Director of Innovation & Strategy

American Municipal Power, Inc•Columbus, OH

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Innovation & Strategy will work closely with AMP’s CTO to develop cross-functional teams to find opportunities to improve processes, implement new ideas that enhance current business practices / programs or create new ones. The Director of Innovation & Strategy is AMP’s research and design leader, responsible for identifying and scaling creative ideas that work throughout the organization and Membership. In addition, the Director of Innovation & Strategy is responsible for executing the vision, direction, and strategic plan (set by the CTO, CSO, and Leadership Team) for innovation and strategy activities throughout the organization and Membership. The Director of Innovation & Strategy leads the planning, application process, and delivery of appropriate federal programs, and state, federal, and local grants. In addition the Director of Innovation & Strategy will provide oversight of AMP’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Program.

Requirements

A four-year degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related engineering, or 5+ years of relevant experience.
Good understanding of various areas of technology that form the base layer for transformational initiatives. This includes, but is not limited to: Network architectures and components, Application and Infrastructure architecture and components, Scripting and automation knowledge (PowerShell, Python, etc.).
Proven ability to lead multi-discipline teams.
Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written) and presentation skills.
A strong focus on customer service.
Ability to take rough ideas and concepts and build an implementation strategy and plan.
Knowledge of electric power generation, transmission, and distribution operations.
Understanding of smart grid components and architecture.
General business and financial calculation knowledge.
Basic understanding of how to create and present budgets for new projects and initiatives.
Effective Project Management skills.
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
Ability to communicate with various Members to understand their needs and translate them into a scope of work that meets their desired outcomes.
Ability to perform under pressure and tight deadlines and to be effective in on-site work environments.
Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently, including identification of critical path items to ensure deliverable deadlines are met.

Responsibilities

Oversee AMP’s AMI Program, ensuring Member satisfaction and deployment success.
Present to Members regarding AMP’s AMI Program and AI Inspection system, answering any technical and logistical questions or concerns they may have.
Guide AMP’s program development process as new programs are proposed throughout the organization.
Take the lead on proof-of-concept development for internal process improvement.
Build out innovation capabilities and develop plans to incorporate into the corporate culture to impact the broader organization.
Lead the planning and application creation for federal, state, and local grants.
Assist Members with grant applications as opportunities become available.
Manage and execute innovation objectives and roadmap.
Manage the process and monitor the progress of the various ongoing initiatives.
Manage external partnerships with companies that may accelerate innovation and market access.
Establish and define an innovation community across the organization to increase communication engagement and collaboration.
Ensure timely execution of business process improvement concepts.
Work with internal teams on proper implementation and handoff of innovation initiatives.
Track and report on innovation progress and business impact on a regular basis.
Establish and execute a communication plan that includes stakeholders and innovation team to collaborate closely on a regular basis.
Facilitate program-level processes and execution, identify, and manage dependencies and risks, and escalate impediments.
Set standards to track and communicate metrics to team, management, and any impacted stakeholders.
Develop, track, and report on KPIs for various teams and programs.
Performs other duties as assigned.