Laboratory Chemist

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.

Position Summary

Position supports chemistry operations for Xcel Energy generating facilities, regional analytical chemistry laboratories, and/or other business units that require chemistry services. Expertise is required in one or more of the following areas; analytical instrumentation, water treatment chemistry, boiler system chemistry, lubricants, environmental sampling/compliance, analytical testing (water, waste, lubricants, insulating oil, and/or fuel), QA/QC program maintenance. Position will work with Xcel facilities and/or customers to enhance availability, reliability, and help ensure low operating costs.

Essential Responsibilities

• Conduct chemistry analysis adhering to documented procedures and QA/QC protocols, as applicable. Prepare samples, standards, and reagents for testing. Maintain analytical records. Perform data entry, review, and interpretation. Assist with generating technical reports. Maintain inventory of supplies and chemicals. Conduct housekeeping. May be responsible for sample collection.
• Operate, monitor, maintain, and calibrate equipment and instrumentation. Support management of instrumentation and measurement systems to ensure accurate and reliable results. Provide recommendations based on analytical results/criteria. Assists in root cause analysis and implement corrective action.
• Trains plant and/or chemistry personnel. May include external training and presentations.
• Responsible for reviewing and assessing process parameters for control limit compliance. Uses discretion and judgment to correct and/or direct responsible personnel to correct out of control parameters.
• Designs and develops chemistry procedures and programs to ensure asset availability and reliability. Assists with budget preparation and works to implement programs within budget, time and regulatory constraints.
• Participates in process improvements and development of new technologies. Consult with internal and external customers to ensure compliance and optimize processes.
• Interface with internal regulatory groups and external agencies to ensure compliance with regulations.
• Upon request, provides support for emergent chemistry needs.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

• BA/BS in chemistry, engineering, applied science, or related fields and four (4) years of related progressively responsible work experience. In lieu of a degree, candidates with equivalent military training and experience and/or at least six (6) years of laboratory or plant chemistry experience may be considered. The following additional advanced education in the field may be substituted for related work experience: MS/MA/MBA = 2 years; PhD/J.D. = 3 years.

Preferred Characteristics

• Experience supporting utility, industrial, environmental, or commercial laboratory operations.
• Experience performing ASTM test methods for lubricants, transformer insulating fluids, or related industrial fluids.
• Experience performing environmental test methods for regulatory compliance monitoring.
• Experience operating, calibrating, maintaining, and troubleshooting analytical instrumentation.
• Experience implementing and maintaining laboratory QA/QC programs.
• Experience utilizing laboratory information management systems (LIMS) to support sample tracking, data management, and reporting.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a collaborative team environment.

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: $64,100.00 to $90,966.66 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: 10/22/26

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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.