Commissioning Engineer

Job Title: Commissioning Engineer

Job Description

The Commissioning Engineer plans, coordinates, performs, and documents all commissioning activities for utility substation protection, control, and power circuits from pre-commissioning through project close-out. This role focuses on testing, energization, troubleshooting, and risk assessment for medium and high voltage substation and power plant equipment, ensuring safe, reliable, and compliant operation of electrical protection and control systems.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, execute, and document all commissioning activities, including pre-commissioning, construction support, testing, energization, and project close-out for utility substation protection, control, and power circuits in alignment with project requirements, budgets, and schedules.
• Review wiring diagrams, schematics, engineering documents, and manufacturer drawings in advance of projects and outages to prepare for commissioning and identify potential issues.
• Perform troubleshooting and root cause analysis for protection and control systems and utility substation equipment, addressing application errors, drawing errors, wiring errors, settings errors, equipment malfunctions, questionable apparatus test results, and battery ground faults.
• Participate actively in project meetings, including kickoff, planning, progress, and lessons learned sessions, providing technical input and updates on commissioning activities.
• Prepare detailed daily, weekly, and project completion reports that document project progress, issues or problems encountered, recommendations, test results, and technical analyses.
• Assist in developing project-specific testing and commissioning plans, energization plans, and other required project documentation to support safe and efficient field execution.
• Identify risks on utility systems and equipment and develop mitigation techniques, including preparing Site Risk Assessments to document high-risk construction and commissioning activities and formalize circuit isolation and restoration processes.
• Ensure all applicable tests and commissioning activities are performed on every piece of equipment or system in accordance with project plans and standards, and verify that all test results are acceptable, permanently recorded, properly filed, and appropriately distributed.
• Develop detailed test reports for various types of electrical equipment and review and approve test reports prepared by others for accuracy and completeness.
• Perform basic apparatus testing on medium and high voltage substation and power plant equipment and interpret test results with appropriate supervision.
• Conduct testing and commissioning of substation utility protection and control circuits, interpret results with supervision, and apply commissioning methods to accurately conduct and document activities.
• Use specialized testing software and tools, such as Doble Protection Suite, ProTest, and SEL AcSELerator, to perform relay and protection system testing and documentation when applicable.
• Travel to utility substations and related facilities to perform field commissioning, testing, troubleshooting, and maintenance activities as required.
• Work flexible hours, including weekends, holidays, overtime, and night shifts, to support outage schedules and critical commissioning timelines.

Essential Skills

• 3+ years of utility commissioning experience, specifically involving substation protection, control, and power circuits.
• 5+ years of related experience with testing and commissioning services; electric utility experience preferred.
• Hands-on experience with relay testing, protection and control (P&C) systems, and apparatus testing in utility or power systems environments.
• Electrical engineering degree or strong electrical engineering background.
• Ability to read and understand construction drawings, manufacturer drawings, specifications, and schematic diagrams.
• Strong knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn, electrical protection systems including relay communication.
• Basic understanding of, or ability to quickly learn, AC and DC schematics, wiring diagrams, one-line and three-line interconnection diagrams.
• Prior professional experience in, or ability to quickly learn, medium and high voltage substation and power plant equipment.
• Solid testing and commissioning knowledge of substation utility protection and control circuits, with the ability to perform commissioning activities and interpret results under supervision.
• Ability to apply commissioning methods to accurately conduct and document commissioning activities.
• Valid USA driver's license issued by state of residence and in good standing.
• Willingness and ability to travel, including out-of-town travel for several weeks at a time.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including weekends, holidays, overtime, and night work.
• Strong troubleshooting skills for protection and control systems, circuits, relays, and substation apparatus.
• Capability to prepare detailed technical reports, including test results, analyses, and recommendations.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with substation maintenance, relay testing, circuit testing, and troubleshooting of protection and relays and apparatus.
• Experience commissioning complex commercial or industrial equipment, including protective relays, or power systems field engineering experience with relay knowledge.
• Test experience using Doble Protection Suite and/or ProTest software is highly preferred.
• Experience using SEL AcSELerator or similar relay configuration and testing tools is highly preferred.
• Ability to develop project-specific testing and commissioning plans, energization plans, and other technical documentation.
• Ability to identify risks on utility systems and equipment and develop effective mitigation strategies.
• Experience preparing Site Risk Assessments and formalizing circuit isolation and restoration processes to prevent unintended operations and ensure personnel safety.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for participation in project meetings and preparation of detailed reports.
• Ability to collaborate with project teams and integrate into utility operations environments.

Work Environment

This is a 100% field-based position focused on utility substations and related power facilities. The role functions in a staff augmentation capacity, working day-to-day within utility environments and supporting multiple utility locations, primarily in Pennsylvania and Ohio, with potential work at other utility sites as needed. Work is performed in outdoor and substation settings around medium and high voltage equipment, requiring adherence to strict safety procedures and use of appropriate personal protective equipment. The schedule can vary based on outage and project requirements and may include extended travel, flexible hours, weekends, holidays, overtime, and night work. The position offers exposure to a wide portfolio of projects and technologies, along with access to high-quality technical training at dedicated facilities, supporting continuous professional development in protection, control, and commissioning disciplines.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Lancaster, PA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $46.00 - $85.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Lancaster,PA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 11, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.