Senior Engineer, Electrical Planning and Design

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Superpowered. Meaningful work. Human impact. A story we're proud to tell. This is what matters to us at National Grid.  In a world of complexity and unanswered questions, there is one thing we're certain about: The power of our people.

National Grid is hiring a Senior Engineer (Electrical Planning and Design), Electrical Engineering  for Northboro, Massachusetts.

Job Purpose

Senior Engineers at National Grid play a pivotal role in ensuring the reliability, safety, and efficiency of our electric transmission and distribution systems. In Digital Substation roles, Senior Engineers develop standards, design and integrate protection, control, and communications systems, manage asset strategies, and support the deployment of advanced digital technologies. They collaborate across engineering, operations, IT/OT, and project teams to support the construction, maintenance, and operation of modern substations, advancing grid modernization objectives and regulatory compliance.

Key Accountabilities

•    In this critical role you will lead the technical development, application, and evolution of IEC 61850 standards, ensuring consistent, reliable implementation across protection, control, SCADA, and substation networking systems in collaboration with internal stakeholders.
•    You will provide technical leadership for IEC 61850-based substation projects within the capital work plan, supporting design development, testing strategies, risk mitigation, and issue resolution throughout the project lifecycle.
•    You will develop and maintain digital substation reference architectures, configurations, and design guidance, including station and process bus, time synchronization, interoperability, and cybersecurity considerations.
•    You will lead configuration development and coordinate testing activities in the digital substation simulator/lab environment, supporting FATs, interoperability testing, proof-of-concept evaluations, and complex troubleshooting.
•    You will represent the Company in industry organizations and working groups, contributing to the development of industry standards, best practices, and emerging digital substation technologies.
•    You will provide technical guidance, mentoring, and knowledge sharing to engineers and technical staff, strengthening organizational capability and consistency in digital substation design and implementation.
•    You will provide technical support for emergency response and system events involving digital substation, protection, control, and communications systems, including coordination with operations, maintenance, and system control organizations to investigate anomalies, support testing and restoration activities.

Qualifications

•    Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Electrical Engineering Technology from an ABET accredited institution required.
•    5+ years of relevant engineering experience in electric utility, asset management, power systems or device manufacturing environments; a Master’s degree in a related engineering discipline may be considered in lieu of one year of experience.
•    Working knowledge of IEC 61850 and associated standards preferred, as well as applicable IEEE/ANSI standards, NESC, and National Electrical Code requirements.
•    Engineer in Training (EIT) certification or Professional Engineer (PE) license a plus.
•    Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Visio.
•    Familiarity with MicroStation and experience with electrical panel and/or cabinet design, construction, and assembly preferred.
•    Experience with protective relay settings, including parameter configuration and/or relay logic development, preferred.
•    Experience with electric power facilities, with an emphasis on protection, control systems, and troubleshooting.
•    Demonstrate effective communication skills across technical and non technical audiences, with strong verbal, written, and presentation skills, as well as leadership capabilities.
•    Valid driver’s license with a safe driving record that meets National Grid’s Safe Driver policy, to support travel across the U.S. service territory as required.

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