Careers for Military Veterans
SEL specializes in creating digital products and systems that protect, control, and automate electric power systems. Join us in our mission to ensure the safe, reliable, and economical delivery of electrical power to people around the world.
Find your next career at SEL.
Driven by a Mission That Matters
SEL is driven by one overarching mission: to make electric power safer, more reliable, and more economical. Our work improves the safety and quality of life for people around the world, and that focus is reflected in our community relationships and in our work environment.
It’s not only the goal that matters, but also how we pursue it. We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in the way we do business, and we take pride in doing what is right for our employees, customers, and communities. We’re driven by a shared set of values that define the way we do our daily work.
And because we know that our customers don’t have to keep buying our products, we never stop at just “good enough.” We keep them coming back by delivering the highest quality products and solutions and providing outstanding service and support.
As a 100 percent employee-owned company and one of Forbes’ top 10 employers in the state of Washington, SEL invests in the health, wellbeing, and happiness of all its employees. SEL offers competitive compensation packages, and all employees in the United States qualify for our employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) after one year of employment.
“SEL provides careers, not jobs.”
Put Your Skills to Work at SEL
SEL offers a wide range of positions where the skills and discipline you developed in the military can be a career asset.
Engineering Positions
Manufacturing Positions
Business Positions
Internships
The skills and experience you gained in the military are your greatest assets—but communicating them in a civilian context may require some translation. These resources can help:
- O*Net Military Crosswalk: Correlate your MOS with civilian job skills
- Google Applied Digital Skills Course: Update your resume for your civilian job search
- Free basic courses from Google on writing a resume, improving a resume, writing a cover letter, and preparing for a job interview
Own Your Career Path
Every job has a structured career ladder with clear expectations that guide you through its advancement paths. And because we understand that you may still be discovering what kind of work you enjoy in the civilian world, you’re never locked into a single career path.
Once you’re here, if you discover that a different role or career path would be a better fit, our teams will help you get there. We offer job shadowing, apprenticeships, tuition assistance for job-related education programs, and opportunities to advance based on what you’ve learned on the job.
Our PATH program provides diverse opportunities for skill building and career development at any stage in your career.
Diane Maceri
Purchasing Manager
United States Navy, 1989–1992
“I like that I have the power to make change.”
Diane works at SEL as our purchasing manager. While managing the five different purchasing teams, she oversees supply chain risk and addresses any issues with proactive solutions to meet the specifications of customer orders. She spends a significant amount of time working directly with suppliers, building and maintaining strong partnerships in a way that adheres to SEL’s principles.
“I like the empowering culture of SEL,” said Diane. “You’re not just a number; you get to have an opinion, and you can speak up, ask why. I like that I have the power to make change.”
For Diane, joining the Navy was a way for her to get the structure and sense of responsibility she wanted in her life. She worked as a boatswain mate aboard the USS Emory S. Land, setting the speed and steering the ship, dropping anchor, tying the lines, operating 30-ton cranes, driving the 50-foot work boats (which were responsible for moving buoys between submarines when they came into the pier), following submarines until everyone was safely underneath the water, and taking divers out to submarines for work.
Her work in the military was a source of pride—she knew she was helping to protect her country. And it’s a similar sense of pride that she feels working at SEL.
“It’s the mission of what we do with electric power,” she said. “We’re all so engaged with working toward that mission of making electric power safe and reliable for people all over the world. SEL stands for such strong values, and in my group, we’re really the face of those values to our suppliers.”
Carlos Medina
Buyer
United States Marine Corps, 2000–2005
“My favorite thing about the company is that if you work hard and apply yourself, you can pretty much work wherever you want within SEL. One of the things you learn in the military is this idea of ‘troop welfare.’ Troop welfare is very important, and I see that at SEL all the time."
Carlos, like many other military veterans, knows the struggle of transitioning back to civilian life. One thing that makes the transition easier is finding a place where you feel like you still matter, where you can take on responsibility, be part of a team, and make a difference.
“The thing about SEL is that I’m a person; I’m somebody that makes a difference,” says Carlos. “SEL values integrity, discipline, customer focus, and dignity of work, which are all things we take pride in when we’re in the service. We do a very good job of always trying to better ourselves, and I love that about being here. You’re always being pushed to succeed and be better. That gives you a sense of ownership and hope. It gives you direction.”
Carlos has been with SEL since January 2017.
Health and Wellbeing Benefits
We strive to offer the best possible health insurance for our employees around the world.
SEL offers localized health benefit plans for medical, dental, and vision care. The company pays a high portion of the overall premiums, minimizing your cost as much as possible. Basic life insurance, AD&D insurance, and disability benefit premiums are paid by SEL.
Benefits also include free access to medical clinics on the SEL Pullman and Lewiston campuses, a fitness center on the Pullman campus, and discounted access to local fitness centers. SEL also offers annual flu shots and a slate of wellness programs that focus on fun, health, and education.
A voluntary employee assistance program offers free, confidential assistance to employees and their families with personal and work-related issues that may affect job performance, health, or quality of life.
Employees traveling outside of their home countries (whether for work or leisure) have travel insurance that includes medical, evacuation, personal, and travel assistance.
Work/Life Balance
Because we value you, we respect your time outside the workplace. Everyone performs better with ample time to rest, recharge, and refocus, so our workplace teams do their best to set realistic workload expectations and develop project timelines that allow for work-life balance.
SEL employees build rewarding careers while enjoying the cultural and recreational opportunities where they live, pursuing hobbies and personal development, and raising families.
Paid Leave
Employees in the United States have 11 paid company holidays every year. (Those employed outside the United States have a similar benefit with local holidays.)
We provide generous paid vacation and sick time, as well as leave for special situations like welcoming a new child, recovering from a serious health condition, or caring for a family member. Paid time off begins to accrue on the first day of employment.
Support for Active Military Duty
Many SEL employees are in the National Guard or military reserves. We support our employees who are called into service. Leave accommodations are available for annual training, and if your unit is called up for active duty, we’ll ensure that you can step back into your role when you return.
Work in a Location You Love
The Pullman region is home to great schools (including two major universities), an award-winning farmers market, local wineries, art galleries, and an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities. Here, you’ll enjoy some of the amenities of city life—without the commute.
SEL designs and manufactures all of its electronic products in the United States and has field offices across North America and around the world.
The majority of SEL employees live and work in Pullman, Washington, where the company is headquartered and most of its products are designed and manufactured. We manufacture our own electronic devices and components in five locations in the USA: Pullman, WA; Lewiston, ID; Moscow, ID; Lake Zurich, IL; and West Lafayette, IN.