Continuous Improvement Specialist

Summit Utilities Inc•Portland, ME

About The Position

The Continuous Improvement Specialist enables successful adoption and sustainment of process improvements and operational changes by integrating process improvement discipline into Continuous Improvement (CI), Kaizen, and project‑driven initiatives. This role ensures that process changes are evaluated, governed, implemented, and embedded into standard work with minimal disruption and maximum value realization. This role serves as a bridge between CI execution, project delivery, and organizational adoption, ensuring improvements do not stop at implementation but become durable, repeatable ways of working.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, operations, or related field.
2 years of experience in Continuous Improvement, process improvement, operational excellence, and change management.
Strong understanding of process mapping, standard work, and improvement methodologies
Ability to work effectively across functional boundaries.
Experience supporting CI, Lean, or Kaizen initiatives.
Process‑first and systems thinking.
Risk awareness and execution discipline.
Facilitation and influence without authority
Ability to translate improvement into sustained behavior.
Comfort working in complex, cross‑functional environments.

Nice To Haves

Certifications in Lean and Org Change Management
Familiarity with MOC, operational governance, or regulated environments
Experience partnering with PMO, IT, or transformation teams.
Background in utilities, or operations‑heavy environments

Responsibilities

Embed Management of Change (MOC) practices into CI, Kaizen, and process redesign efforts.
Partner with CI leads and process owners to ensure improvements include adoption, readiness, and sustainment planning.
Support multiple types of process change, including incremental CI improvements, project‑driven changes, and regulatory or technology‑enabled changes.
Conduct structured assessments of impacts to: Process steps and workflows, Roles and responsibilities, Systems, data, and controls, Training and documentation needs.
Identify adoption risks such as workarounds, ownership gaps, and cross‑functional misalignment.
Support process change intake, prioritization, and approval workflows.
Ensure changes align with defined governance, risk thresholds, and decision rights.
Help clarify ownership and accountability for process changes across functions.
Ensure updated processes are translated into: Standard operating procedures, Job aids and visual work instructions, Training and transition materials.
Partner with training and functional leaders to support readiness for new ways of working.
Define adoption and sustainment indicators for process changes.
Monitor early execution, identify breakdowns, and recommend corrective actions.
Support reinforcement through feedback loops and PDCA cycles.
Facilitate cross‑functional working sessions focused on: Change impact assessment, Organizational alignment, Ownership and handoff planning.
Act as a neutral facilitator focused on process clarity, execution discipline, and risk reduction.