Senior Director, Architecture
Xcel EnergyMinneapolis, MN
Full Time
Posted November 12, 2026
$200k - $250k
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Application opens on company website
Listing evidence and provenance
- Source
- Workday View original listing
- Freshness
- Open in the current public read path; this is not an employer guarantee.Last observed November 13, 2026
- Classification
- Modern power-system classification not yet published for this listing.Legacy source industry field: Utilities
- Pay provenance
- Employer-provided pay
Job Description
Connected, Committed, Trustworthy, Safe
Key Responsibilities
- Domain architecture and reference architectures: Own the end-to-end architecture capability for the infrastructure, network, application and data domains. Shift from application-centric to capability-based domain reference architectures that serve as durable, reusable blueprints across the technology portfolio. Maintain target-state architectures and multi-year technology roadmaps for each domain.
- Applied architecture and delivery partnership : Embed architects with portfolio and delivery teams so architecture leads technically ahead of project needs. Engage early in planning and intake to shape solution direction before work begins. Provide hands-on architectural leadership for major enterprise programs, such as SAP and Customer Core, and resolve cross-domain design issues quickly.
- Governance, standards and decision leadership: Establish and continuously improve a lightweight enterprise architecture governance model focused on value and speed. Chair architecture review councils and design forums and provide decision leadership for cross-domain architecture. Define, publish and retire enterprise technology standards, patterns and policies covering cloud, integration, infrastructure, network, data, security and AI.
- Technology strategy and emerging technology: Shape enterprise technology strategy with TSS leadership. Lead architecture for multi-cloud platforms and data architecture across clouds, the enterprise AI platform and control plane, including runtime, guardrails and agentic orchestration, automation, observability and IT/OT integration. Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend adoption paths that balance agility with operational resilience.
- Technology risk, resilience and compliance : Proactively identify and mitigate architecture-related technology risk, including technical debt and end-of-life platforms. Ensure solutions meet security, reliability, scalability and regulatory requirements, including NERC CIP and other utility obligations, and support critical systems' customer and regulatory commitments.
- Stakeholder and partner leadership : Act as a peer partner to TSS leadership and a trusted advisor to VP-level business leaders. Influence and navigate competing priorities to drive adoption of standards and reference architectures. Manage strategic relationships with technology vendors, system integrators and the contingent workforce.
- Talent development and organizational leadership : Lead, coach and develop a high-performing architecture organization, including the Distinguished Architect role and architecture leaders. Build domain expertise and leadership bench strength, establish an architecture career path, and lead talent strategy including insourcing and outsourcing decisions. Foster a culture of safety, technical excellence, inclusion and continuous learning.
- Financial and portfolio management : Establish and deliver capital and O&M budgets for Architecture. Use architecture to optimize total cost of ownership across the technology portfolio through platform consolidation and reuse. Develop and present architecture and investment business cases to the IRC/FC and executive leadership.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in business, information technology or related field or equivalent experience. Masters degree preferred.
- 15+ years of related IT systems experience - general IT operations with organizational design, strategy, and integration across multiple business functions.
- At least 5 years middle-management experience.
- At least 10 years of experience supporting multiple and/or complex projects.
- Sound understanding of core business processes, industry trends, technology developments and IT environments.
- Ability to understand changes in business process and technology and adapt technology to meet business needs.
- Ability to comfortably interact with VP-level business leadership.
- Ability to lead diverse cross-functional teams.
- Ability to negotiate and build consensus.
- Solid internal and external network of business/ technology professionals at the senior executive level preferred.
- Experience in a utility, energy or other regulated, critical-infrastructure industry, including familiarity with OT environments and NERC CIP.
- Experience leading an architecture organization through a shift from process-centered governance to embedded, applied architecture.
- Hands-on architecture experience with major cloud platforms (for example, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud or AWS) and with enterprise AI and data platforms.
- Experience with large ERP or customer-system transformations.
- Industry certifications such as TOGAF or cloud architecture certifications.
- A strong internal and external network of business and technology professionals at the senior executive level.
- Our culture is grounded in shared values and employee commitments that guide how we work, support one another, and grow together.
Ready to Apply?
Apply directly on Xcel Energy's site
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