NSP Base Capital - Turbine Project Engineer

Xcel Energy•St. Paul, MN

About The Position

Are you looking for an exciting job where you can put your skills and talents to work at a company you can feel proud to be a part of? Do you want a workplace that will challenge you and offer you opportunities to learn and grow? A position at Xcel Energy could be just what you’re looking for. The job summary below and responsibilities reflect the staff engineer level role. The successfully chosen candidate will be placed at a level that is commensurate with their skills and experience as different skills and/or experience will be required at the staff, senior and principal engineer levels. The Turbine Project Engineer (Mechanical/Process) provides the Capital Projects organization and individual project teams with technical guidance and engineering support to develop, plan and execute maintenance and upgrade projects at existing generation plants. Development work is largely focused on project origination and design leading to technology selection, cost estimates, schedules, preliminary layouts and heat & material balances, emissions, etc., and will carry through the scheduling, planning and execution phases of the work. The work also includes engagement with major equipment vendors and construction contractors, developing scopes of work and specifications, reviewing technical submittals, supporting permitting and regulatory activity, and advising leadership about fleet planning strategy. Specific duties include interfacing with power plant staff and management (internal to Xcel), Fleet engineering (internal to Xcel), managing 3rd party engineering support contracts, preparing technical specifications, process flow diagrams, emissions estimates, plant performance estimates, and similar tasks. Experience with utility-scale power technology such as steam cycles, combustion turbines, steam turbines, generators, combined cycles, and/or reciprocating engines is required. Accordingly, the candidate is expected to work independently while working collaboratively to advise a diverse project team including fleet engineers, plant engineers, craft labor supervisors, plant operations, environmental professionals, supply chain, leadership, etc. The candidate is expected to guide earlier-career engineers, but the role does not have direct reports. Position Summary Under general direction, demonstrates complete understanding & wide application of engineering technical principle, theories, & concepts in the field. Independently determines & develops approaches to solutions. Receives technical guidance on complex problems; completed work reviewed for adequacy in meeting objectives. May lead small-medium non-critical projects or critical projects under direction of higher-level engineer/supervisor. May provide work direction to other professionals &/or staff. Represents the organization in providing solutions to difficult technical issues associated with specific projects. Frequent inter-organizational & outside customer contact. Demonstrates a broad knowledge & proficiency of precedents in the specialty area, a good knowledge of related specialties, & general knowledge of other related disciplines.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering from ABET accredited, mechanical engineering degree preferred.
2+year's relevant engineering experience.
Demonstrated broad knowledge & proficiency in specialty area, knowledge of related specialties, & general knowledge of other related disciplines.
Ability to demonstrate the unique technical skills & core competencies for this engineering level established & documented by the organization.
EIT/FE (Engineer in Training/Fundamentals of Engineering) strongly preferred.
Required bachelor’s degree in engineering from ABET accredited curriculum, mechanical engineering degree preferred.
5+ years relevant engineering experience with EIT/FE (Engineer in Training/Fundamentals of Engineering) required; 7+ years relevant engineering experience without EIT/FE.
Ability to demonstrate the unique technical skills and core competencies for this engineering level established & documented by the organization.
Preferred PE (Professional Engineer) registration may be required depending on business need.
Required bachelor’s degree in engineering from ABET accredited curriculum, mechanical engineering degree preferred.
9+ years relevant engineering experience with PE (Professional Engineer) registration required; 15+ years relevant engineering experience without PE.
Ability to demonstrate the unique technical skills and core competencies for this engineering level established & documented by the organization.

Nice To Haves

Experience in planning and executing capital projects for gas and steam turbines, including major overhauls, outage coordination, budgeting, compliance, and vendor management across multiple sites.

Responsibilities

Uses & applies technical standards, principles, theories, concepts, & techniques to perform activities/assignments that may include a variety of complex features such as conflicting design requirements, unsuitability of conventional materials or methods & difficult coordination requirements.
Supports the development of technical documentation (including but not limited to designs, testing, calculations, reports, standards, etc.)
Utilizes & may assist with the development of procedures requiring a broad knowledge & proficiency in a specialty area & has a general knowledge of related disciplines.
Works under the general direction of a higher-level engineer or supervisor for routine engineering projects.
Provide ongoing technical support for project activities within areas such as Operations, Maintenance, testing/diagnostics & Regulatory.
May provide field engineering oversight &/or direction for activities such as commissioning, testing, inspections, etc.
May lead small-medium, non-critical projects.
Coordinate/leads critical projects or portions of projects (including phases such as research, design, equipment selection, procurement support, installation & commissioning), under the direction of a higher-level engineer or supervisor. Work reviewed upon completion for adequacy in meeting objectives.
Under the direction of a higher-level engineer/supervisor supports bid/evaluation processes including preparation of bid documents, completion of technical evaluations for proposals; provide recommendations for selection, etc.
Partners & communicates with areas such as Supply Chain & Legal following appropriate processes.
Frequently exchanges information in all formats, on matters having a wide range of importance & complexity both inter-organizationally & with outside customers.
May assign tasks & coordinate work of interns, drafters, technicians, craft personnel &/or others.
Provide guidance & mentoring to less experienced engineers.
Responsible for continuous self-development of technical skills & competencies.
Performs activities such as budgeting, estimating, forecasting, accounting, work order management, in support of engineering projects.