Transmission Planning Engineer, Senior or Principal

Xcel Energy•Minneapolis, MN

9d•$97,000 - $178,900•Hybrid

About The Position

This role applies extensive technical expertise and full knowledge of related disciplines, serving as a staff advisor and consultant in a technical specialty, facility, equipment, or program function. The engineer will carry out complex or innovative assignments requiring the development of new or improved techniques and procedures, potentially resulting in new or improved equipment, materials, processes, products, and/or scientific methods. The position involves representing the organization as the prime technical contact on contracts and projects, interacting with senior external personnel on significant technical matters, and often coordinating between organizations. Work is performed with considerable autonomy, exercising latitude in determining technical objectives. Guidance focuses on overall objectives, critical issues, new concepts, and policy matters, with completed work reviewed from a long-term perspective. The role may involve assigning tasks to and directing engineers, technicians, craft personnel, and administrative staff, including coordination and review of work. The engineer will be responsible for, and may lead, multiple projects of moderate to large size or portions of major projects. This role requires a balance of technical acumen and strong communication skills to convey technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders through various formats including in-person meetings, virtual discussions, presentations to leadership, and written reports.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering and/or Physics from ABET accredited curriculum, electrical engineering degree preferred.
5+ years with nationally recognized certification, 7+ years without certification (for Senior level).
9 + years of demonstrated experience with PE (Professional Engineer) registration, 15+ years of demonstrated experience without PE (Professional Engineer) registration (for Principal level).
Experience with multiple power system transmission analysis tools such as PSSE, TARA, EMS, ASPEN, CAPE, PROMOD, PLEXOS, PowerWorld, PSCAD or other similar analysis software.
EIT/FE (Engineer in Training/Fundamentals of Engineering and/or PE (Professional Engineer) registration preferred.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree in engineering and/or Physics.
Experience with Python programming.
Proficiency in conducting transient stability studies and analysis.
Experience with EMT modeling and studies using PSCAD, ETAP or other similar tools.

Responsibilities

Leads and performs modeling and analysis activities for steady state and stability simulations.
Develops scopes for studies to guide long-range transmission system plans and coordinates with other Integrated System Planning departments to ensure assumptions align across subdisciplines.
Effectively communicates the results of studies and department endeavors to a wide range of audiences through written and verbal means.
Improves Integrated System Planning procedures and techniques through largely self-directed work.
Resolves difficult technical and business problems.
Implements, without substantial direction, NERC and FERC compliance activities as an SME, coordinating through the Integrated System Planning department and with external entities.
Assigns tasks to lower-level engineers, interns and technicians.
Mentors and provides training materials for less experienced engineers to ensure group development.