Job Description

Job Purpose

The Senior Engineer Renewable Engineering ensures the reliable operation, maintenance, and lifecycle management of MGE-owned solar generation facilities. This role provides engineering expertise, asset oversight, vendor management, and cross-functional coordination to support the safe, efficient, and customer-focused operation of distributed energy resources. The engineer supports MGE’s clean energy and electrification strategies by maintaining reliable, high-performing renewable generation and electrification assets.

Core Responsibilities

Note: This list is not all-inclusive

• Manage the day-to-day operation, monitoring, maintenance, and performance assessment of MGE-owned solar generation facilities.
• Lead technical troubleshooting, problem solving, and root cause analysis involving electrical, mechanical, communications, control, and software systems.
• Develop and implement preventive and corrective maintenance programs, inspection practices, photovoltaic system standards, operating procedures, and emergency response procedures.
• Analyze operational and equipment performance information to identify reliability risks, recurring issues, and opportunities to improve asset performance and lifecycle value.
• Oversee contractors, service providers, construction partners, and maintenance vendors, including performance, service agreements, work quality, safety, and documentation.
• Coordinate equipment inventory, spare parts, procurement needs, maintenance records, technical documentation, and asset information.
• Ensure renewable generation operations and maintenance activities comply with applicable safety, environmental, regulatory, engineering, and operational requirements.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Grid Operations, Energy Supply, Customer Experience, Energy Services, and other stakeholders to coordinate outages, maintenance activities, asset upgrades, customer impacts, and performance reporting.
• Provide technical guidance and recommendations regarding solar generation, distributed energy resources, renewable asset performance, and maintenance requirements.
• Support wind turbine and electric vehicle charging maintenance engineering responsibilities as needed, and improve asset management and distributed energy resource integration practices through evaluation of performance information, operating experience, and emerging technologies.

Behavioral Competencies

• Decision Quality – Uses sound judgment and information to make effective decisions.
• Risk Awareness – Recognizes and manages risk appropriately in decisions and operations.
• Stakeholder Management – Manages stakeholder expectations, priorities, and relationships effectively.
• Process Improvement – Improves processes, workflows, quality, service, or efficiency.
• Customer Focus – Understands customer needs and improves service outcomes.

Skills

• Renewable Energy Analysis – Applies renewable energy engineering knowledge to evaluate solar generation performance, equipment condition, operating issues, and improvement opportunities. (Advanced)
• Distributed Energy Resources – Applies distributed energy resource knowledge and practices to support the operation, maintenance, and integration of renewable and electrification assets. (Advanced)
• Troubleshooting – Diagnoses and resolves complex electrical, mechanical, communications, control, and software issues affecting renewable generation assets. (Advanced)
• Asset Management – Applies condition assessment, lifecycle planning, maintenance, and reliability practices to support the long-term performance of renewable energy assets. (Advanced)
• Control Systems – Applies knowledge of SCADA, communications networks, monitoring systems, and supporting controls to operate and troubleshoot renewable generation assets. (Intermediate)
• Vendor Management – Manages vendor and contractor activities, performance, service requirements, and issue resolution to support reliable operational outcomes. (Intermediate)
• Regulatory Compliance – Applies relevant regulatory requirements, engineering standards, codes, and compliance practices to renewable generation operations and maintenance. (Intermediate)
• Emergency Response – Applies emergency response practices to coordinate the safe and effective resolution of renewable generation equipment and operational events. (Intermediate)

Education

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Renewable Energy Engineering, or related engineering discipline required. Electrical Engineering is preferred.
• Professional Engineer license preferred.

Experience

• 5+ years of engineering experience in electric utility operations, renewable generation, solar energy, distributed energy resources, electric vehicle infrastructure, or a related technical environment.
• Experience supporting the operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, or lifecycle management of solar generation facilities or comparable energy infrastructure.
• Experience coordinating contractors, vendors, service providers, or technical work partners.
• Experience working across engineering, operations, customer, and business functions to resolve technical issues and support operational outcomes.

Pre-employment will require satisfactory completion of a background check and drug screen.

We are an AA/EOE employer and consider all qualified candidates without regard to protected status.