Smelter Power Systems Electrical Engineer

Shape Your World

At Alcoa, you will become an essential part of our purpose: to turn raw potential into real progress. The way we see it, every Alcoan is a work-shaper, team-shaper, idea-shaper & world-shaper.

At Alcoa, you’re an essential part of our purpose: to turn raw potential into real progress. This is an opportunity for you to bring your wealth of experience to the team and help shape the future of sustainability with world-changing innovations and low-carbon technologies. You have the power to shape things to make them better.

About the Role: 

This is an open-level electrical engineering role supporting Warrick’s plant-wide medium and high voltage power system and rectifier station. We’re looking for engineers ranging from new graduates through experienced professionals—if you bring strong electrical fundamentals and a desire to work in industrial power systems, we’ll provide training on our site-specific equipment, standards, and power engineering practices. In this role you’ll help keep critical electrical infrastructure safe, reliable, and continuously available for aluminum production while building deeper capability in power system operation, protection, analysis, and reliability.

Major Activities/ Key challenges:

• Provide electrical engineering support for equipment reliability and continuous improvement across the smelting plant, with an emphasis on medium and high voltage power distribution (you’ll be trained on site-specific standards, equipment, and safe work practices).
• Learn and support plant high voltage power operations, including system line-ups and coordination with production areas and maintenance teams to meet operating requirements.
• Develop clear switching orders and support the establishment of electrical safe work zones for work near electrical hazards, applying and reinforcing electrical safety best practices.
• Participate in a team-based response model for power system upsets and failures; as you progress, you will be trained to provide timely technical support to restore safe, stable operation using in-house and contract resources.
• Perform and/or support analysis of medium and high voltage incidents, including event reconstruction and recommendations to prevent recurrence.
• Support capital improvement initiatives for the power system by helping develop scope, budgets, and schedules; participate in funding requests, execution tracking, and project closeout.
• Help develop and implement multi-year maintenance and reliability plans, partnering with maintenance, operations, and contractors.
• Support the design, rebuild, installation, and commissioning of electrical equipment and systems, including high current rectifier systems, transformers, high voltage switchgear, high voltage transmission/distribution, and metering (typical voltages include 138kV, 15kV, 4160V, and 480V).
• Support electrical safety programs across the Warrick Enterprise (Power Plant, Smelter, and Fabricating), with a focus on medium and high voltage electrical safety.
• Participate in the Alcoa Electrical Safety Standards Team and Power Engineers network to learn, share best practices, and help drive standardization.

What you can bring to the role: 

Our values – act with integrity, operate with excellence, care for people, lead with courage – are at the foundation of everything we do. To be successful in this role and to play a part in our ongoing success we desire the following background:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field, or equivalent practical experience in electrical engineering (open to new graduates through experienced engineers) with interest in industrial power systems, substations, or power distribution.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, using both theoretical understanding and practical data to identify root causes and drive improvements.
• Ability to communicate clearly with operations, maintenance, contractors, and leadership; strong teamwork skills and the ability to balance priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Digital literacy, including Microsoft Office applications; comfortable learning site systems such as CMMS and electrical maintenance/reliability tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated progression in electrical engineering responsibilities (entry-level through senior), with interest in developing deeper capability in industrial power systems, protection, and high voltage equipment.
• Experience in an industrial manufacturing, heavy industry, mining, or electric utility environment supporting maintenance, reliability, projects, or power distribution (internship/co-op through senior engineer experience).
• Coursework or demonstrated interest in power systems topics such as high voltage equipment, power distribution, protection, and substations.
• Exposure to or interest in high current power rectifier systems (e.g., in coursework, labs, or industrial experience).
• Familiarity with power system analysis concepts such as short circuit, arc flash, load flow, and protective relay coordination studies (software experience is a plus).
• Experience performing or reviewing studies (short circuit, arc flash, load flow, and/or protective relay coordination), developing settings, and coordinating with operations/maintenance; familiarity with common power system analysis or protection tools is beneficial.
• Understanding of electrical equipment maintenance and operation; ability to troubleshoot with a structured approach such as Root Cause Problem Solving.
• Comfort working around industrial equipment and structures; basic mechanical aptitude is helpful when supporting switchgear and substation equipment.
• Ability to evaluate equipment condition, interpret electrical test results, and support reliability assessments.
• Familiarity with transformer oil analysis, electrical testing practices, and substation maintenance requirements.
• Familiarity with CMMS applications or willingness to learn work management processes (work orders, asset history, preventive maintenance).

What’s on offer:

At Alcoa, our care for people philosophy is backed by our excellent total rewards package that we provide our employees effective on your date of hire, such as:

• Competitive compensation packages, including pay-for-performance variable pay, recognition and rewards programs.
• 401(k), employer match up to 6%, additional employer retirement income contribution (no vesting period)
• Healthcare benefits: medical, Rx, dental, vision, flexible spending account, health savings account (generous employer contribution), life and accident insurance
• Work-life balance programs: flexible work scheduling, hybrid/remote working
• Paid time off:  15 vacation days prorated in the 1st year based on hire date, 10 holidays, 7 illness days, Care for Family leave up to 40 days, up to 5 bereavement days, maximum of 30 jury duty days, and up to 10 days annual training for military leave

*This benefit information applies to US based applicants only. Alcoa reserves the right to change plans at its discretion. 

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About the Location

Alcoa “Warrick” based in Newburgh, Indiana just outside of Evansville, IN has been present in the lives of many families in our community for over 60 years. We’ve grown and we’ve matured together. Now we are looking for our next generation of Alcoans to bring us into the future. You can be one of them! Join us and get ready to experience endless opportunities!

We are values led, vision driven and united by our purpose of transforming raw potential into real progress.  Our commitments to Inclusion, Diversity & Equity include providing trusting workplaces that are safe, respectful and inclusive of all individuals, free from discrimination, bullying and harassment and that our workplaces reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate.   

As a proud equal opportunity workplace and affirmative action employer, Alcoa is dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of a person’s gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, nation of origin, disability, veteran status, language spoken or any other characteristic or status protected by the laws or regulations in the places where we operate.  

If you have visited our website in search of information on U.S. employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Alcoa Recruiting via email at gssrecruiting@alcoa.com.  

This is a place where you are empowered to do your best work, be your authentic self, and feel a true sense of belonging. Come join us and shape your career!  

Your work. Your world. Shape them for the better.