Operations Manager - Denver, CO

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

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Incentive Program

Medical/Pharmacy Plan

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

Retirement/Pension

Job summary

Xcel Energy in Colorado is seeking a seasoned operations leader to supervise a high-performing safety-conscious team across multiple functions and facilities. You will drive efficient use of resources, ensure compliance, and align operations with corporate goals and metrics.

You will lead talent management, oversee regulatory compliance, and foster strong internal and external relationships while advancing safety culture and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years in utility design/operations or related fields.
• Associates or technical degree preferred.
• Experience with asset management and analytics tools.
• Ability to lead diverse teams and manage performance.

Responsibilities

• Provide visible safety leadership and drive a strong safety culture.
• Evaluate team performance using operational, reliability, and quality metrics.
• Lead crew effectiveness, ensure resources meet objectives, and remove barriers.
• Recruit and develop talent, manage performance, and support bargaining unit relations.
• Build internal and external relationships to support operations and customer satisfaction.
• Oversee compliance with policies, labor agreements, and regulatory standards.

Skills

Five+ years in utility design/ops

Leadership experience

Data analysis & performance metrics

Change management

Regulatory & safety compliance

Education

Associates or technical degree preferred

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 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. Supervise a high performing, safe operations team across multiple functions and facilities while driving the efficient and cost-effective use of numerous resources through consistent and effective application of policies and procedures. Assure safe, reliable, and compliant operations, drive continuous improvement, and ensure customer satisfaction. Drive attainment of corporate and business unit strategies, goals and objectives, and process and performance metrics.

Essential Responsibilities

• Provide visible safety leadership and actively contribute to the creation, implementation, and continuous improvement of a strong, sustainable safety culture in partnership with Safety Consultant. Drive real time safety accountability by engaging the team through safety meeting participation, job briefs, audits, training, accident investigation/event assessment, and job site observations.
• Business Optimization & Strategy: Evaluate team performance based on operational efficiency, reliability and quality metrics and take corrective action where appropriate, focusing on process adherence and data integrity. Identify continuous improvement opportunities and drive adoption of process changes through effective collaboration and expectation setting.
• Operational Effectiveness: Provide direct leadership over crew effectiveness, quality and productivity. Maintain a continuous presence in the work environment and assist in removing barriers with pre-requisites, materials, stakeholder, and other issues. Ensure correct crew composition and skills are in place to meet operational, reliability, customer and financial objectives. Assist in preparing resource forecasts and providing input to longer-term work plans.
• Talent Management: Recruit talented employees, participate in workforce and development planning efforts, establish clear expectations, and effectively and manage performance. Provide training, coaching and oversight and drive employee engagement. Effectively represent the organization in bargaining unit discussions, grievances, corrective actions and development.
• Relationship Management: Build and maintain effective internal and external relationships with areas that support Operations. Provide strong working knowledge of necessary systems and resources to assist employees, other work groups, and/or customers and stakeholders. Enable crews to provide solutions to issues and improve customer/stakeholder satisfaction.
• Regulatory & Compliance: Oversee and coordinate the execution and documentation of work in accordance with Xcel Energy policies and procedures, labor agreements, and regulatory standards. Support and ensure required compliance and technical training is completed. Establish, monitor, and track processes to ensure regulatory compliance.

Minimum Requirements

• Five or more years in design, construction, operations, engineering or maintenance of utility systems/power generation plants or related industries/fields or equivalent.
• Associates or technical degree preferred.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in specific functional area including standards, procedures, and applicable government/environmental regulations.
• Operational knowledge of work and asset management and analytical/reporting applications.
• Effective change leader with demonstrated ability to effectively communicate company and business area strategies and objectives to a variety of stakeholders.
• Proven results at achieving performance and operational metrics and driving process adherence.

Preferred Requirements

• Three years of supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated experience working as or with bargaining unit employees.
• Direct power plant or combustion turbine experience.
• Production industry experience.

Will be required to be on call.

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 yearThis 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: 11/01/26

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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.