Commissioning & Field Execution
Coming Soon Principal Engineer
- ZA-35011
- Nationwide (Field-Heavy)
- Field-Heavy
- Compensation discussed during final conversation
Why This Role Exists
Every commissioning scope on energized MV switchgear requires someone who manages the safety boundary - the person who establishes approach limits, verifies PPE, coordinates LOTO, and controls the energization sequence. This role exists because energization safety on medium-voltage switchgear with concurrent energized and de-energized zones cannot be an afterthought delegated to the lowest-available person. You own the safety plan for every commissioning phase. When boards are being cut over while adjacent boards serve live loads, you define the approach boundaries, manage the energization sequence, and verify compliance before power is applied.
What You Own
- Energization procedures and safety plans for multi-source MV critical power facilities
- LOTO procedures and verification for concurrent energized/de-energized zones on adjacent switchboard sections
- Approach boundary management (limited, restricted, prohibited) per NFPA 70E 130.4(E)
- Arc-flash PPE category assignments based on IEEE 1584 incident energy calculations across all operating modes
- Daily safety briefings, qualified electrical worker rosters, and safety documentation for each commissioning phase
- Pre-energization safety walkdowns - verifying all safety boundaries, PPE, and isolation points before power is applied
- Coordination with site stakeholders: Operations, Safety, Mission Assurance (or owner equivalent)
Systems You'll Touch
Standards
NFPA 70E NFPA 70 (NEC) NFPA 110/111 (EPSS) IEEE 1584
Vendor Platforms
SEL Woodward
Test Phases
Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) Site Acceptance Test (SAT) Witness testing Staged commissioning / cutover
What Success Looks Like
First 90 Days
- Managed energization safety on at least one active commissioning project - safety plans, LOTO, approach boundaries
- Produced a per-phase energization procedure with safety boundary diagrams accepted by project leadership
- Conducted daily safety briefings and pre-energization walkdowns for a commissioning crew
First 180 Days
- Owning energization safety across concurrent commissioning projects - setting safety standards and procedures
- PPE category assignments verified against current arc-flash study results for all operating configurations
- Recognized by commissioning crews and prime contractor teams as the safety authority for P&C commissioning
Required Background
- 10+ years in electrical safety, commissioning, or field engineering on medium-voltage power systems
- NFPA 70E expert-level knowledge: approach boundaries, PPE categories, energized work permits, LOTO management
- Arc-flash study interpretation per IEEE 1584 - incident energy, PPE assignments, approach boundary calculations
- Experience managing concurrent energized and de-energized zones during staged commissioning
- Energization procedure development for multi-source critical power (generators, ATS, UPS, switchgear)
- Safety plan coordination with site operations, safety personnel, and owner representatives
Preferred Background
- NETA Level IV certification
- OSHA 30 or equivalent electrical safety certification
- Experience at federal facilities, data centers, or mission-critical infrastructure with formal safety protocols
- International commissioning experience (different local regulations alongside NFPA 70E)
- Arc-flash study development per IEEE 1584 (not just interpretation)
What to Expect in the Field
Travel 60–80% during commissioning campaigns. Nationwide deployment with advance scheduling.
Site Hours Off-hours energization windows (nights, weekends) when required by site operations. Presence required at every energization event.
Customer-Facing Direct coordination with site safety, operations, and owner representatives. You are the safety authority during commissioning.
Documentation Heavy - energization procedures, safety plans, LOTO documentation, approach boundary diagrams, qualified worker rosters, daily briefing records
Field Safety You define the safety program. Arc-flash PPE (Cat 2–4 for MV), LOTO management, approach boundary establishment, safety briefing leadership.
Why Ziggurat
- Your safety judgment is the final gate before energization - the highest-consequence decision on any commissioning project
- Small firm means your safety standards define the practice, not a corporate safety department you report into
- Work on the most complex commissioning scenarios: concurrent zones, live-site cutovers, multi-source MV
- Direct access to the principal engineer who designed the protection system you are energizing
Hiring Process
1
Screen
Background review against role requirements - vendor platform experience, relevant certifications, project types, and standards familiarity. Quick assessment of baseline alignment before investing either party's time.
Resume review + 15-min intro call
2
Technical Review
Deeper evaluation of technical depth. We review sample work - relay settings files, protection study reports, commissioning test procedures, or SCADA configuration packages - depending on the role. If samples aren't shareable, we discuss specific project scenarios in detail.
Async work-sample review or 45-min technical call
3
Interview
Scenario-based conversation with the principal engineer. Real project situations: how you'd approach a coordination study for a complex switchgear lineup, sequence a commissioning plan across multiple vendor platforms, or troubleshoot a protection scheme failure during site acceptance testing.
60-min video call with founder
4
Exercise / Artifact Review
A practical evaluation matched to the role. Engineering roles receive a take-home exercise - review and mark up a set of relay settings, identify gaps in a protection study, or develop a test procedure for a specific scheme. Field-focused roles walk through a commissioning package or test report they've delivered, explaining their methodology and decisions.
Take-home exercise (2–4 hrs) or artifact walkthrough (60 min)
5
Final Conversation
Role scope, current project pipeline, working arrangements, and compensation. This is a two-way conversation - we want to confirm the role fits your goals, not just the other way around.
30-min call
This role supports our Testing & Commissioning service scopes.
Questions about this role? Email us at careers@zigguratautomation.com
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General interest Protection & Relay EngineeringPower System Studies & DesignCommissioning & Field ExecutionIntegration & ControlsProject & Deployment Management
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