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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Utility Systems Engineer

💰 $ - $

EngineeringUtilitiesPower SystemsSCADAControls

🎯 Role Definition

The Utility Systems Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, operation, and continuous improvement of utility control systems including SCADA, EMS/DMS, distribution automation (DA), AMI integration, protection & control schemes, and supporting communications networks. This role partners with operations, field crews, asset management, cybersecurity, and third-party vendors to ensure secure, reliable, and compliant grid control and monitoring systems. The engineer supports project lifecycle activities from requirements capture and specification through procurement, factory and site acceptance testing, commissioning, and post-deployment optimization.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Controls Technician / RTU Technician
  • Junior Electrical Engineer / Field Engineer
  • SCADA Systems Analyst

Advancement To:

  • Senior Utility Systems Engineer / Lead Controls Engineer
  • Protection & Controls Manager / SCADA Manager
  • Grid Modernization or DER Integration Lead

Lateral Moves:

  • Systems Integration Engineer
  • Communications & Network Engineer
  • Asset Management or Reliability Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead end-to-end design and engineering of SCADA/HMI/EMS/DMS systems, including system architecture, functional requirements, I/O mapping, tag naming conventions, and integration plans to ensure a scalable and secure control environment.
  • Develop detailed technical specifications, SOWs, and procurement packages for RTUs, PLCs, protection relays, HMIs, servers, historians (OSIsoft PI or equivalent), and communications equipment, ensuring vendor deliverables meet utility technical and cybersecurity standards.
  • Design, configure and validate PLC and RTU logic and ladder/structured text programs (eg. Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Schneider) and perform logic walkthroughs and code reviews to guarantee reliable field control and automation.
  • Implement and validate industrial communications protocols (DNP3, IEC 61850, Modbus, OPC-UA, IEC 60870-5-104) across substations, field sites and control centers, including protocol mapping, time synchronization, and secure channel configuration.
  • Specify, design and coordinate fiber, microwave, radio and cellular telemetry networks for SCADA and distribution automation, including bandwidth planning, VLAN and subnetworking, and redundancy/latency analysis.
  • Lead factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT) for control system equipment and software, developing test procedures, witnessing vendor tests, and documenting results and corrective actions.
  • Plan and execute field commissioning and startup of substation control systems and distribution automation devices, supervise contractor work, perform checkout procedures, and lead energization coordination with operations.
  • Configure and maintain historians, data acquisition systems, and tag management to support analytics, outage restoration, and operational reporting; define retention policies and data governance practices.
  • Perform protection & control settings, relay coordination studies, and commissioning of protective relays (SEL, ABB, GE, Schneider), including coordination with system protection engineers and troubleshooting relay malfunctions.
  • Conduct power systems studies using ETAP, SKM, PowerWorld, or equivalent for load flow, short-circuit, arc flash, voltage profile, and DER impact analyses to inform protection and automation design decisions.
  • Define and implement cyber security controls and NERC CIP compliance measures for control systems, including role-based access control, patch management, network segmentation, logging, and incident response coordination with IT/Cybersecurity teams.
  • Lead DER interconnection studies and integrate distributed energy resources (solar, storage, EVs) into DMS/DERMS workflows and distribution automation strategies to support grid flexibility and resiliency goals.
  • Produce and maintain as-built drawings, single-line diagrams, wiring schematics, I/O lists, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) and ensure documentation accuracy in GIS and asset management systems.
  • Troubleshoot complex system incidents, lead root cause analysis for control system failures or communication outages, produce corrective action plans, and implement design/operational changes to prevent recurrence.
  • Provide lead support for outage management and emergency response activation, coordinate with operations to triage alarms, isolate faults, and restore service while maintaining safety and regulatory compliance.
  • Manage capital projects and small-to-medium vendor contracts from scope development and budgeting to schedule tracking, change control, and acceptance, ensuring delivery within cost and time constraints.
  • Collaborate with GIS, AMI, and enterprise IT teams to integrate meter data, network models and geospatial data into distribution management and outage prediction workflows.
  • Develop and deliver training, troubleshooting guides, and handover documentation for operations and maintenance staff to ensure safe and effective system operation after deployment.
  • Establish and refine engineering standards, test procedures, commissioning checklists, and configuration management practices to improve repeatability, quality, and maintainability across utility control projects.
  • Lead cross-functional stakeholder engagement with planning, operations, asset management, procurement, safety and regulatory affairs to align technical solutions with business and compliance objectives.
  • Monitor system performance and KPIs (availability, latency, alarm rates, mean time to restore), implement continuous improvement initiatives, and support predictive maintenance efforts using analytics and machine learning readiness.
  • Review and approve vendor design submittals, control panels, and configuration files, and manage deficiency resolution through formal NCR/RFI processes.
  • Participate in capital planning and total cost of ownership (TCO) assessments for control system upgrades, replacement strategies, and lifecycle asset management decisions.
  • Keep current with industry best practices, emerging standards (IEC 61850, IEEE 1547), and technology trends to recommend modernization initiatives that strengthen grid reliability and customer service.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests, reporting and exploratory analysis to inform operations, reliability programs, and regulatory filings; collaborate with data science and IT teams to deliver actionable insights.
  • Contribute to the organization's control systems strategy and roadmap, prioritizing modernization projects (SCADA refresh, DMS/DERMS deployment, AMI convergence) to meet resilience and decarbonization goals.
  • Build and maintain cross-disciplinary runbooks for incident response, maintenance windows, and planned switching to minimize customer impact and support operator decision-making.
  • Serve as a technical resource in vendor selection panels, procurement evaluations, and commercial negotiations to ensure compliance with technical and utility-specific requirements.
  • Mentor junior engineers and field technicians, conduct technical interviews, and participate in professional development programs to grow bench strength and technical expertise in the utility team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • SCADA/HMI/EMS/DMS architecture design and implementation experience (OSI/Schneider/GE/ABB or similar).
  • PLC and RTU programming, configuration and troubleshooting (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Schneider, SEL RTU).
  • Protection relay configuration and coordination with familiarity with SEL, ABB, GE, or similar relay families.
  • Industrial communications protocols: DNP3, IEC 61850, Modbus, OPC-UA, MQTT, IEC 60870-5-104.
  • Power systems analysis tools: ETAP, SKM, PowerWorld, PSS/E for load flow, short circuit and coordination studies.
  • Cybersecurity frameworks and NERC CIP compliance implementation for operational technology (OT) environments.
  • Networking fundamentals for utility OT: TCP/IP, VLAN, MPLS, VPN, QoS, time sync (NTP/IRIG/IEEE 1588).
  • Historian and time-series database tools (OSIsoft PI, InfluxDB, or equivalent) and data modeling for analytics.
  • GIS, AutoCAD, and document control for as-builts, single-line diagrams and drawing management.
  • AMI/DMS/DERMS integration experience and knowledge of IEEE 1547 interconnection requirements.
  • Test planning and execution: FAT, SAT, commissioning scripts, acceptance criteria, and validation reporting.
  • Scripting and data tools: SQL, Python, or PowerShell for automation, data extraction and validation.
  • Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure/AWS) for telemetry and analytics integration is a plus.
  • Experience with fiber, microwave, and RF telemetry design and vendor coordination.

