Transmission Planning Engineer - Senior or Principal

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) is a leading energy provider and Fortune 500 company, dedicated to serving millions of electricity and natural gas customers across eight states: Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico and Texas. We make energy work better for our customers, helping them thrive every day. That means always raising the bar - delivering better service and providing more reliable, resilient, and sustainable energy. 

Xcel Energy is a place where you’ll have opportunities to grow, expand your skills, and help lead the clean energy transition. We offer meaningful rewards, recognition, and support to help you build your career and make an impact - both on the job and beyond. Most importantly, it means you’ll be joining a company that knows employees are the driving force behind its success and is committed to helping you be your best.

Xcel Energy supports a hybrid work model to enable collaboration and flexibility. Many roles are expected to work onsite three days per week (Tuesday–Thursday); however, work location expectations vary based on role, team, and business needs.

The below job summary and responsibilities reflect the duties of the Transmission Planning Senior Engineer; Principal Engineer will differ as more skills and/or experience will be required. The successful candidate will be placed at a level that is commensurate with the candidate's skills and experience.

Position Summary:

Applies extensive technical expertise and has full knowledge of other related disciplines. Performs as a staff advisor and consultant in a technical specialty, a type of facility or equipment, or a program function. Carries out complex or innovative assignments requiring the development of new or improved techniques and procedures. Work is expected to result in the development of new/improved techniques and procedures or new/refined equipment, materials, processes, products, and/or scientific methods. Represents the organization as the prime technical contact on contracts and projects and interacts with senior external personnel on significant technical matters often requiring coordination between organizations. Work is performed without appreciable direction and considerable latitude is exercised in determining technical objectives of assignment. Guidance relates largely to overall objectives, critical issues, new concepts and policy matters. Completed work is reviewed from a relatively long- term perspective, for desired results. May assign tasks to and direct engineers, technicians, craft personnel and administrative staff, including coordination and review of work assignments. 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, as the senior engineer will need to convey technical concepts clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Communication will occur in various formats, including in-person meetings, virtual discussions, presentations to leadership, and written reports.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Power systems studies engineer: Leads and performs modeling and analysis activities for steady state and stability simulations
• Transmission planning engineer: 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. Activities are coordinated 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

Minimum Requirements: Senior Engineer ($97,000 - $145,400)

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and/or Physics from ABET accredited curriculum (or recognized equivalency).
• 5+ years with nationally recognized certification, 7+ years without certification.
• Experience with multiple power system transmission analysis tools such as PSSE, TARA, EMS, ASPEN, CAPE, PROMOD, PLEXOS, PowerWorld, PSCAD or other similar analysis software.

Preferred Requirements:

• EIT/FE (Engineer in Training/Fundamentals of Engineering and/or PE (Professional Engineer) registration.
• Graduate degree in fields above.

Minimum Requirements: Principal Engineer ($112,000 - $178,900)

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and/or Physics from ABET accredited curriculum (or recognized equivalency).
• 9 + years of demonstrated experience with PE (Professional Engineer) registration, 15+ years of demonstrated experience without PE (Professional Engineer) registration.
• Experience with multiple power system transmission analysis tools, such as PSSE, TARA, EMS, ASPEN, CAPE, PROMOD, PLEXOS, PowerWorld, PSCAD or other similar analysis software.

Preferred Requirements

• EIT/FE (Engineer in Training/Fundamentals of Engineering and/or PE (Professional Engineer) registration.
• Graduate degree in fields above.
• PE (Professional Engineer) registration.

Our culture is grounded in shared values and employee commitments that guide how we work, support one another, and grow together.

Our Values

Connected, Committed, Trustworthy, Safe

Our Employee Commitments

• Work that makes a difference
• A team you can count of
• Opportunities to grow
• Rewards that help you thrive

Xcel Energy provides job applicants reasonable accommodations for disabilities throughout the application process. If you are in need of an accommodation to complete the application process, now or at any time in the future, please complete the  Applicant Accommodation Request Form . 

Non-Bargaining

The anticipated starting base pay for this position is: $97,000.00 to $178,900.00 per year

This position is eligible for the following benefits: Annual Incentive Program, Medical/Pharmacy Plan, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, Health Care Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings Account (HSA) (if enrolled in eligible health plan), Limited-Purpose FSA (if enrolled in eligible health plan and HSA), Transportation Reimbursement Account, Short-term disability (STD), Long-term disability (LTD), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Fitness Center Reimbursement (if enrolled in eligible health plan), Tuition reimbursement, Transit programs, Employee recognition program, Pension, 401(k) plan, Paid time off (PTO), Holidays, Volunteer Paid Time Off (VPTO), Parental Leave

Benefit plans are subject to change and Xcel Energy has the right to end, suspend, or amend any of its plans, at any time, in whole or in part.

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information including but not limited to dates of school attendance and graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Deadline to Apply: 11/24/26

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Accessibility Statement

Xcel Energy endeavors to make and accessible to any and all users. If you are in need of an accommodation to complete the application process, now or at any time in the future, please complete the Applicant Accommodation Request Form . For any other application related questions, including application follow-ups or technical issues, please use our Recruiting Assistance, Electra, for assistance. Electra can be found in the lower right-hand corner of our Xcel Energy Careers site.