Job Title: Program Manager II (Capital Delivery / Technology Portfolio)

Locations: Denver, CO or Minneapolis, MN (Hybrid)

Job Type: Contract (12 months, potential extension)

Schedule: Full-Time, 40 hours/week

Position Summary

The Program Manager II is responsible for leading a portfolio of capital technology projects supporting operational business units, including Distribution, Transmission, Gas, Energy Supply, Nuclear, and Commercial Operations at Xcel Energy.

This role provides leadership across multiple project teams, ensuring delivery is aligned with scope, schedule, budget, and governance standards. The Program Manager II will oversee project managers, drive execution excellence, and act as a key escalation and decision-making point within the portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a portfolio of capital technology projects, ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery
• Provide day-to-day leadership and oversight of project managers and delivery teams
• Establish and enforce program controls, governance, and delivery standards
• Serve as escalation point for project risks, issues, and delivery challenges
• Oversee project planning, execution, and lifecycle management across multiple workstreams
• Manage interdependencies between projects and ensure alignment of deliverables
• Monitor portfolio financial performance against approved capital plans
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and accrual-based financial tracking
• Drive vendor management activities, including RFPs, SOWs, and performance oversight
• Ensure adherence to PMO and ULC (Unified Lifecycle) standards and governance guidelines
• Provide coaching and mentorship to project managers and scrum masters
• Deliver regular portfolio reporting (status, risks, financials, milestones, escalations)
• Collaborate with stakeholders across business and technology teams
• Participate in Monthly Operating Reviews (MORs) and Weekly Operating Reviews (WORs)
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives within PMO practices
  
  

Qualifications

Required:

• 10+ years of project/program management experience with large, complex initiatives
• Experience managing projects with budgets of $5M–$10M+
• 5+ years of experience leading project managers or managing teams that lead projects
• Proven experience leading large-scale software implementation programs
• Strong experience managing multiple workstreams (requirements, design, build, test, deployment)
• Experience with vendor management, including RFPs, SOWs, and performance tracking
• Strong knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, and resource allocation
• Experience with accrual-based accounting practices
• Experience with Agile and Waterfall delivery methodologies
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence across a matrix organization
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the utility or regulated industry
• Familiarity with Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) tools (e.g., ServiceNow SPM)
• Experience with Lean methodologies or continuous improvement practices
• PMP certification (nice to have)
  
  

Core Competencies

• Leadership and team development
• Stakeholder management and relationship building
• Strategic thinking and execution
• Risk and issue management
• Financial and operational acumen
• Ability to influence without direct authority
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills
  
  

Work Environment & Schedule

• Hybrid work model: Onsite Tuesday–Thursday; remote Monday & Friday
• Standard business hours (typically 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
• Overtime may be required based on project needs
• Minimal travel required (primarily early in the assignment; reimbursable)
• Collaborative, team-oriented work environment
  
  

Team & Structure

• Directly supports a team of approximately 7 Project Managers
• Works closely with portfolio leaders across customer, data, and operations domains
• Acts as a key partner to leadership within the capital delivery organization
  
  

Interview Process

• One round of virtual panel interviews (via Microsoft Teams)
• Typically 30 minutes with 2 interviewers
• Feedback provided within one week
  
  

Additional Information

• Candidates must be local to Denver, CO or Minneapolis, MN (relocation not supported)
• Strong preference for candidates with consistent career progression (limited job hopping)
• Opportunity offers exposure to high-visibility, enterprise-level initiatives
  
  

Why Join?

• Work on large-scale, high-impact capital technology programs
• Gain exposure to senior leadership and enterprise initiatives
• Collaborative and supportive team culture
• Opportunity to influence delivery standards and PMO best practices
  
  

Pay Rate Range

64 - 86 USD hourly