Soft Skills

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills for technical documentation, stakeholder briefings, and vendor correspondence.
  • Excellent problem-solving and root-cause analysis capabilities under pressure and in field environments.
  • Project management and organizational skills; ability to prioritize multiple concurrent projects and deliverables.
  • Leadership and mentorship: ability to guide field crews, contractors and junior engineers to safe, compliant outcomes.
  • Collaborative mindset: strong stakeholder management across operations, planning, IT, cybersecurity, and procurement.
  • Attention to detail and quality orientation in design reviews, test execution, and documentation.
  • Adaptability and continuous learning mindset to evaluate new technologies and evolving regulatory requirements.
  • Customer-focused approach to enhance reliability, reduce restoration time, and improve service delivery.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems Engineering, Control Systems, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications, or closely related technical field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, Control Systems, or MBA for management-track roles.
  • Professional Engineer (PE) license or equivalent certification is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Power Systems / Energy Systems
  • Control Systems / Instrumentation
  • Computer Engineering / Telecommunications
  • Information Technology with OT focus

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–12 years of relevant engineering experience in electric or water utility environments, power generation, or critical infrastructure control systems.

Preferred:

  • 7+ years working with utility SCADA, RTU/PLC, protection & control, and communications.
  • Proven track record of project delivery including specification writing, procurement, FAT/SAT, commissioning and post-implementation support.
  • Demonstrated NERC CIP or other regulatory compliance experience.
  • Field commissioning and troubleshooting experience alongside operations crews.
  • Relevant certifications such as PMP, NICET, CISSP (for cybersecurity overlap), OSIsoft PI Certified, or vendor-specific system certifications are advantageous.
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