Director, Annual Planning, Lean & CI

CenterPoint Energy • Houston, TX

6d

About The Position

The Director, Annual Planning, Lean & Continuous Improvement leads CenterPoint Energy’s operational excellence strategy in a regulated electric and gas utility environment. This includes enterprise annual planning, Lean and Continuous Improvement, and disciplined execution of transformational initiatives. The role advances Lean practices across the company and partners with the CEO, CFO, and senior leaders to set priorities, translate strategy into actionable plans, and cascade goals through utility operations and corporate functions.

The Director ensures the Continuous Improvement team delivers high-quality support and measurable improvements in safety, reliability, system integrity, cost, and customer outcomes. The role also strengthens performance management and reporting through improved planning, analytics, governance, and benefits realization, while leading and developing the CI team and its managers.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 10 or more years of progressive experience in operational excellence/continuous improvement, operations, or strategy execution.
• Demonstrated ability to lead enterprise annual planning, including end-to-end process design, governance, and execution across multiple functions.
• Proven track record delivering measurable improvements using Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies.
• Strong business and operational acumen to identify obstacles and translate strategy into practical execution.
• Ability to work effectively with varied leadership styles and influence without authority across corporate and field organizations.
• High professionalism, sound judgment, and steadiness under pressure, with the ability to manage competing priorities and sensitive stakeholder dynamics.
• Experience leading a Continuous Improvement or operational excellence function, including setting the delivery model and managing portfolio capacity across competing enterprise priorities.
• Experience leading an enterprise transformation portfolio, including prioritization, resource trade-offs, and delivery management across multiple initiatives.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to simplify complex topics and build stakeholder understanding across diverse audiences.
• Experience within a regulated utility, energy, or capital-intensive industrial environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end enterprise annual planning operating system, including its process, governance, cadence, and executive reviews, to align priorities, resources, and commitments.
• Coach business unit leaders to develop clear, measurable plans with defined initiatives, resources, risks, and accountabilities, and ensure goals cascade across organizational levels.
• Set the Continuous Improvement operating model, standards, and training, and lead end-to-end process improvements across operations and corporate functions to improve safety, reliability, quality, and efficiency.
• Evaluate, recommend, and oversee improvements to financial and analysis processes to deliver more accurate and timely management reporting to senior leaders.
• Govern cross-functional initiatives by defining outcomes and benefit owners, tracking benefits through realization and sustainment, and driving an enterprise operating cadence with scorecards, operating reviews, variance-to-plan, and action tracking.
• Communicate progress through established executive forums and standard reporting.
• Partner across operations and shared services, including Safety, Customer, HR, Supply Chain, IT/Digital, Finance, Regulatory, and Legal, to remove barriers and deliver enterprise priorities.
• Build alignment, communications, and training to drive adoption and sustain new ways of working; partner with HR and Communications as needed.
• Embed safety, controls, and compliance requirements into planning and improvement work to support audit readiness and regulated commitments.
• Lead and develop the Continuous Improvement team by setting priorities, coaching capability, and managing capacity to meet enterprise needs.
• Lead managers with direct reports by setting expectations, establishing team rhythms, ensuring consistent coaching and accountability, and managing succession planning.

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Paid training
• Benefits eligibility begins on the first day
• Transit subsidies
• Flexible work schedule
• Paid holidays
• Paid time off
• Access to fitness club discounts
• Access to an on-site wellness center at the Houston headquarters
• Professional growth and development programs
• Tuition reimbursement
• 401(k) Savings Plan with a company match dollar-for-dollar up to 6% and a company contribution of 3% regardless of employee contribution

What This Job Offers

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