Location
Bangalore, All IN Regions, India
Capabilities
Electrical
Office Setup
Hybrid
Job ID
#43141
Industry
Energy
At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.
Your impact
Jacobs is a global provider of technical, professional, and scientific services including engineering, architecture, construction, operations, and project management. Our portfolio spans industrial, commercial, and government clients across multiple markets and geographies. We have a PAN-India presence, with world-class engineering delivery centres in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata.
Challenging Today…Reinventing Tomorrow.
Jacobs is seeking a Associate Director- Protection & Control to support a range of high-profile projects across our Power & Energy portfolio. In this role, you will serve as a global Subject Matter Expert – Protection & Control, IEC 61850 & Digital Substations providing advanced technical leadership for protection and control engineering across substations, transmission and distribution systems, renewable interconnections, industrial power networks and digital grid infrastructure.
The SME will act as a technical authority for conventional, hybrid and fully digital substations, supporting projects across global markets including UK, Australia, Middle East, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. The role requires deep domain expertise in protection schemes, relay settings, substation automation, IEC 61850 integration, SCADA interfaces, cybersecurity, commissioning support and future-ready digital substation technologies.
The primary responsibilities would be:
Protection & Control Engineering
Provide specialist technical leadership for protection and control design of medium voltage, high voltage and extra high voltage substations.
Lead, review and technically assure protection schemes for:
Line protection
Transformer protection
Busbar protection
Breaker failure protection
Feeder protection
Capacitor bank and reactor protection
SVC / STATCOM protection
Renewable and BESS interconnection protection
Industrial power network protection
Grid connection and interconnection protection
Lead and review key engineering deliverables including:
Protection Single Line Diagrams / Key Line Diagrams
Protection and control schematics
Control logic diagrams
Trip and alarm matrix
AC/DC auxiliary schematics
Panel GA and BOQ
Wiring diagrams
Interface drawings
Interconnection schedules
Cable schedules
Relay assembled forms
Test and commissioning documentation
Provide expert review of relay setting calculations and protection coordination studies.
Review and approve relay settings, protection philosophies, technical reports and protection coordination documents.
Provide technical direction for distance protection, differential protection, overcurrent protection, earth fault protection, REF, synchro-check, auto-reclose, breaker failure and busbar protection applications.
Support fault level studies, protection grading, grid code compliance and system performance validation.
Provide technical support during FAT, SAT, commissioning, energization and post-energization troubleshooting.
Review vendor drawings, relay configuration files, test procedures, test reports and as-built documentation.
IEC 61850 Integration and Digital Substations
Lead advanced engineering for IEC 61850-based digital substations, including concept design, detailed design, configuration strategy, integration, testing and commissioning support.
Define and review complete digital substation architecture including:
Station bus
Process bus
Protection IEDs
Merging units
SCADA gateways
HMI systems
Engineering workstations
Network switches
Time synchronization systems
Provide expert guidance on IEC 61850 applications including:
GOOSE messaging
MMS communication
Sampled Values
Logical nodes and data modelling
Dataset configuration
Report control blocks
GOOSE control blocks
Sampled Value control blocks
Multi-vendor interoperability
Lead preparation and review of IEC 61850 deliverables including:
IEC 61850 architecture drawings
Communication architecture
IED capability assessment
Signal lists and data point schedules
GOOSE mapping schedules
MMS mapping schedules
Sampled Value design documents
Logical node mapping
ICD, CID, IID, SCD and SSD file review records
FAT/SAT procedures for IEC 61850 systems
Provide expert review and validation of IEC 61850 configuration files and ensure consistency between drawings, relay configuration, automation configuration and SCADA mapping.
Lead or support multi-vendor integration involving Siemens, Hitachi Energy / ABB, GE Vernova, Schneider Electric, SEL, NR Electric and other global OEMs.
Support digital substation testing using tools such as Omicron, Doble, Wireshark, IEDScout, StationScout, IET600, DIGSI 5, PCM600, EnerVista and equivalent platforms.
Guide project teams on migration from conventional hardwired systems to hybrid or fully digital substation architecture.
Develop digital substation templates, standard architectures, reusable design libraries and configuration governance processes.
Substation Automation, SCADA and Communication Networks
Provide technical leadership for substation automation systems, SCADA integration, RTU/Gateway interfaces, HMI systems and control centre communication.
Review communication protocols and interfaces including IEC 61850, IEC 60870-5-101/104, IEC 60870-5-103, DNP3, Modbus, OPC UA, SNMP and synchrophasor interfaces where applicable.
Lead design and review of digital substation communication networks including:
Ethernet LAN architecture
Managed switch configuration philosophy
VLANs and IP addressing
Multicast management
PRP / HSR redundancy
Network segmentation
Remote engineering access
Network monitoring and diagnostics
Provide guidance on time synchronization systems including IEEE 1588 PTP, SNTP, IRIG-B and GPS-based time sources.
Review communication architecture for high availability, resilience and reliable operation of critical protection and control systems.
Cybersecurity Considerations
Provide technical leadership on cybersecurity requirements for protection, control, automation and digital substation systems.
Ensure cybersecurity is embedded across the engineering lifecycle from concept design through commissioning and handover.
Review designs against relevant cybersecurity standards and requirements such as IEC 62351, IEC 62443, NERC CIP where applicable, utility standards and client-specific cybersecurity requirements.
Provide guidance on secure substation architecture including:
Network segmentation
Defense-in-depth design
Secure remote access
Role-based access control
User authentication
Password and credential management
Firewall and gateway interface requirements
Secure engineering access
Logging and event monitoring
Asset inventory
Patch and firmware management considerations
Backup and recovery strategy
Configuration file control
IED, gateway, HMI and workstation hardening
Define cybersecurity requirements for vendors and OEMs during specification, procurement, FAT, SAT and commissioning stages.
