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Xcel Energy Interview Questions

A/B Testing

Algorithms

Analytics

Machine Learning

Probability

Product Metrics

Python

Statistics

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<p>You are a data scientist at YouTube focused on creators.</p>

<p>A PM comes to you worried that amateur video creators could do well before but now it seems like only “superstars” do well.</p>

<p>What data points and metrics would you look at to decide if this is true or not?</p>


Amateur Performance

<p>Let’s say that you work as a data scientist at a food delivery company.</p>

<p>You are tasked with building a model to predict food preparation times at a restaurant from the time when a customer sends in the order to when the meal is ready for the driver to pick up.</p>

<p>What are some reasons why measuring bias would be important in building this particular model?</p>


Food Delivery Times

<p>Suppose there exists a new airline named Jetco that flies domestically across North America. Jetco recently had a study commissioned that tested the boarding time of every airline, and it came out that Jetco had the fastest average boarding times of any airline.</p>

<p>What factors could have biased this result, and what would you look into?</p>


<p>What could potentially bias the average boarding time in favor of an airline that only flies domestically?</p>

What could potentially bias the average boarding time in favor of an airline that only flies domestically?

Boarding Times Bias

A new airline came out as the fastest average boarding times compared to other airlines.  What factors could have biased this result and what would you look into?

<div><h2>Pricing Analyst</h2><p>Analyze and develop pricing or rate design proposals to maintain an effective portfolio. Work with pricing consultants/analysts to develop effective pricing structures or proposals, models and processes for a restructured environment. Essential responsibilities include:</p><ul><li>Analyze and develop complex pricing proposals for strategic customers to ensure effective pricing in a restructured environment.</li><li>Prepares contracts, agreements and other documents for business transactions. Assist pricing consultants in the design of prices, databases and models to ensure effective price structures, increased options available to customers for buying energy from XERS, and compliance with business requirements.</li><li>Coordinate the development and improvement of pricing processes to ensure effective pricing and compliance with business requirements.</li><li>Forecast revenues and costs, as well as report historic revenues and costs for company budgets and other business needs.</li><li>Provide assistance to sales force in the preparation of pricing proposals.</li></ul><p>Minimum requirements include:</p><ul><li>Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Engineering, Mathematics, Business or other related field; or a combination of education and experience providing equivalent knowledge.</li><li>Two to five years' experience in pricing.</li><li>Prefer experience in restructured pricing.</li></ul><p>The estimated starting salary for the Pricing Analyst is: $71,900 - $102,100.</p><h2>Sr. Pricing Analyst</h2><p>Performs supporting analysis and develops proposals to maintain effective pricing for Xcel's utilities. Works with the Manager of Pricing and Planning and other staff to develop effective pricing proposals for a restructured environment. Essential responsibilities include:</p><ul><li>Prepare and also guide lower-level analysts in the preparation of the rate design proposals and requirements for general rate case filings, miscellaneous filings, and other regulatory filings as required. Proactively develop pricing proposals to meet the needs of the business units, increase options available to customers, and comply with regulatory requirements. Work through all aspects of development and approval to bring the proposal to implementation.</li><li>Conduct cost of service studies, including comprehensive class cost of service studies, to ensure accurate and timely cost information is available for general rate cases, restructuring filings, and other rate design needs.</li><li>Develop new rate design proposals or modifications of existing rate structures for implementation in jurisdictions that have enacted retail choice. Ensure an effective pricing strategy for the Xcel utilities operating in a restructured environment. Develop, propose, and gain regulatory approval of pricing strategies that support the accomplishment of Xcel's business objectives.</li><li>Coordinate projects within area of specialization to ensure timely and accurate completion of necessary analyses for rate cases, rate design, revenue forecasting or cost of service studies. Communicate and partner with the business units to ensure their informational needs are met.</li><li>Develop revenue forecasts and reports of historic revenues for official Company budgets and rate cases.</li><li>Develop and implement revenue recovery and refund mechanisms to ensure full cost recovery and comply with regulatory requirements.</li></ul><p>Minimum requirements include:</p><ul><li>Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Engineering, Mathematics, or other technical field and 4 to 7 years experience in Rate Design; or a combination of education and experience providing equivalent knowledge.</li><li>Advanced degree in one of the above areas is desirable.</li></ul><p>The estimated starting salary for the Sr. Pricing Analyst is: $82,800 -$117,600.</p></div>

