Continuous Improvement Analyst

City of Seattle•Seattle, WA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked very hard to keep Seattle's electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. We are seeking a Continuous Improvement Analyst to lead and support organizational improvement initiatives through structured problem-solving and data-driven decision-making. The position is instrumental to support the utility in achieving its strategic priorities over the next ten years, namely: decreasing utility costs and improving customer experience by reducing lead and cycle times for new electric service connections. The ideal candidate will facilitate and manage structured problem-solving activities such as rapid improvement events, 5S, and discreet improvement projects. The position will analyze complex systems and processes, develop insightful data products that meet customer need, and lead cross-functional improvement projects. This role requires proficiency in facilitation, structured problem-solving, collaboration, and business system workflow and process analysis. A strategic mindset guided by Lean and/or Lean Six Sigma methods are instrumental to this position’s success.

Requirements

Two years in systems, operational, procedures, research or analysis.
Bachelor's degree in business or public administration, finance, computer science or a related field (or a combination of education, training and/or experience that provides an equivalent background required to performs the work of the class).

Nice To Haves

Comfortable with ambiguity and frequent change
High level of emotional intelligence
Ability to receive and apply feedback and coaching non-defensively
Have a growth mindset
Minimum 1 year of experience in a dedicated continuous improvement work environment such as health care, construction, or manufacturing.
Minimum 2 years of experience managing cross-functional improvement projects in a large, complex organization.
Demonstrated expertise in data analysis, visualization, and reporting for diverse audiences.
Bachelor’s degree in a STEM or social science field such as industrial engineering, economics, organizational psychology, operations research, business administration, or public administration.
Lean Six Sigma White or Yellow Belt certification or equivalent experience.
Proficiency in data visualization and analytics tools (e.g., Tableau, Excel, SQL).
Experience with workflow automation solutions (i.e. Adobe Sign, Microsoft PowerAutomate).
Ability to quickly learn and work with various data and business applications.
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to navigate ambiguity and change.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to translate technical concepts into plain business language.
Ability to influence without authority and partner effectively with stakeholders across functions and levels.

Responsibilities

Design, facilitate, and manage rapid improvement events and structured problem-solving activities with diverse teams.
Model and coach individuals and teams in effective problem solving and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Partner with business to identify pain points in existing processes and workflows, conduct root cause analysis, and identify and test countermeasures.
Apply new and/or existing technologies to automate and error-proof workflows and processes.
Partner with business and data and technology teams to collect, clean, analyze, and interpret data and develop key performance indicators, dashboards, reports, tables, and other visual tools to enable the business and our stakeholders to develop a deeper understanding of operational performance and to inform decisions.
Assist with integrating new applications into existing processes to support automation and/or streamlining and identify opportunities to leverage existing functionality of different business applications to optimize business and operational processes.
Partner with stakeholders within the utility and across city departments to drive well-coordinated and well-managed process improvements.
Manage multiple improvement projects ensuring continued alignment with strategic priorities.
At times, serve in both the Project Management and Analyst roles on the same project.
Work closely with employees at all levels, translating technical solutions into accessible business language and fostering adoption of continuous improvement thinking and tools.
Seattle City Light is committed to reliable service during emergencies. Through our Emergency Response Program, each employee is assigned a role—usually aligned with their regular duties—to support emergency operations. Your participation is required and vital to helping the utility stay prepared and serve our community when it matters most.