Meteorology Project Manager (PM III)

Are you looking for an exciting job where you can put your skills and talents to work at a company you can feel proud to be a part of? Do you want a workplace that will challenge you and offer you opportunities to learn and grow? A position at Xcel Energy could be just what you’re looking for. Position Summary Standard Operations Position. Provide end-to-end project management, leadership, and coordination for multiple large, complex scientific technology projects or foundational wildfire meteorology and fire science project work streams with responsibility for project initiation, approval, scope, schedule, cost, resource planning, and risk management. Manage alignment of financial, compliance, operational, and wildfire risk goals between and among projects, the business unit, and the broader wildfire risk organization. Lead project teams to achieve critical financial, timing, operational, and change management metrics, including strategic sequencing, detailed milestone schedules, cost tracking, reconciliation, and project closure. Ensure effective sourcing, management, and engagement of internal and external resources needed to deliver scientific, modeling, infrastructure, and operational outcomes. Essential Responsibilities Financial Management: Function as project controller for multiple large, complex scientific, infrastructure, and modeling projects. Manage project financials including budgeting, forecasting, actuals tracking, and cost/benefit analysis. Facilitate RFP and contract management processes with vendors, consultants, contractors, and research partners. Review actuals versus planned budget throughout the project lifecycle to identify variances and recommend corrective action. Ensure timely project closure, payment, reconciliation, and alignment with financial, compliance, and project governance requirements. Project Planning: Identify quality project options, develop business cases, and secure required approvals. Lead requirements gathering and the planning process while engaging key stakeholders across meteorology, wildfire risk, operations, technology, field execution, finance, supply chain, and external partners. Define appropriate project scope for initiatives such as advanced modeling systems, research partnerships, data integration efforts, and weather station deployment and maintenance programs. Align work with corporate strategies and key wildfire risk initiatives, ensuring dependencies, permitting needs, compliance requirements, and data integration requirements are identified and addressed. Define deliverables, success metrics, key milestone schedules, work plans, budgets, and cost/benefit analysis. Project Management: Ensure successful delivery of committed project benefits and operational metrics in a dynamic and complex environment that includes field execution, scientific uncertainty, evolving technology requirements, and cross-functional dependencies. Independently manage detailed project plans to approved scope, schedule, and budget, and provide cross-functional tracking as needed across field, data, modeling, research, and operational efforts. Define and manage a regular status reporting process to monitor progress and resolve risks to goal. Identify plan gaps, develop closure plans, and continually identify opportunities for innovation and improvement across wildfire meteorology and fire science initiatives. Resource Management: Forecast, schedule, and manage resources, both internal and external, including vendors, contractors, consultants, construction or field support, data and technology teams, and academic partners. Manage assigned contracts and associated payments, deliverables, service levels, and performance requirements. Develop and adapt a comprehensive resource plan for a matrixed team of technical, scientific, operational, and business talent to maximize skills, meet project commitments, and minimize cost. Provide training, mentoring, and coaching to less experienced project team members. Scope & Risk Management: Manage the scope change process for large, complex, or transformational projects and support best practices for the business area in addition to assigned projects. Identify risks and issues throughout the project lifecycle, including field execution constraints, data quality, permitting, supply chain, technology delivery, budget, safety, compliance, and external partner dependencies. Create mitigation strategies, contingency plans, and escalation paths to support continuity of critical systems, clear decision‑making, and delivery of committed project outcomes. Relationship Management: Communicate project status to all levels of the organization, including senior leaders. Establish effective, collaborative working relationships across meteorology, wildfire risk, operations, technology, finance, supply chain, regulatory, field teams, and external research or vendor partners to maximize project efficiency, responsiveness, and resource allocation. Lead alignment among stakeholders to support scientific credibility, operational adoption, and delivery of wildfire risk reduction outcomes. Regulatory Support: Maintain project documentation and records necessary to support audits, regulatory inquiries, compliance reporting, and defensibility of wildfire risk mitigation investments. Minimum Requirements Minimum 10 years work experience in operations, technology, finance, or comparable function; utility experience preferred BS Engineering, Construction, Business, Information Technology or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience 10 years' experience in project management and process improvement; project management certification preferred Demonstrated ability to facilitate, train, lead and influence others, and adapt to change quickly Experience with providing work direction to diverse/distributed work Understanding of core business processes/industry trends with ability to interpret/apply ongoing changes Knowledge of project planning and business need justification process and methodology Vendor/contract management experience preferred Preferred Qualifications Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent project management experience. Experience leading complex, cross‑functional projects involving scientific, technical, operational, or technology‑focused initiatives. Experience managing complex operational projects, including weather station deployments and other field‑based initiatives, ensuring delivery on scope, schedule, budget, and business objectives. Experience using MS Project, JIRA, SharePoint, Confluence, MS Office or other equivalent project management tooling. Manage projects through the full software development life cycle (SDLC) using hybrid Waterfall/Agile methodologies, including requirements gathering, sprint planning, backlog prioritization and agile ceremony facilitation. Experience developing and managing project budgets (in excess of $5 million dollars), budget forecasting, and contracting, including creation of purchase requisitions/orders; financial tracking using SAP or comparable financial systems. Experience with vendor management, contract negotiation/administration, procurement processes, and RFP development. As a leading combination electricity and natural gas energy company, Xcel Energy offers a comprehensive portfolio of energy‑related products and services to 3.4 million electricity and 1.9 million natural gas customers across eight Western and Midwestern states. At Xcel Energy, we strive to be the preferred and trusted provider of the energy our customers need. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Individuals with a disability who need an accommodation to apply please contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io. 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 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. 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