Operations Consultant Jobs in Minnesota

Are you looking for an exciting job where you can put your skills and talents to work at a company you can feel proud to be a part of? Do you want a workplace that will challenge you and offer you opportunities to learn and grow? A position at Xcel Energy could be just what you’re looking for.

Position Summary

Owns the operating rhythm and strategic planning cadence for a multi-team IT portfolio. Partners with portfolio leadership to translate strategy into a defensible quarterly plan, runs the meetings that keep delivery teams aligned, and contributes to resourcing and financial planning decisions. This role is the connective tissue between strategy, delivery teams, and leadership — turning leadership intent into structured planning artifacts that delivery teams can execute against. Leads a variety of key initiatives and special programs on behalf of the business area.

Essential Responsibilities

• Strategic: Consults with leaders on identifying goals to be achieved by the business area. Responsible to ensure that business unit strategies are integrated across the business area and are in alignment and contribute to the achievement of Xcel Energy. Facilitates the process to create an implementation plan and distribute assets or resources needed for success.
• Strategic Planning: Works with leaders to facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of the overall business area strategy and operational plans. Designs and facilitates the use of systematic tools and techniques e.g., SWOT analysis, to identify priority issues and articulate and challenge strategic assumptions. Works closely with leaders to monitor progress of plans against business results. Own the end-to-end quarterly planning lifecycle: Strategy Session, Pre-Planning, Planning event, Read-Out, and Retro. Set agendas, facilitate sessions, coordinate logistics (room reservations, hybrid setup, materials), and drive follow-through on outcomes. Run weekly Delivery & Governance and Delivery Council meetings; proactively surface and escalate blockers. Maintain portfolio artifacts: planning decks, org charts, SharePoint site, and supporting documentation.
• Communication: Ensures the effective delivery of strategic communications around all business area activities.
• Analytics/Metrics: Leverages business area systems and data to identify, develop and deliver impactful metrics and other analytics and/or automated solutions. Facilitates the use of systematic tools and techniques to establish priorities and targets.
• Budget Management: Works with leaders within the business area to develop, implement, and monitor the budget. Partners with Financial Operations to ensure alignment with company objectives. Ensures that leaders have an understanding of the process for developing the content for the budget.
• Direction of others: May provide direction and training of others.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience. Advanced degree preferred.
• At least seven years of related experience.
• Demonstrated experience in strategy and with business and operational performance measures.
• Experience in communications with demonstrated ability to deliver effective and strategic messages to audiences ranging from front line employees to senior executives.
• Experience leveraging technology.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities in project management.
• Demonstrated ability to meet business and financial objectives.

Preferred Requirements

• 5+ years in IT portfolio operations, program management, or technology strategy.
• Expert-level knowledge of Agile/SAFe methodologies with hands-on experience leading PI Planning, coaching teams, and driving consistency, predictability, and continuous improvement in delivery execution.
• Must have the ability to influence, coach, and align cross-functional teams on PI Planning best practices, driving enterprise-level consistency and continuous improvement in planning and execution.
• Initiative and feature management in Jira.
• Experience with program increment planning.
• Strong facilitation skills with senior IT and business stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of OM/CapEx forecasting and SOW lifecycle (does not need to own approvals).
• Proficient with SharePoint, Teams, PowerPoint, and Excel-based planning tools.
• Comfortable driving structure into ambiguous, newly forming work.
• Experience in utility or regulated-industry IT.
• Familiarity with agile/lean portfolio practices (SAFe, OneWay, or similar).
• Background supporting AI/digital experience initiatives.
• Strong experience in portfolio management, PMO, or product operations.
• Proven ability to operate across business and technology stakeholders.
• Comfortable driving governance, financials, and planning at scale.
• Highly structured, with a bias for clarity, accountability, and outcomes (not activity).
• Skilled at navigating ambiguity and organizational complexity.

As a leading combination electricity and natural gas energy company, Xcel Energy offers a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.4 million electricity and 1.9 million natural gas customers across eight Western and Midwestern states. At Xcel Energy, we strive to be the preferred and trusted provider of the energy our customers need. If you’re ready to be a part of something big, we invite you to join our team.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Individuals with a disability who need an accommodation to apply please contact us at recruiting@xcelenergy.com.

Non-Bargaining
The anticipated starting base pay for this position is: $97,600.00 to $138,600.00 per year.
This position is eligible for the following benefits: Annual Incentive Program, Medical/Pharmacy Plan, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Dependent Care Reimbursement Account, Health Care Reimbursement 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: 06/28/26

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All Xcel Energy employees and contractors share responsibility for protecting the company's information and systems by adhering to cybersecurity policies, standards, and best practices, recognizing that cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility.

ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

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