Environmental Analyst IV - Aquatic Biologist

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

Plans, supervises, provides expertise/consultation, reviews progress, and evaluates results on projects and programs involving engineering, permitting, licensing, auditing, regulatory compliance, and/or environmental assessments to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local environmental statutes and regulations. Possesses comprehensive knowledge of theories and principles and applies it in creative and effective ways to a broad range of very difficult and complex assignments. Under consultative direction and with substantial latitude for unreviewed actions and decisions conducts important investigations requiring the application of new approaches in the field. Routinely serves on special work teams and uses expert technical knowledge to act as lead person or technical advisor on medium to large projects. Assignments are routinely self-initiated.

Essential Responsibilities

• Administers and consults on complex programs designed to minimize deficiencies and ensure compliance with regulations and permits. Directs site assessment/investigations/remediation projects as necessary. (Major areas may include auditing, air permitting and compliance, water/wastewater permitting and compliance, land quality, radiological, above ground and underground storage tanks, emergency plans, DOT compliance, FAA safety regulations, and hazardous, liquid and solid waste disposal.)
• Negotiates and administers license and permit applications and response actions to ensure compliance with existing federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Performs as a regulatory liaison with federal, state, and local agencies. Presents testimony at environmental hearings to support company position on environmental regulatory development.
• Directs and/or conducts data collection, strategic studies, evaluations, and report development to support environmental regulatory requirements at Xcel facilities. Projects may include proposed legislation and/or emerging public issues, operating permit limits and/or potential environmental regulatory noncompliance.
• Develops training lesson plan content that meet Xcel Academy standards, maintains instructor qualifications, and provides regulatory compliance training to Xcel personnel as is regulatory required and/or customer requested.
• Monitors outcomes of incidents, regulatory inspections and internal audits of company owned facilities, contractors, and/or outside disposal facilities and conducts and/or assesses root cause analysis to ensure corrective actions adequately address the problem, and non-compliance conditions are not repeated. Provides support for emergency environmental incidents as needed.
• Monitors statutes, regulations, licenses, and/or permits for potential impacts to facility operations. Reviews proposed regulations, licenses, and/or permits to determine potential impacts to facility operations. Serves as the lead reviewer coordinating comments from others into a single company position recommendation.
• Prepares requests for proposals, contract agreements, and project estimates. Supports and/or selects and manages consultants and contractors.
• Assists others in developing, refining and implementing the strategic goals and objectives of Xcel Energy. Contributes to process teams concerning budget and regulatory compliance.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform environmental sampling and laboratory testing to meet permit and compliance requirements. Collect and evaluate water quality, fisheries, macroinvertebrate, plankton, and sediment data, and prepare reports for regulatory agencies
• Serve as the subject matter expert for water-related regulations, including the Clean Water Act and requirements for industrial wastewater, stormwater, drinking water, dredging, wells and septic and sanitary sewer systems.
• Prepare, negotiation, administer, and implement wastewater discharge, water appropriation, and related environmental permits and compliance programs for electric generating facilities.
• Maintain scientific collection permits and other state authorizations for environmental monitoring activities. Lead aquatic invasive species compliance and monitoring programs, including permitting, compliance and supporting chemical treatment.
• Mentor college interns and organizational subject matter experts and coordinate daily field and laboratory activities.

Minimum Requirements

• BS/BA in environmental science, engineering, applied science, or related fields and six years of progressively more responsible environmental related work experience including, but not limited to environmental regulations, remedial procedures, audit procedures, and power generation processes.
• Demonstrated skills in technical writing, verbal communication, and negotiations.
• (Note: An Associate college degree in areas of environmental or applied science and three years of progressive responsibilities in related work experience may be substituted for the education requirement. The following additional advanced education in the field can be substituted for related work experience: MS/MA/MBA = 2 years; PhD/J.D. = 3 years.)

 

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: $84,900.00 to $120,566.00 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: 10/30/26

 

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Accessibility Statement

Xcel Energy endeavors to make https://www.xcelenergy.comand https://jobs.xcelenergy.comaccessible 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 Careerssite.