Senior Operations Planning Lead — Scheduling & Readiness

Xcel Energy; Evergreen (CO); On-site; USD 51,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Spot On Bonus

Medical/Pharmacy Plan

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

Dependent Care Reimbursement Account

Health Care Reimbursement Account

Health Savings Account

Limited-Purpose FSA

Transportation Reimbursement Account

Short-term disability

Long-term disability

Employee Assistance Program

Fitness Center Reimbursement

Tuition reimbursement

Transit programs

Employee recognition program

Pension

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Xcel Energy in Colorado is seeking an Operations Planner Team Lead to oversee a rolling 0–12+ week schedule, manage field work readiness, and mentor planners across regions. The role drives resource optimization, safety, and customer-focused performance in a utility setting.

The position requires strong leadership, scheduling expertise, and proficiency with Excel, aiming to improve processes and manage complex work activities while coordinating with field operations and design teams.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 8 years of experience in construction, design, maintenance, or operations (utility experience strongly preferred), with 3 years in a senior planning role (e.g. Sr Operations Work Coordinator).
• Demonstrated mastery in scheduling, planning, and operational coordination within utility or construction industries.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to lead teams, mentor staff, and manage complex work activities to meet operational deadlines and customer expectations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to foster collaboration across teams and departments.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet tools; ability to retrieve and manipulate data from reporting tools.
• Knowledge of and ability to use a wide range of computer applications, including Microsoft products, work management, mapping, and scheduling/project management tools.
• Valid Driver’s License

Responsibilities

• Oversee development and maintenance of a rolling 0–12+ week schedule for designated regions or commodity areas, ensuring alignment with priorities, compliance, and resource availability.
• Identify gaps, resolve scheduling conflicts, and make recommendations for resource adjustments to optimize efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Facilitate quarterly planning meetings to forecast workload and resource needs.
• Review all aspects of projects prior to assigning work, ensuring prerequisites (permits, locates, traffic control, vegetation management) are met.
• Coordinate equipment, materials, and third-party services to enable timely work execution.
• Maintain visibility into real-time work queues and manage exception work outside normal scheduling windows.
• Mentor and train Operations Planners/Sr. Operations Planners and other team members, providing guidance on scheduling practices, system use, and operational standards.
• Set high performance standards and encourage continuous improvement across the team.
• Provide backup leadership to Operations Managers and act as a consultative resource for system improvements and process changes.
• Monitor and forecast personnel, equipment, and material needs across multiple areas.
• Optimize allocation of contract and employee resources to minimize costs and maximize schedule adherence, safety, and compliance.
• Analyze scheduling and work execution performance to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Facilitate monthly metric review meetings and lead process change initiatives to enhance operational efficiency.
• Drive adoption of standardized work practices and company initiatives for operational excellence.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with supervisors, field leaders, and external stakeholders.
• Champion timely and professional communication with customers and stakeholders regarding scheduling and outages.
• Represent Distribution Operations in cross-functional meetings and negotiate adjustments to meet customer and compliance deadlines.
• Ensure timely job closeout, accurate documentation, and financial stewardship of O&M and capital work.
• Oversee emergency response and storm restoration efforts, prioritizing safety and service reliability.
• All other duties as assigned.

Skills

Scheduling

Leadership

Excel

Communication

Mentoring

Education

Associate's degree

Tools

Excel

Job description

Xcel Energy in Colorado is seeking an Operations Planner Team Lead to oversee a rolling 0–12+ week schedule, manage field work readiness, and mentor planners across regions. The role drives resource optimization, safety, and customer-focused performance in a utility setting.

The position requires strong leadership, scheduling expertise, and proficiency with Excel, aiming to improve processes and manage complex work activities while coordinating with field operations and design teams.