Continuous Improvement Manager

Duke Energy Corporation • Charlotte, NC

22h • Hybrid

About The Position

This professional-level position supports the process framework effort and leads key process improvement and business integration efforts throughout Power Grid Operations (PGO), using Lean and DMAIC tools, techniques, and processes. The role owns the continuous improvement process from identifying opportunities through implementation and operational sustainability, and leads Lean events based on senior management priorities. The incumbent works with management and stakeholders to provide input on potential events, scope and facilitate events, translate outcomes into business-readiness requirements and action items, oversee execution, and track progress to ensure sustainability and maturity. The role requires immersion in the business to achieve successful future-state outcomes and partnership with stakeholders and leaders at multiple levels, analytics resources, and change-management leaders. It also documents activities, monitors action items, communicates progress to leadership, and coaches and trains colleagues and Lean event participants. This role works proactively with little direction from management.

The position is hybrid after the onboarding period, with work performed remotely and onsite. Hybrid employees must live within a reasonable commute—no greater than 50 miles one way—to their designated Duke Energy facility and are expected to work onsite an average of three full workdays per regular workweek, as directed by their manager. The work is primarily office-based, with occasional site or field visits. Locations listed are Charlotte, Raleigh, St. Pete, Cincinnati, and Plainfield. The schedule is five days per week, with 5–15% travel.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 7 years of related experience in continuous improvement, business, engineering, operations management, organizational leadership, project management, or another related field; alternatively, an associate degree and 11 years of related experience in continuous improvement, operational excellence, business process management, project management, business integration, organizational effectiveness, or a related discipline.
• Lean or Six Sigma Green Belt certification or higher.
• Strong leadership, understanding of Lean tools, facilitation skills, collaboration, a questioning attitude, and ability to navigate conflicting opinions within work groups.
• Ability to work proactively and with little direction from management.
• Ability to meet targeted deadlines while producing quality work and to independently identify actions needed to achieve goals.
• Ability to collaborate with stakeholders to identify analytics that support Lean efforts before and after events.
• Ability to foster open, collaborative communication and achieve team-supported, aligned results.
• Ability to navigate conflicting views among employees at various organizational levels and develop a path forward.
• Effective communication with multiple organizational levels; ability to summarize event outcomes concisely and meaningfully and engage Lean participants.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and process-modeling or business-analysis tools such as Microsoft Visio.
• Ability to work lawfully in the U.S. without employment-based immigration sponsorship, now or in the future.
• Ability to meet the hybrid work requirement: live within 50 miles one way of the designated Duke Energy facility and work onsite an average of three full workdays per regular workweek, as directed.
• Availability for 5–15% travel.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree.
• Operational knowledge of the PGO organization.
• Demonstrated ability to use and apply Six Sigma, Kaizen, or other continuous-improvement tools to achieve expected outcomes.
• Willingness to immerse oneself in the business to build business acumen and event-specific knowledge.
• Familiarity with change-management fundamentals such as ADKAR.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute Lean events and business integration efforts prioritized by the PGO Senior Management Team.
• Engage and collaborate with stakeholders and analytics resources to develop input and sustainability measures.
• Understand current-state processes and desired outcomes; plan and facilitate events.
• Develop steps to move stakeholder groups from current-state processes to future-state processes.
• Identify and plan for implementation barriers, and translate discussions into implementation strategies.
• Facilitate subject-matter-expert readiness efforts, track sustainability, conduct follow-up and just-do-it efforts, and implement check-and-adjust requirements.
• Generate and deliver process-framework work products, including report-outs and leadership follow-ups, as well as business-integration requirements such as readiness tactics and impact assessments.
• Coach and mentor peer teams and stakeholders on Lean concepts and their application to the business model.
• Document activities, monitor action items, and communicate event progress to leadership.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level