Transmission Planning Engineer, or Staff, or Senior Engineer

Xcel Energy•Denver, CO

3d•$70,000 - $145,400•Hybrid

About The Position

Xcel Energy is hiring a Transmission Planning Engineer at the Entry, Staff, or Senior level, depending on the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and interview. The position is based in Denver, Colorado, with a hybrid schedule of three days per week in the office. The role supports transmission planning, power-system modeling, reliability, and the integration of new generation, loads, and grid technologies. The position level determines the scope of work, level of independence, and leadership expectations. Across levels, the work may involve power-system planning studies, including load-flow, short-circuit, dynamic stability, electromagnetic transient, and geomagnetic-induced-current analysis. The role supports regulatory compliance and model validation, inverter-based-resource integration, regional transmission planning, resource interconnection and transmission-service studies, and evaluation of grid-enhancing technologies. It also involves developing Python-based automation and digital workflows, preparing technical reports and regulatory materials, presenting study findings, participating in industry working groups, mentoring and providing technical leadership, and supporting capital budgets, conceptual transmission projects, and economic analyses. At the Entry level, the engineer performs conventional studies and modeling under supervision, develops technical expertise, contributes to larger studies, prepares documentation, and may coordinate interns or technicians. At the Staff level, the engineer works under general direction, independently develops approaches to technical problems, scopes or performs reliability simulations, supports NERC and FERC compliance, coordinates data and model development, and may lead projects. At the Senior level, the engineer works with considerable independence as a technical advisor, leads complex modeling and analysis, develops study scopes and improves procedures, implements compliance activities as a subject-matter expert, and assigns, mentors, and trains less-experienced staff. The stated annual base salary ranges are $70,000–$88,666 for Entry, $81,800–$106,266 for Staff, and $97,000–$129,266 for Senior. The posting also gives an anticipated starting base-pay range of $70,000–$145,400 per year. The position is eligible for an annual incentive program and the benefits listed in the posting.

Requirements

Entry level: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and/or Physics from an ABET-accredited curriculum or recognized equivalency.
Entry level: 0 or more years of relevant engineering experience.
Staff level: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and/or Physics from an ABET-accredited curriculum or recognized equivalency.
Staff level: 2 or more years of demonstrated experience.
Staff level: Experience with at least one power-system transmission-analysis tool, such as PSSE, TARA, EMS, ASPEN, CAPE, PROMOD, PLEXOS, PowerWorld, PSCAD, or similar software.
Staff level: Broad knowledge and proficiency in power-system studies or transmission planning, knowledge of related specialties, and general knowledge of other related disciplines.
Senior level: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and/or Physics from an ABET-accredited curriculum or recognized equivalency.
Senior level: 5 or more years of experience with nationally recognized certification, or 7 or more years without certification.
Senior level: Experience with multiple power-system transmission-analysis tools, such as PSSE, TARA, EMS, ASPEN, CAPE, PROMOD, PLEXOS, PowerWorld, PSCAD, or similar software.
Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders through meetings, virtual discussions, presentations, and written reports.

Nice To Haves

Entry level: EIT/FE (Engineer in Training/Fundamentals of Engineering).
Entry level: Graduate degree in the listed fields.
Entry level: Coursework in Introduction to Power Systems or a similar course.
Entry level: Internship experience within the power industry.
Staff level: EIT/FE (Engineer in Training/Fundamentals of Engineering).
Staff level: Graduate degree in the listed fields.
Senior level: EIT/FE and/or PE (Professional Engineer) registration.
Senior level: Graduate degree in the listed fields.
Senior level: PE (Professional Engineer) registration.

Responsibilities

Perform power-system planning studies, including steady-state load-flow analysis under normal and contingency conditions, short-circuit and protection-coordination studies, dynamic stability assessments, electromagnetic transient analysis, and geomagnetic-induced-current studies.
Support regulatory compliance assessments, including NERC TPL-001-5.1 analyses, extreme-event studies, and dynamic model validation under applicable WECC and NERC standards.
Conduct inverter-based-resource integration studies, assess inverter technologies and their system impacts, apply IEEE 2800 requirements, and develop mitigation strategies for high renewable penetration.
Coordinate with regional planning organizations and working groups and contribute to regional and subregional transmission planning and multi-utility studies.
Perform system impact and facility studies for resource interconnection and transmission service requests, and recommend transmission reinforcements, upgrades, or operational solutions.
Analyze and model grid-enhancing technologies, support cost-benefit assessments, and collaborate on pilot projects.
Develop and maintain Python-based tools and digital workflows for study execution, scenario management, and simulation-results processing.
Prepare technical reports, regulatory filings, and executive summaries, and present findings to internal and external audiences.
Represent Xcel Energy in industry working groups, technical committees, planning forums, and task forces.
Mentor engineers, interns, analysts, and technicians; provide technical leadership, training, and workshops; and contribute to planning documentation and standards.
Support development of capital budgets, conceptual transmission projects, and economic analyses in joint planning contexts.
At Entry level, perform model development, modeling reviews, design, and analysis of Xcel Energy assets using power-system analysis software under the direction of a higher-level engineer or supervisor.
At Entry level, develop study documentation, assist with procedures, develop technical skills, coordinate interns and technicians, and explore or implement process improvements.
At Staff level, scope or perform power-system simulations, develop study documentation, support NERC and FERC compliance evidence, and construct information for exchange with internal groups and external entities.
At Staff level, coordinate model development to meet RTO, reliability-entity, and internal criteria, or develop scopes of work for long-range transmission plans.
At Senior level, lead steady-state and stability modeling and analysis, develop scopes for long-range transmission studies, and coordinate assumptions across planning disciplines.
At Senior level, communicate study results, improve procedures and techniques, resolve difficult technical and business problems, implement compliance activities, and assign and review work.