Cloud Platform Architect

Xcel Energy Services Inc; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 118,000 - 143,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Incentive Program

Medical/Pharmacy Plan

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off (PTO)

Job summary

Xcel Energy is seeking a Cloud Platform Architect to design, build, and govern enterprise cloud foundations across GCP, AWS, and Azure. The role emphasizes security, observability, and reusable patterns in hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

You will lead cross-functional teams, promote IaC and CI/CD, and mentor others while ensuring platforms are compliant, resilient, and operation-ready across on-premises and cloud workloads.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or 4 years of related experience in technology.
• Seven years of related functional experience.
• Exposure to diverse systems, technologies and processing environments in a large corporate setting.
• Strong communication skills and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Design enterprise cloud landing zones with built-in security, governance, and automation.
• Define standards for networking, identity and access management, logging, monitoring, and platform services.
• Support container-based and cloud-native hosting models with flexibility for legacy solutions.
• Embed security into cloud platforms using Zero Trust principles.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and enterprise security requirements.
• Promote Infrastructure as Code and CI/CD based provisioning.
• Reduce manual configuration and improve consistency through automation.
• Create reusable cloud templates, modules, and patterns.
• Design platforms for high availability, resiliency, and disaster recovery.
• Ensure monitoring, logging, and alerting are built into all platform components.
• Collaborate with architects, engineers, and business partners across IT.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Troubleshooting

Communication skills

Relationship management

Collaboration

Leadership

Mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree or 4 years of related experience

Tools

GCP

AWS

Azure

Infrastructure as Code

CI/CD

Job description

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

Xcel Energy is transforming its technology landscape to support reliable, secure, and sustainable energy delivery. The Cloud Platform Architect plays a critical role in this transformation by designing and governing the enterprise cloud foundation that supports applications, analytics, and grid‑adjacent systems. This role focuses on the cloud platform itself—not individual applications—ensuring that cloud services are secure, reliable, reusable, observable, and supportable across hybrid and multi‑cloud environments. The position will provide design and thought leadership in GCP, AWS, and Azure. As a Cloud Platform Architect, you will: Design, build, and govern enterprise cloud foundations on GCP, AWS, and Azure – serving as a thought leader in projects, networking, identity, security, and shared services. Establish cloud standards, patterns, and guardrails that enable teams to deliver solutions quickly and safely. Ensure cloud platforms align with Xcel Energy’s Architecture Tenets, including security, observability, reusability, and supportability. Enable workloads to run consistently across cloud, on‑premises, and edge environments. Partner with security, infrastructure, operations, and delivery teams to ensure platforms are compliant, resilient, and operationally ready. Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and architectural guidance across the organization.

Essential Responsibilities

• Cloud Platform & Architecture Design enterprise cloud “landing zones” with built‑in security, governance, and automation.
• Define standards for networking, identity and access management, logging, monitoring, and platform services.
• Support container based and cloud‑native hosting models, with flexibility for legacy and packaged solutions.
• Security & Compliance Embed security into cloud platforms from the start using Zero Trust principles.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and enterprise security requirements.
• Partner with security teams to implement approved controls and services.
• Automation & Standardization Promote Infrastructure as Code and CI/CD based provisioning.
• Reduce manual configuration and improve consistency through automation.
• Create reusable cloud templates, modules, and patterns.
• Reliability, Observability & Supportability Design platforms for high availability, resiliency, and disaster recovery.
• Ensure monitoring, logging, and alerting are built into all platform components.
• Design platforms that can be effectively operated, supported, and maintained over time.
• Collaboration & Leadership Work closely with architects, engineers, and business partners across IT and operational teams.
• Participate in architecture reviews and governance forums.
• Mentor and guide teams on cloud best practices and platform usage.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Technology, Science, Business or related field, or 4 years of experience equivalent to the position.
• Seven years of related functional experience.
• Exposure to diverse systems, technologies and processing environments in a large Corporate setting.
• Project solution architecture experience.
• Knowledge of core aspects of architecture (Software, Hardware, Network, Integration, Data, hosting models, platform types, etc.)
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
• Extensive knowledge of future technology trends within area of expertise.
• Excellent communication skills, effective with varying organizational levels and skill sets.
• Excellent Relationship Management and collaboration skills, with a track record of working as one team cross‑organizationally to drive innovation and business results.

Preferred Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in infrastructure, platform, or enterprise architecture roles.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience with public cloud platforms.
• Strong experience with Google Cloud Platform, including: Identity and access management, networking and connectivity, security and logging/monitoring services.
• Experience designing and operating cloud platforms in large, complex environments.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code and automation tools.
• Experience in regulated or mission‑critical industries (utilities, energy, financial services, healthcare).
• Experience with hybrid and multi‑cloud environments (Azure and/or AWS).
• Familiarity with security and compliance frameworks (e.g., NERC CIP, NIST).
• Cloud certifications such as: Google Professional Cloud Architect, Azure or AWS architect certifications, CISSP, CISM, or similar.

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 [e-mail].

Non-Bargaining

The anticipated starting base pay for this position is: $118,000.00 to $142,500.00 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: 09/09/26

EEO is the Law | EEO is the Law Supplement | Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination | Equal Opportunity Policy (PDF) | Employee Rights (PDF)

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 Xcel Energy endeavors to make https://www.xcelenergy.com/ accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Xcel Energy Talent Acquisition at [e-mail]. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

You. Us. Together.

At Xcel Energy, we’re more than an energy company. We’re reinventing how we power communities. Redefining how we care for customers. Reaffirming our commitment to the planet. We’re committed to leading with equity and inclusion. You’re not waiting for change – you’re creating it. You’re driven to protect the environment, support your community, and seek innovation. You want a career that grows with you and an employer who values you. You are reliable, trustworthy and bring integrity to everything you do. We are leading the way in clean energy. We’re using technology and innovation in every facet of our company. We’re providing safe, stable jobs with robust benefits. We keep our customers at the center of all we do.

We’re committed to hiring a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can provide carbon‑free electricity by 2050. Together, we can take care of the environment and our communities. Together, we can create a place where everyone belongs. Together we’re building a better tomorrow.