<div><h2>Credit Risk Reporting Analyst</h2><p>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.</p><p>This position is posted as a hierarchy at the Credit Risk Reporting Analyst or Senior Credit Risk Reporting Analyst level. Successful candidate(s) will be hired at the level that is commensurate with their skills and experience.</p><h3>Position Summary</h3><p>Perform credit risk analysis, modeling, and reporting, including Mark to Market, and credit limits. Track collateral balances and publish reports for management. Monitor proprietary trading portfolio. Perform credit risk analysis, allocations, and revisions. Optimize collateral in coordination with Treasury, Counterparties, and Exchanges. Perform financial statement analysis to recommend credit lines based on financial condition and adherence to credit risk policy. Improve credit model functionality with use of programming and automated ratio calculations. Implement credit policy and report violations.</p><h3>Essential Responsibilities</h3><ul><li>Perform annual creditworthiness reviews using financial statements analysis and advanced credit modeling. Monitor for changes in credit risk including bankruptcy, credit ratings, litigation, and regulatory filings. Maintain appropriate credit lines and provide reports.</li><li>Perform daily reconciliations between credit agreement, MTM exposure, and required collateral provisioning. Post daily credit reports to support Front Office operations. Partner with Treasury to optimize collateral postings with counterparties, ISOs, and exchanges. Publish collateral reports.</li><li>Identify credit exceedances and determine the causes. Implement Credit Risk Policy and report findings to Compliance. Cure exceedances and minimize impact on trading.</li><li>Conduct counterparty credit risk analysis using industry standards and proprietary models. Optimize code to enhance credit model functionality. Initiate and develop process improvements related to credit risk functions.</li><li>Review credit agreement database for accuracy. Coordinate with IT and Valuation teams to ensure credit risk data is robust. Forecast collateral requirements based on movements in commodity markets and margin rates.</li><li>Foster external relationships and negotiate security requirements with counterparties. Record changes in security posted from counterparties and manage physical documents in accordance with policy. Participate in due diligence for RFP evaluation.</li></ul><h3>Credit Risk Reporting Analyst Minimum Requirements</h3><ul><li>Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, or similar discipline.</li><li>Two years professional credit and collateral risk experience preferred.</li><li>Proficiency with financial statement analysis, GAAP, and calculating liquidity, leverage, and performance ratios.</li><li>Prefer experience with energy agreements including: EEI, ISDA, NAEMA, NAESB, PPA, WSPP; security agreements including: Escrow Agreements, Letters of Credit, Parent Guaranties, Surety Bonds; and tax equity financing structures.</li><li>Experience with credit systems like S&P Capital IQ Pro, Moody's, Credit Risk Monitor, Energy Credit Manager, CXL, SAS Commodity Risk Analytics.</li><li>Proficient in Excel including macro development.</li><li>Quantitative skills including calculation of Mark to Market exposure, Weighted Credit Scoring, forecasting, and Stress Testing.</li><li>Comfortable writing code in VBA, Python, or other programming languages.</li><li>Strong communication and presentation skills.</li><li>Commercial credit acumen and understanding of credit risk among different energy sectors, the energy trading environment, Independent System Operators, FERC, and regulatory standards.</li><li>Experience at an energy utility, merchant energy company, natural gas firm, investment bank, and/or hedge fund preferred.</li></ul><p>Salary Range: $62,500.00 to $88,766.00</p><h3>Senior Credit Risk Reporting Analyst Minimum Requirements</h3><ul><li>Bachelor's degree in Economics, Finance, or related field.</li><li>5 years professional credit and collateral risk reporting experience required.</li><li>Expert in credit requirements of contracts (ISDA, EEI, NAEMA, NAESB, PPA, PSA, etc.).</li><li>Experience drafting credit support documents (Letters of Credit, Parent Guaranty, Surety Bond, CSAs, etc.).</li><li>Expert in performing financial statement analysis, credit stress test analysis, and credit score modeling.</li><li>Experienced in using S&P, Moody's, ECM, SAS, TriplePoint, and other credit related tools.</li><li>Ability to analyze and reconcile data across multiple sources to verify reports are high quality and completed accurately.</li><li>Experience at an energy utility, merchant energy company, electric/natural gas/renewable company, and/or hedge fund is strongly preferred.</li></ul><p>Salary Range: $82,800.00 to $117,600.00</p><p>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. If you're ready to be a part of something big, we invite you to join our team.</p><p>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.</p><p>Individuals with a disability who need an accommodation to apply please contact us at recruiting@xcelenergy.com.</p></div>

Question	Topic	Difficulty	Ask Chance
Amateur Performance	Product Metrics	Hard	Very High
Food Delivery Times	Machine Learning	Medium	Very High
Boarding Times Bias	Statistics	Medium	Medium

Xcel Energy Interview Questions

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Xcel Energy Interview Questions

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