| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Energy and Solar |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Electrical Head |
| Direct reports | Substation Operator |
| Experience | 4 to 8 years in substation or power systems |
Substation Engineer job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Substation Engineer
Department: Energy and Solar
Reports to: Electrical Head
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Substation Engineer looks after the substation that evacuates power from a solar plant to the grid, covering design support, testing, operation and maintenance of high voltage equipment. They maintain transformers, switchgear and protection, ensure safe operation, and keep the evacuation reliable. The role reports to the Electrical Head or Solar Plant Manager. A good substation engineer keeps the substation available and safe, maintains protection and equipment to standard, responds to grid events correctly, and prevents outages that would stop power evacuation.
Key responsibilities
- Operate and maintain substation equipment including transformers and switchgear.
- Maintain and test protection relays, breakers and metering to standard.
- Ensure safe high voltage operation with permits, isolation and earthing.
- Coordinate with the grid and DISCOM on scheduling, outages and events.
- Respond to grid disturbances, trips and faults and restore evacuation.
- Plan preventive maintenance and testing of high voltage equipment.
- Investigate tripping events and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
- Manage compliance with grid code and electrical safety requirements.
- Supervise the substation operators and maintain accurate operating logs each shift.
- Keep test reports, maintenance records and single line diagrams updated.
Requirements
- Engineering degree or diploma in electrical
- High voltage and substation experience
- Electrical safety certification
- 4 to 8 years in substation or power systems
KRAs and KPIs for a Substation Engineer
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Substation availability | Substation and evacuation availability kept above the target each month |
| Protection health | Protection relay testing completed on schedule with settings correct |
| Safety | Zero electrical safety incident on high voltage work in the year |
| Fault restoration | Grid trips and faults restored within the target time |
| Compliance | Grid code and safety compliance met with no violation |
| Records | Test, maintenance and operating records complete and current |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Relay test kit, Insulation and earth tester, Transformer test equipment, SCADA and protection software, Multimeter.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Substation Engineer, Electrical Head, Grid Manager
Interview questions for a Substation Engineer
- How do you carry out safe isolation before working on high voltage equipment?
- How do you test and set a protection relay?
- How do you respond to a substation trip that stops evacuation?
- How do you plan preventive maintenance for a transformer?
- How do you coordinate an outage with the grid?
- Tell me about a tripping event you investigated and resolved.
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What does a substation engineer do?
A substation engineer looks after the substation that evacuates power from a solar plant to the grid. They operate and maintain high voltage equipment such as transformers, switchgear and protection, ensure safe operation, coordinate with the grid, and respond to disturbances. They keep the substation available and safe so power evacuation is not interrupted.
What qualifications do you need to be a substation engineer?
Most substation engineers hold an engineering degree or diploma in electrical with high voltage and substation experience and an electrical safety certification. Employers look for skill in substation operation and maintenance, protection and relay testing, safe isolation practice, grid coordination, and fault investigation on high voltage systems.
Why is safety critical for a substation engineer?
A substation engineer works with high voltage equipment where mistakes can be fatal. Safe isolation, earthing, permits to work and correct procedure protect the engineer and the team from electric shock and arc flash. Strict safety practice also prevents equipment damage and outages, which is why it is central to the role.