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 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 senior and principal engineer levels.
Position Summary
The Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Engineer provides technical support and leadership for the planning, design, integration, and deployment of distributed energy resources across Xcel Energy's distribution system. This role focuses on DER interconnection, power systems engineering, distribution planning, battery energy storage systems (BESS), grid modernization, SCADA and controls integration, and engineering coordination.
The engineer will support DER, energy storage, microgrid, and grid modernization projects from concept through commissioning and operation. Working closely with Project Managers and cross-functional teams, this position coordinates technical execution across Engineering, Operations, Planning, Regulatory, Cybersecurity, Telecommunications, Customer Solutions, and external stakeholders to ensure the safe, reliable, and cost-effective integration of emerging grid technologies.
Focus Areas:
DER Interconnection & Power Systems
Perform DER interconnection studies and power system analyses supporting safe, reliable grid integration.
Distribution Planning & Grid Modernization
Support distribution planning and grid modernization to improve system reliability and performance.
BESS, Microgrids & DER Deployment
Lead technical implementation of BESS, microgrid, and DER projects from development through operation.
SCADA, Controls & Operational Technology
Support DER integration with SCADA, DERMS, ADMS, and related controls and communications.
Engineering Coordination & Project Execution
Coordinate with Project Managers, internal teams, and external stakeholders to deliver projects.
Regulatory & Stakeholder Support
Provide technical expertise supporting regulatory, stakeholder, and grid modernization initiatives.
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…