Support cybersecurity risk reviews for IEC 61850 systems, SCADA links, remote access, vendor interfaces and third-party equipment.
Promote secure-by-design principles for digital substations, renewable plants and future grid automation systems.
Renewable Energy, Grid Connection and Future Capabilities
Provide SME support for solar, wind, battery energy storage, hybrid renewable plants, collector substations and grid interconnection facilities.
Support protection design for inverter-based resources, weak grids, low fault current networks and changing grid behaviour.
Provide technical guidance on grid code compliance for renewable interconnections across different countries and regions.
Support future capability development in:
Digital substations
Process bus implementation
Centralized protection systems
Virtual protection and control concepts
Wide Area Monitoring, Protection and Control
Synchrophasor-based applications
Digital twin for substations
Model-based engineering
Automated relay setting workflows
AI-assisted engineering checks
Cloud-based asset monitoring
Predictive maintenance
Cyber-secure remote commissioning
Standardized global digital substation delivery models
Technical Assurance, Quality and Delivery
Act as the highest level of technical support for complex protection, control, automation and digital substation issues.
Provide independent technical review, design assurance and quality validation for critical deliverables.
Ensure engineering outputs comply with client specifications, utility standards, grid codes, IEC, IEEE, CIGRE recommendations, regional requirements and Jacobs quality procedures.
Support project execution plans, design criteria, risk registers, assurance plans and quality review processes.
Support resolution of client queries, technical deviations, design changes, non-conformances and site issues.
Work with Design Project Engineers, Project Managers and global delivery teams to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget and to expected quality standards.
Demonstrate strong understanding of technical, commercial, schedule, risk, HSEC and quality aspects of projects.
Client, Proposal and Capability Development
Lead technical discussions with clients, utilities, OEMs, contractors and global project teams.
Support proposals, bids, tenders, technical estimates, capability statements and technical bid evaluations.
Manage technical relationships and build appropriate level contacts with key clients.
Strengthen client relationships through technical excellence, practical problem solving and high-quality project delivery.
Mentor Lead Engineers, Senior Engineers, Graduate Engineers and design teams.
Develop internal capability through training, technical sessions, lessons learned and knowledge sharing.
Create and maintain technical standards, design guides, checklists, templates, automation workflows and best-practice documents.
Drive innovation, digital delivery, standardization and future-ready engineering practices across the Protection & Control discipline.
Here's what you'll need
BE / B Tech / ME / M Tech in Electrical Engineering.
Minimum 18+ years of experience in Protection & Control engineering, substation automation, digital substations or associated power system engineering.
Strong experience in MV, HV and EHV substation protection and control systems.
Experience with substations up to 400kV / 765kV and above is desirable.
Proven experience supporting international utility, renewable, industrial and grid connection projects.
Expert knowledge of protection philosophies, relay applications, control systems, SCADA integration, substation automation and digital substation technologies.
Strong experience in IEC 61850 design, configuration review, integration, testing and troubleshooting.
Strong understanding of cybersecurity requirements for protection, automation and digital substation systems.
Ability to interpret international standards, utility requirements, client specifications and grid codes.
Excellent technical report writing, communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to act as a global technical authority, mentor teams and support capability growth across the business.
Mandatory Skill Sets:
Expert-level knowledge of Protection & Control engineering for substations, T&D systems, renewable interconnections and industrial power networks.
Strong knowledge of protection schemes, relay setting calculations, relay configuration, protection coordination and testing.
Advanced knowledge of IEC 61850 including station bus, process bus, GOOSE, MMS, Sampled Values, logical nodes, datasets, control blocks and SCD file management.
Strong understanding of digital substation architecture, IED integration, communication networks and multi-vendor interoperability.
Strong awareness of cybersecurity standards and secure-by-design principles.
Strong technical assurance, quality review and independent design checking capability.
Ability to lead complex technical discussions with clients, utilities, OEMs and global project teams.
Experience supporting FAT, SAT, commissioning and troubleshooting of protection, control and digital substation systems.
Strong communication and presentation skills to articulate clear technical direction.
Preferred Skill Sets:
Experience with tools such as DIGSI 5, PCM600, EnerVista, Easergy Studio, AcSELerator, IET600, Omicron Test Universe, StationScout, IEDScout, Doble and Wireshark.
Experience with AutoCAD, AutoCAD Electrical, MicroStation, ETAP, DIgSILENT PowerFactory, PSCAD or PSS/E.
Experience in Australia, UK, Middle East, Europe, US or other international utility projects.
Experience in solar, wind, BESS, hybrid renewable plants and grid interconnection projects.
Experience with IEC 62351, IEC 62443, NERC CIP or utility cybersecurity frameworks.
Knowledge of PRP, HSR, VLANs, multicast traffic management, PTP, SNTP, IRIG-B and network resilience requirements.
Experience in model-based engineering, digital twin, automation workflows or data-centric engineering delivery.
Basic understanding of Python or scripting for engineering process improvement is preferred.
We welcome applications from qualified professionals currently based overseas who are open to relocating to India. Relocation support may be provided for exceptional candidates having extensive experience in delivering E&P infrastructure projects .
#LI-TG1
At Jacobs we value people. Having the right balance of belonging, career and lifestyle enables us to consistently deliver and exceed clients’ expectations.
Working alongside industry leaders, you will have the opportunity to develop your career working on key projects in an environment which encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation. To support your professional growth, Jacobs flexible working arrangements, extended leave options and a host of social, health and wellbeing events and initiatives will underpin our commitment to you.
At Jacobs it’s all about what you do, not where you are, which counts!
We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.
Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support .
