Position Title: Lead Protection & Control Relay Technician - Union NJ

Job ID: 2026-R326

Location: New Brunswick, NJ

Posting Type: Full time | Full time | Full time
Substation P&C New Jersey

New Brunswick | Rahway | Red Bank | Lawrenceville and other FirstEnergy NJ locations

Full-Time | Field-Based

Read this before applying

This position is specifically for an experienced utility substation Protection &

Control Relay Technician.

This is not a general electrician, electrical engineer, solar technician, PLC/industrial controls technician, telecommunications technician, or electrical maintenance position.

Candidates must have hands-on field experience testing and commissioning protective relays and protection/control systems in electric utility substations.

If your experience is primarily residential/commercial electrical work, industrial maintenance, solar, panel wiring, telecommunications, or apparatus/transformer testing without hands-on protective relay testing, this position will not be the right match.

What you’ll be doing

The Lead Protection & Control Relay Technician performs hands-on testing, commissioning, troubleshooting, and maintenance of protection and control systems within electric utility substations supporting the FirstEnergy program in New Jersey.

You will work with protective relays, AC/DC control circuits, CTs/PTs, SCADA/RTU systems, control panels, breakers, transformers, and associated substation equipment.

Responsibilities include:

• Perform protective relay testing and commissioning using Doble, Omicron, Megger, or comparable relay test equipment
• Perform functional testing, secondary injection, trip testing, CT/PT verification, polarity checks, phasing checks, interlock verification, and control-circuit testing
• Perform or support end-to-end relay testing
• Commission and troubleshoot protection schemes for transformers, feeders, transmission lines, buses, breakers, differential protection, breaker failure, and related functions
• Read and interpret one-lines, three-lines, AC/DC schematics, wiring diagrams, relay settings, and protection drawings
• Verify relay settings, logic, wiring, inputs, outputs, alarms, controls, and trip functions
• Support commissioning and upgrades in energized brownfield and greenfield substations
• Develop or support work plans, isolation plans, test procedures, redlines, and commissioning documentation
• Perform SCADA/RTU point-to-point testing and verify remote status, alarms, analog points, and control functions
• Troubleshoot protection, control, communication, and automation issues
• Provide technical direction and mentoring to junior technicians
• Coordinate with engineers, electricians, construction teams, system operators, and utility personnel

Required experience

To be considered for this Lead / Level 3 P&C position, you should have direct experience with most of the following:

• Utility substation Protection & Control testing and commissioning
• Hands-on protective relay testing
• Doble 6150, Omicron, Megger, ENOSERV/RTS, or comparable relay-testing platforms
• SEL, GE, ABB, Siemens, Schweitzer or similar protective relays
• CT/PT circuits and testing
• Trip checks and functional testing
• End-to-end testing
• AC and DC control circuits
• Substation protection schemes
• SCADA/RTU testing
• Reading and troubleshooting protection and control drawings
• Working safely around medium- and high-voltage equipment
• Commissioning or reliability upgrades within operating substations

Level 3 classification, the program criteria call for at least 5+ years of substation field experience with an associate degree in electrical technology, or 7+ years of substation field experience without that degree, along with testing and commissioning experience.

What makes this opportunity attractive

This is a full-time union position working in New Jersey.

New Jersey technicians on this program are employed through the union structure.

The compensation package includes:

• Union wage structure
• Union fringe benefits in accordance with the applicable collective bargaining agreement
• Participation in applicable Welfare and Pension Funds
• Employer contributions to the National Electrical Benefit Fund (NEBF) as required under the union agreement
• Weekly pay
• Paid time off and holidays in accordance with the applicable CBA
• Company vehicle availability on qualifying assignments, subject to company policy and clearance
• Mileage reimbursement when an approved personal vehicle is used for business travel
• Opportunity to support a major electric utility program while working primarily throughout New Jersey

Welfare and Pension participation, NEBF contributions and weekly payroll. Vehicle use/reimbursement and PTO/holiday provisions are also addressed in the employment terms.

Additional requirements

Candidates must:

• Hold a valid driver’s license
• Meet background check and drug-screening requirements
• Be able to work safely in utility substations and around energized equipment
• Be willing to travel between customer locations throughout New Jersey
• Be available for overtime, outage schedules, shifts, and occasional call-outs when project needs require them

If you have hands-on utility substation relay testing and commissioning experience, we want to hear from you.

If you have hands-on utility substation relay testing and commissioning experience, we want to hear from you.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Sparus Holdings is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

EEO Statement

Sparus Holdings is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. We are committed to providing a workplace free of any discrimination or harassment.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests

Sparus Holdings is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you need special assistance or accommodation while seeking employment, please email recruiting@sparusholdings.com. We will make a determination on your request for reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis.

“Know Your Rights” Poster

The law requires Sparus Holdings to post a notice describing the Federal laws prohibiting job discrimination. For information regarding your legal rights and protections, please click on the following link: Know Your Rights

Pay Transparency Non-Discrimination Provision

Sparus Holdings will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay. Please see the Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision for more information.