Principal Engineer (Salary Range: $112,000-$156,600)
Employment
full time
Employer job description
From Xcel Energy's posting. “We” and “our” refer to the employer.
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
In this role, you will help shape the future of the natural gas system by evaluating and advancing innovative alternatives to avoid, reduce, or delay traditional infrastructure investments. You will play a key role in expanding the company's Non-Pipeline Alternative (NPA) methodology, developing planning approaches and analytical frameworks that support strategic decision-making.
Working across the organization, you will assess NPAs, demand-side resources, beneficial electrification, renewable natural gas, and other emerging solutions through rigorous cost-benefit analysis to address system needs while supporting reliability, affordability, and clean energy goals. You will develop data-driven recommendations, business cases, and regulatory support materials that align with customer needs, regulatory requirements, and company strategy.
The ideal candidate will bring strong utility planning or regulatory experience, strategic thinking, and a passion for advancing innovative energy solutions.
Essential Responsibilities
Uses and applies technical standards, principles, theories, concepts, and techniques to perform activities/assignments of limited scope.
Supports the development of technical documentation (including but not limited to designs, testing, calculations, reports, standards, etc.) Utilizes and may assist with the development of procedures.
Provides ongoing technical support for project activities within areas such as Operations, Maintenance, Testing/diagnostics, Regulatory, etc. May provide field engineering oversight for activities such as commissioning, testing, inspections etc. under direct supervision.
Coordinates/leads projects or portions of projects (including phases such as research, design, equipment selection, procurement support, installation and commissioning), under the direction of a higher level engineer or supervisor.
Under the direction of a higher level engineer/supervisor, supports bid/evaluation processes by performing basic analysis and calculations on existing documentation and materials that support the preparation of bid documents. In completing segments of technical evaluations for proposals may need to effectively communicate with other business areas of the company following appropriate processes.
Effectively exchanges information in all formats, on matters having a wide range of importance and complexity both inter-organizationally and with outside customer/vendors.
May coordinate the work of interns, drafters, technicians, and/or others and provides guidance and mentoring to less experienced engineers. Responsible for continuous self development of technical skills and competencies.
May perform activities such as budgeting, estimating, forecasting, accounting, work order management, in support of engineering projects.
Required Bachelor’s degree in engineering from ABET accredited curriculum (or recognized equivalency).
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 (or recognized equivalency).
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.
Principal Engineer (Salary Range: $112,000-$156,600)
Minimum Requirements
Required Bachelor’s degree in engineering from ABET accredited curriculum (or recognized equivalency).
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.
Preferred
Previous utility experience
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: $81,800.00 to $156,600.00 per year
This position is eligible for the following benefits: Annual Incentive Program, Medical/Pharmacy Plan, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Dependent Care Reimbursement Account, Health Care Reimbursement 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: 10/04/26
EEO is the Law (PDF) | Equal Opportunity Statement (PDF) | Employee Rights (PDF)
All Xcel Energy employees and contractors share responsibility for protecting the company's information and systems by adhering to cybersecurity policies, standards, and best practices, recognizing that cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility.
Accessibility Statement
Xcel Energy endeavors to make https://www.xcelenergy.com and https://jobs.xcelenergy.com 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.
About this listing
LAYIQ is an independent job-discovery service. This listing does not imply a partnership with or endorsement by the employer. Review the original posting for current details and availability.
