NETA Technical Lead
Substation Protection, Testing & Commissioning | Electric Utility Industry
Client: Confidential (NETA Testing Division)
Compensation: $200,000 to $230,000 annually (salary + incentive plan), or a comparable hourly rate with overtime potential, with structure tailored to the candidate
Travel Expectations: Approximately 80% office / 20% field, with site visits during project execution and occasional support on business development / quoting
Location: Dallas-Fort Worth, TX preferred (the client's DFW office); open to strong candidates in the surrounding region Industry: Electric utility protection, testing & commissioning (NETA): transmission, distribution, and substation work, with some crossover into renewables and data center commissioning Employment Type: Direct hire, full time
About the Opportunity
Our client's NETA Testing Division supports protection, testing, and commissioning work across the U.S. and Canada, with U.S. operations centered in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (plus teams in Houston and Louisiana) and Canadian operations based out of Hamilton, Ontario and Edmonton, Alberta. The division is led by a Regional Operations Manager, with the CFO overseeing U.S. financial and operational support.
This role backfills a key technical leadership seat on the U.S. team following a recent departure. The company is currently bidding on and winning new transmission, distribution, and construction project work in the U.S., and expects this team to grow significantly, potentially adding several more hires, as that work is awarded. The company operates as a non-union shop, and candidates with a union background are not a fit for this role.
The Role
As NETA Technical Lead, you will act as the centralized technical point of contact for the client's U.S. field team, supporting and supervising the planning, preparation, and execution of protection and controls testing/commissioning projects. This is primarily an office-based project leadership and operations coordination role (roughly 80% office, 20% field) rather than a hands-on field foreman position, based out of the Dallas-Fort Worth office and reporting to the Regional Operations Manager. You'll run the U.S. project group day-to-day with minimal reliance on the Canadian team, and, time permitting, help support business development with existing and new customers alongside the U.S. sales team.
Leadership Responsibilities
• Serve as the go-to technical liaison in the office for field staff who have questions during project execution.
• Support and supervise the planning, preparation, and execution of NETA testing and commissioning projects.
• Run the U.S. project group's day-to-day operations for work currently in execution.
• Oversee and mentor a small team of technicians, with scope ranging from a single dedicated customer account to a broader service team.
• Partner with the U.S. sales team to help grow business with existing accounts and pursue new logos (a valued asset, though secondary to technical depth).
Technical Responsibilities
• Apply 10 to 15 years of substation protection, testing, and commissioning experience; NETA Level III or IV strongly preferred.
• Provide technical oversight on apparatus/breaker testing (primary and secondary), controls, and general protection & controls work.
• Weight commissioning experience above routine maintenance experience; commissioning is the higher priority skill set for this role.
• Deep relay specialization is not required. The client's two dedicated relay technicians (supported remotely from Canada) and an in-house PE cover that depth.
• Coordinate with the client's Canadian technical resources and in-house PE on complex protection questions as needed.
Hands-On Field Work
• Conduct site visits during project execution as needed.
• Support quoting and proposal development during early-stage business development.
• Stay periodically hands-on to keep technical skills sharp, though this is not a full-time field/tools role — expect roughly 20% field time.
What You Bring
• 10 to 15 years of experience in substation protection, testing, and commissioning in the electric utility industry.
• NETA Level III or IV certification preferred. A Professional Engineer (PE) license/stamp is a plus but not required.
• Demonstrated experience leading and mentoring technicians, and overseeing project execution from planning through completion.
• Comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy in a lean, fast-scaling environment.
• Based in or willing to be based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area preferred; candidates in the broader region will still be considered for the right fit.
• Not encumbered by a non-compete or non-solicit that would restrict work with the client's customer base.
Unlike the previous person in this seat, an MBA or strong business/P&L background is not a priority; the client's existing leadership already covers that side. Technical protection & controls depth is what matters most here; business acumen is a bonus, not a requirement. Utility-level vetting is a plus if the candidate has it, but not required.
Compensation and Schedule
Target compensation is $200,000 to $230,000 depending on experience and certification level. The client is flexible on structure: a salaried package with an incentive/bonus component fits a primarily office-based technical leader, while an hourly structure with overtime potential may better suit a candidate who will spend more time in the field on commissioning-heavy engagements; final structure will be set based on the candidate's profile and role emphasis.
Schedule is approximately 80% office / 20% field, based out of the client's Dallas-Fort Worth office, with field time concentrated around project execution site visits and business development support.