Senior Consultant, Portfolio Strategy & Operations

Xcel Energy • Minneapolis, MN

12h • Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years in IT portfolio operations, program management, or technology strategy.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• Ensures the effective delivery of strategic communications around all business area activities.
• 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.
• 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.
• May provide direction and training of others.

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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior