Protection Applications Section Manager (Mid-Atlantic Region)

Burns & McDonnell is seeking a Protection Applications Section Manager to lead and develop the Protection Applications team within the Transmission & Distribution Global Practice in the Mid-Atlantic Region. This position will report directly to the Mid-Atlantic Region’s Substation Department Manager.

The Protection Applications Section Manager will provide people leadership, technical direction, and organizational oversight for a team responsible for power system protection applications, protective relay settings and coordination, and related protection and control engineering. The team will support projects ranging from equipment replacements and brownfield modifications to greenfield substations, transmission system improvements, generation and large-load interconnections, and EPC projects.

The successful candidate will combine strong technical expertise in power system protection with a passion for developing people and building high-performing teams. This leader will be responsible for the people, technical capability, capacity, quality, and performance of the Protection Applications team, while helping position the organization for continued growth.

What You Will Do

People & Organizational Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Protection Applications team that promotes employee ownership, accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, and professional growth.
• Direct and coordinate work assignments, staffing, and resource utilization to meet project requirements and established billability and performance goals.
• Establish clear performance expectations, provide meaningful feedback, and identify development opportunities for Employee-Owners.
• Partner with the Substation Department Manager and Recruiting Team to identify staffing needs, recruit talent, and develop the technical capabilities necessary to support current and future work.
• Identify and develop future technical and people leaders while building succession and technical depth within the section.
• Implement and support company, Global Practice, and regional initiatives while thoughtfully leading the section through change.

Technical Leadership & Project Execution

• Serve as a technical leader for power system protection applications, relay settings, coordination, and related protection and control engineering.
• Provide technical guidance for protection of transmission and distribution system equipment including buses, transformers, circuit breakers, capacitor banks, reactors, transmission lines, and distribution feeders.
• Lead and support power system modeling, short-circuit analysis, protective relay coordination, settings development, and design-basis documentation for projects through 500 kV.
• Provide technical oversight, design reviews, and quality control while supporting consistent application of client standards, industry practices, and Burns & McDonnell quality requirements.
• Partner with P&C design teams, Project Managers, and other technical disciplines to integrate protection philosophy, detailed design, construction, testing, commissioning, and energization.
• Support projects delivered through design-only, program, and EPC delivery models and help resolve complex technical or execution challenges.

Performance Focus

• Maintain visibility into workload, staffing demand, utilization, and capacity, proactively addressing resource and capability gaps.
• Achieve established targets and standards for financial performance, manage budgets and expenses.
• Communicate workload, staffing, and financial performance to the Substation Department Manager and project leadership.
• Drive continuous improvement through development of technical standards, processes, automation, tools, training, and lessons learned.
• Collaborate with Project Managers, Account Managers, Project Development, and technical leaders on proposals, staffing strategies, technical approaches, and strategic pursuits.
• Build relationships across Burns & McDonnell to leverage specialized expertise, balance workload, and expand capabilities available to the Mid-Atlantic Region.