault analysis techniques. Success requires the ability to translate complex theoretical concepts into practical protection schemes that perform reliably under diverse operating conditions. Strong project leadership and stakeholder management skills are essential for coordinating large-scale protection system upgrades involving multiple departments, contractors, and regulatory agencies. The ability to manage competing priorities and drive consensus among diverse technical teams directly impacts project success. Regulatory compliance expertise, particularly with NERC protection standards, is critical for ensuring all protection schemes meet mandatory reliability standards while optimizing performance. This requires staying current with evolving standards and industry best practices. Effective mentorship and knowledge transfer capabilities are vital for developing junior staff and preserving institutional knowledge as experienced professionals retire. Success involves building technical capability across the organization while maintaining operational excellence.

Market Demand

Very High - Protection and control specialists are among the most sought-after professionals in the power industry, with demand significantly exceeding supply. The combination of aging workforce retirements, complex grid modernization projects, and stringent reliability requirements creates a seller's market for qualified candidates with transmission experience.

Important Skills

Critical Skills

NERC protection standards expertise is absolutely essential as non-compliance can result in significant financial penalties and regulatory sanctions. The evolving nature of these standards requires continuous learning and adaptation of protection practices to maintain grid reliability and regulatory compliance. Advanced fault analysis capabilities using digital simulation tools are critical for developing effective protection schemes and resolving complex misoperations. This includes proficiency with industry-standard software platforms and the ability to interpret complex fault records and oscillographic data. Project management skills at the senior level are vital for delivering complex protection system upgrades within budget and schedule constraints while coordinating multiple stakeholders and managing technical risks that could impact grid reliability. High-voltage equipment knowledge spanning transformers, transmission lines, and switching equipment is essential for designing protection schemes that account for equipment characteristics and failure modes across different voltage levels.

Beneficial Skills

Cybersecurity expertise in industrial control systems provides significant career advancement opportunities as utilities prioritize protection against evolving cyber threats while maintaining operational reliability Experience with renewable energy integration and distributed resource protection offers valuable expertise as the grid becomes increasingly complex and bidirectional power flows become more common Advanced communication and stakeholder management skills enable career progression to senior leadership roles where technical expertise must be effectively communicated to non-technical executives and regulatory agencies Mentorship and leadership development capabilities are increasingly valuable as utilities face significant knowledge transfer challenges due to retiring experienced professionals and the need to develop next-generation technical talent

Unique Aspects

This role offers rare exposure to both transmission and generation protection systems across voltage levels from 12kV to 500kV, providing comprehensive technical experience unavailable at most utilities
Direct involvement in British Columbia's clean energy transition, including integration of independent power producers and development of smart grid technologies
Access to BC Hydro's extensive hydroelectric portfolio offers unique experience with generator protection schemes and hydraulic system interactions
Opportunity to influence provincial energy policy and grid development strategy through technical leadership role in a crown corporation
Exposure to challenging geographical and environmental conditions requiring innovative protection solutions for remote transmission facilities

Career Growth

Career advancement to management roles typically occurs within 3-5 years for high performers, while progression to principal technical roles may take 5-8 years depending on project complexity and organizational needs. The specialized nature of transmission protection work creates accelerated advancement opportunities compared to other engineering disciplines.

Potential Next Roles

Principal Engineer or Chief Protection Engineer roles with broader technical oversight across transmission and distribution protection systems Engineering Manager positions leading protection and control departments with full P&L responsibility and strategic planning authority Consulting Principal roles with major engineering firms specializing in utility protection system design and implementation Technical Director positions in utility operations or system planning organizations, leveraging protection expertise to influence grid development strategy

Company Overview

BC Hydro

BC Hydro is British Columbia's primary electric utility, serving over 4 million customers across one of Canada's most geographically diverse service territories. As a provincial crown corporation, BC Hydro operates extensive hydroelectric generation facilities and transmission networks while playing a central role in BC's clean energy strategy and economic development initiatives.

BC Hydro ranks among Canada's largest utilities and maintains a dominant market position within British Columbia's electricity sector. The organization is recognized as an industry leader in hydroelectric operations, environmental stewardship, and grid reliability, with strong financial performance and investment-grade credit ratings supporting major infrastructure programs.
The Lower Mainland location positions this role at the center of BC Hydro's technical operations, with access to major transmission facilities, generation assets, and the organization's primary engineering centers. This location offers excellent networking opportunities within Canada's power industry and proximity to major consulting firms and technology vendors.
BC Hydro maintains a stable, engineering-focused culture with strong emphasis on technical excellence, safety, and environmental responsibility. The organization's crown corporation status provides job security and comprehensive benefits while supporting innovation in clean energy technologies. The commitment to diversity and inclusion creates an supportive environment for professional development.
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