Manager, Project Controls

Xcel Energy, Inc.; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 112,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

Xcel Energy, Inc. is a leading energy provider seeking a senior program leadership role to direct complex projects across operations, systems and customer-facing elements. You will balance customer needs with company standards and leverage planning tools and governance to ensure timely, within-budget delivery.

The role emphasizes strategic leadership over multi-disciplinary teams, performance management, and continuous improvement while aligning with safety and reliability goals across markets.

Qualifications

• BS in engineering, construction management or project management or related field.
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in project management techniques.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in operations, process management, and process improvement.
• Experience in process improvement, including process optimization and process mapping.
• Experience managing multiple workstreams and matrixed work teams.
• Strong change leadership, communication and collaboration skills.
• Experience with project controls, scheduling and cost management.

Responsibilities

• Lead project structures, budgets, schedules, contracts, RFPs, and plans; own key governance meetings.
• Develop and oversee plans aligning with strategic goals; manage scope and milestones.
• Optimize resources with focus on safety, cost and reliability; build empowered workforce.
• Manage scope, cost, changes and risk; streamline processes with safety goals.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop staff; drive performance and engagement.
• Build partnerships with internal units and external entities for efficiency and alignment.

Skills

Operations management

Process improvement

Change leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Matrixed teams

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Education

BS in engineering / construction management / project management

Tools

Primavera P6

Microsoft Project

Earned Value Management (EVM)

Job description

Xcel Energy(NASDAQ:XEL)is a leading energy providerand Fortune 500company,dedicated toserving millions ofelectricity andnaturalgascustomersacross eight states:Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota,New Mexicoand Texas.We make energy work better forourcustomers, helping them thrive every day. That means always raising the bar-delivering better service and providing more reliable, resilient,and sustainable energy.

Xcel Energy is a place where you’ll have opportunities to grow, expand your skills, and help lead the clean energy transition. We offer meaningful rewards, recognition, and support to help you build your career and make an impact - both on the job and beyond. Most importantly, it means you’ll be joining a company that knows employees are the driving force behind its success and is committed to helping you be your best.

Xcel Energy supports a hybrid work model to enable collaboration and flexibility. Many roles are expected to work onsite three days per week (Tuesday–Thursday); however, work location expectations vary based on role, team, and business needs.

Position Summary

Standard Operations Position. Provides strategic leadership while directing program and project management activities for selected, highly complex projects, which may impact operations, business systems, and/or customer-facing elements. Responsible for balancing customer needs while maintaining Xcel Energy standards and guidelines and to ensure consistent and accurate use of design and work management tools and processes.

Accountable for coordinating and identifying multi-disciplinary project teams for the completion of approved projects and deliverables. Accountable for effectively navigating business and regulatory processes. Accountable for innovative and cost-effective designs, technical matter expertise and support to design, construction and operations teams.

Provides leadership and oversight while managing highly skilled technical groups. Assigning and establishing priorities for work and providing oversight to ensure quality and schedule requirements are met. Ensure planning and budgeting related to distribution capital projects and support of construction and operations departments.

Committed to development and high-level staff performance through routine performance evaluations, training and coaching.

Essential Responsibilities

• Project Management: Accountable for the implementation and management of project structures including financial controls, detailed estimates, schedules, contracts, RFPs, and work plans for selected portfolio of projects, which may have operational, business system, and/or process improvement elements. Provide ownership and leadership over key program governance meetings.
• Business Optimization and Strategy: Establishes and champions business plans, goals and objectives in line with corporate and business unit strategic goals and initiatives. Manages teams to achieve approved project scope and develop optimal sequencing, detailed milestone schedules, project-level cost tracking, project control techniques, and reconciliation processes.
• Resource Utilization: Responsible for effective, efficient and competitive management and utilization of all resources, with emphasis on safety, timeliness, cost-containment, system reliability, customer satisfaction, optimal asset utilization and compliance with regulations. Develops leadership, selects and retains a multi-functional, diversified, well-trained, motivated and empowered workforce.
• Scope & Risk Management: Develops strategies to assess complex issues and achieve results that consider the broader perspective of a wide array of stakeholders. Manages all processes related to scope, cost control, change management and risk mitigation in alignment with organizational best practices. Actively participate in formal company efforts to streamline processes, maintain and improve safety goals, meet customer expectations, and reduce costs.
• Talent Management: Recruit talented employees, establish clear performance expectations and effectively manage performance. Provide training, coaching and feedback, oversight and drive employee engagement. Provide input and leadership in addressing bargaining unit issues, grievances, corrective actions, and future development. Promotes continuous learning and enhancement of job/industry knowledge and skills.
• Relationship Management: Establishes effective, collaborative working relationships with external entities and internal organizations to maximize project efficiency, responsiveness and resource allocation. Serves as change leader and champion for all efforts within their scope. Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with other business units and departments to ensure staff and customers receive information that is current, accurate and meets their expectations.

Minimum Requirements

• BS in engineering, construction management or project management or related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in theory and practice of project management techniques.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in operations, process management, and process improvement.
• Experience in process improvement, including process optimization and process mapping.
• Experience managing multiple workstreams and matrixed work teams (full and part-time resources).
• Strong change leadership, communication and collaboration skills.

Preferred Requirements

• Extensive Project Controls Experience: 7+ years of progressive project controls experience supporting complex capital, construction, utility, or infrastructure projects, with significant responsibility for both scheduling and cost controls.
• Advanced Scheduling Expertise: Demonstrated proficiency developing, maintaining, and analyzing integrated project schedules using Oracle Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, or comparable scheduling tools, including critical path analysis, baselining, forecasting, progress measurement, and schedule recovery.
• Cost Controls & Forecasting: Strong experience with project budgeting, commitments, actuals, accruals, forecasting, Estimate at Completion (EAC), variance analysis, and change management.
• Integrated Cost and Schedule Management: Experience integrating cost and schedule information to assess project performance, identify trends and risks, and support data-driven decision-making. Familiarity with Earned Value Management (EVM), cash-flow forecasting, and performance measurement techniques is preferred.
• Project Controls Leadership & Reporting: Experience establishing project controls standards, coordinating cost and schedule activities across multidisciplinary teams, and developing clear executive-level reporting, dashboards, and performance metrics that communicate project status, risks, trends, and forecasts.

Our culture is grounded in shared values and employee commitments that guide how we work, support one another, and grow together.

Our Values

Connected, Committed, Trustworthy, Safe

Our Employee Commitments

• Work that makes a difference
• A team you can count of
• Opportunities to grow
• Rewards that help you thrive

Xcel Energy provides jobapplicantsreasonable accommodations for disabilitiesthroughout the application process. If youare in need ofanaccommodationto complete the application process, now or at any time in the future, please complete the Applicant Accommodation RequestForm.

Non-Bargaining

The anticipated starting base pay for this position is: $112,200.00 to $159,400.00 per year

this position is eligible for the following benefits: Annual Incentive Program, Medical/Pharmacy Plan, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, Health Care Flexible Spending 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: 11/15/26

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Accessibility Statement

Xcel Energy endeavors to make https://www.xcelenergy.com and https://jobs.xcelenergy.com accessible to any and all users. If you are in need of an accommodation to complete the application process, now or at any time in the future, please complete the Applicant Accommodation Request Form. For any other application related questions, including application follow-ups or technical issues, please use our Recruiting Assistance, Electra, for assistance. Electra can be found in the lower right-hand corner of our Xcel Energy Careers site.