Director Strategic Planning (Integrated System Planning)

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) is a leading energy provider and Fortune 500 company, dedicated to serving millions of electricity and natural gas customers across eight states: Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico and Texas. We make energy work better for our customers, 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.

 

This position provides strategic leadership for Integrated System Planning in support of Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS) across Texas and New Mexico.

Position Summary

Provide strategic leadership and direction for Integrated System Planning, with accountability related to planning policy, regulatory strategy, infrastructure investment, and customer-driven system growth. Establish and direct the execution of coordinated strategies that align long-term planning, regulatory, and commercial objectives to deliver reliable, affordable, executable and cost-effective outcomes.

Serve as a company representative in industry, regulatory, customer and policy forums. Shape external planning and policy frameworks, build stakeholder alignment, and advance approval, cost allocation, and cost recovery strategies for major infrastructure investments, in alignment with company priorities.

Anticipate and identify emerging risks and opportunities related to system planning, policy changes, and large load growth, and mobilize internal and external stakeholders to advance enterprise and operating-company objectives.

Essential Responsibilities

• Own the identification, prioritization, and strategic response to emerging policy, market, regulatory, and system-planning issues that materially affect long-term infrastructure investment, reliability, customer growth, or cost recovery.
• Serve as a company representative and strategic spokesperson with regulators, Commissioners, federal agencies, RTO leadership, customers, municipalities, market participants, peer utilities, and/or policy stakeholders, cultivating strong relationships.
• Influence external policy, market, and planning frameworks to advance company priorities and mitigate material regulatory, financial, reliability, and customer risks.
• Establish and govern integrated planning strategies across generation, transmission, distribution, customer-driven growth, and other long-range system needs. Translate complex planning and market insights into clear recommendations for executive leadership.
• Develop and execute strategies for planning policy, cost allocation, and cost recovery across applicable regulatory frameworks. Accountable for responses to regulatory proceedings, policy changes, and stakeholder initiatives impacting system planning and investment.
• Provide expert written and oral testimony in regulatory proceedings on issues that impact cost of service, generation resource needs, or transmission needs.
• Build and lead a high-performing multidisciplinary team, establishing priorities, performance expectations, resource strategies, workforce capabilities, succession plans, and accountability for results.
• Oversee development of contracts, agreements, and partnerships supporting planning and investment strategies.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, finance, engineering, or related discipline. Master's degree preferred.
• 12 years of utility experience.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience in state or federal regulatory affairs, system planning, engineering, markets, or public policy.

 

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 job applicants reasonable accommodations for disabilities throughout the application process. 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. 

Non-Bargaining

 

The anticipated starting base pay for this position is: $148,400.00 to $210,000.00 per year

 

This position is eligible for the following benefits: Annual Incentive Program, Long Term Incentive, 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: 10/13/26

 

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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.