E&C Engineer (contract)

Xcel Energy; La Crosse (WI); On-site; USD 48,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

Xcel Energy in La Crosse, Wisconsin is seeking a driven engineer to support operations at a waste-to-energy and biomass facility. This on-site, full-time role blends project management with reliability engineering, taking ownership of capital projects from scoping through close-out while also supporting day-to-day equipment troubleshooting and maintenance.

You will lead capital and maintenance projects, participate in daily plant updates, support root-cause analysis, and coordinate with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering (ABET preferred) or equivalent.
• 2–3 years in power/industrial environments; project mgmt is a plus.
• FE/PE licensure is a plus but not required.

Responsibilities

• Lead capital and maintenance projects from scope to close-out.
• Attend daily plant status meetings and communicate with management.
• Support troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and performance monitoring.
• Diagnose abnormal equipment readings and energy usage.
• Coordinate with on-site engineers and maintenance staff to prioritize work orders.
• Forecast and report monthly project performance aligned with processes.
• Assist integration of new equipment with legacy systems dating from the 1940s/1950s.
• Contribute to HV equipment upgrade planning on a 5-year horizon.
• Use asset management and work order systems to track activities.

Skills

HV equipment

Power plant fundamentals

Project management

Budgeting

Troubleshooting

DCS (DeltaV/Emerson)

SAP

Communication

Team collaboration

Controls/PLC

Education

Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering (ABET)

Electromechanical engineering degree

FE/PE licensure (nice-to-have)

Tools

DeltaV

Emerson platforms

SAP

Work Asset Management Systems

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking a driven and technically grounded engineer to support operations at a waste-to-energy and biomass generation facility. This on-site, full-time role blends project management with reliability engineering, requiring someone who can take ownership of capital projects from initial scoping through close-out while also supporting day-to-day equipment troubleshooting and maintenance activities. The ideal candidate thrives in a hands-on industrial environment, communicates effectively across a small cross-functional team, and brings a "get it done" mindset to every challenge — whether that means navigating a budget forecast or walking the floor to diagnose an aging switchgear issue.

Responsibilities

• Lead capital and maintenance projects from scope development and budgeting through bid, execution, and close-out
• Participate in daily 7:00 AM plant status update meetings and maintain clear communication with plant management and maintenance staff
• Support reliability engineering activities including equipment troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and performance monitoring
• Assist operations teams in diagnosing abnormal equipment readings, unusual energy or voltage consumption, and other plant anomalies
• Coordinate with the on-site mechanical engineer, plant planner, and maintenance staff to prioritize and execute work orders
• Manage monthly project forecasting and reporting in alignment with established internal processes
• Support the integration and commissioning of new equipment alongside existing legacy systems, some dating to the 1940s and 1950s
• Contribute to planning efforts related to medium and high voltage equipment upgrades on a 5-year capital horizon
• Utilize asset management and work order systems to track project and maintenance activities

Skills

• Working knowledge of medium and high voltage electrical equipment and power plant fundamentals
• Understanding of how electricity is generated and delivered to the grid
• Project management skills including scope development, budgeting, bid management, and project close-out
• Basic financial literacy for project forecasting and monthly reporting
• Ability to troubleshoot electromechanical and control system issues in an industrial environment
• Familiarity with Distributed Control Systems (DCS); experience with DeltaV or Emerson platforms is a plus
• Experience with Work Asset Management Systems and SAP for work orders, asset tracking, and project management
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify issues and drive them to resolution independently
• Effective communicator capable of working within a small, collaborative team of approximately 35 personnel
• Electromechanical or controls experience is highly desirable

Experience

• 2–3 years of engineering experience in a power generation, manufacturing, utilities, or industrial environment is preferred
• Recent graduates with strong academic backgrounds and demonstrated problem-solving ability will be considered
• Prior exposure to project management processes from initiation through close-out is expected at the start of the role
• Experience working with legacy industrial equipment, switchgear, and mixed-vintage plant infrastructure is a plus
• Background in food and beverage, manufacturing, or other heavy industrial settings is acceptable

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited institution is strongly preferred
• Degrees in Electromechanical Engineering or related disciplines will be considered
• Non-ABET accredited degrees may be considered on a case-by-case basis
• Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) or Professional Engineer (PE) licensure is a nice-to-have

The closing date for applications for this job posting is 11/09/2026.
Should you require any accommodations in responding to this job posting or at any stage during the application process, kindly e-mail : [e-mail]

Pay Rate Range

34.62 - 46.15 USD hourly