Protection and Controls Relay Technician

Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, LES is customer-owned and is one of the nation’s leading utility companies. We are recognized for low costs, unmatched reliability, financial stability, cutting-edge innovation, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service while fostering a culture that celebrates passion, talent, and high standards. If you're not just looking for a job but a fulfilling career in a workplace that values excellence, the environment, and the community we call home, LES might just be the perfect fit for you. Join us and power a brighter future!

- LES is interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States.

- LES is unable to sponsor employment-based immigrant or non-immigrant visas.

- This is not a remote position and requires residency within a reasonable commuting distance to LES in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Job Title

Protection and Controls Relay Technician

Employment Type

Starting Pay Range

Posting Date

Full-time

$36.07 - $53.29

02/04/2026

Employment Classification

Division

Closing Date

Regular

Energy Delivery

02/18/2026

A Protection and Controls Relay Technician plays a critical role in keeping the power system safe, reliable, and resilient. In this role, the technician will install, test, calibrate, and maintain protective relays and control systems that detect and isolate faults, helping prevent equipment damage and outages. The technician will work hands-on with advanced electrical and digital relay technology, collaborate closely with engineers and operations teams, and support commissioning and troubleshooting efforts across substations and facilities. This position is ideal for someone who enjoys technical problem-solving, values precision and safety, and wants to make a direct impact on the reliability of the electric grid.

JOB SUMMARY

Under direct supervision, responsible for ensuring that the electronic equipment and electrical schemes of the protective relay, control, alarm, and monitoring systems function as intended to obtain an optimum level of availability, reliability, security, performance, and safety. Assists in commissioning new and rebuilt substation projects in which quality assurance testing is performed to ensure equipment and systems installed achieve engineering design requirements. Position includes complex technical work for substation preventative maintenance, testing, calibration, troubleshooting, programming, technical support, and repair at the component, scheme, and system level. Performs emergency and overtime work as required. Consistent and reliable attendance is required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND CORE COMPETENCIES

- Under direct supervision, assists with performing commissioning, maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting of distribution, transmission, and generation protection systems, substation AC/DC control systems, and substation automation systems. This includes electromechanical, solid-state, and multifunctional micro-processor relays, associated alarm and monitoring equipment, remote terminal units, human machine interfaces and peripheral devices.

- Under direct supervision, develops, implements, and maintains precise accurate technical documentation and procedures for substation and generation protection equipment and systems.

- Under direct supervision, troubleshoots and repairs malfunctions at the component, circuit or system level by utilizing equipment manuals, wiring diagrams, schematics, relay interface software packages, relay test sets, phase angle meters, multi-meters, power quality analyzers, oscilloscopes, calibration equipment, tools, and problem-solving skills.

- Under direct supervision, collaborates with appropriate staff for difficult or intermittent electrical problems with substation circuit breakers, power transformers, coupling capacitors, current transformers, backup power systems, power quality issues, generation protection and controls, and test equipment calibration.

Initiative - Takes action on his/her own without being prompted; handles problems independently; able to resolve issues without relying on extensive help from others; does more than is expected or asked.

Accountability - Holds self and others responsible for goals, outcomes, deadlines, and objectives and follows through on commitments. Takes accountability for delivering on commitments; owns mistakes and uses them as opportunities for learning and development.

Detail Orientation - Paying close attention in order to ensure that tasks, products, and services are as close to perfect as possible.

Job Technical Skills- Keeps his/her technical skills current; effectively applies specialized knowledge and skills to perform work tasks; understands and masters the technical skills, knowledge, and tasks associated with his/her job; shares technical expertise with others.

Problem Solving - Solving work-related problems in a logical manner by breaking down large problems into smaller more manageable components.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

- Two-year technical college degree in electrical technology or electronics, and

- Six months to one year of experience, or

- An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job.

LES BENEFITS - Click the link below to explore the outstanding benefits available to LES employees!

LES Benefits Overview

EEO Minorities/Women/Disabled/Veterans