Senior Manager, LACE

Circle K•Charlotte, NC

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Manager, LACE (Lean-Agile Center of Excellence) is responsible for leading Lean-Agile transformation initiatives within a global, complex, matrixed organization. This role involves coaching executives and senior leaders on Lean-Agile principles, facilitating strategic clarity and cohesive prioritization through workshops and reviews, and providing data-driven insights. Key aspects include leading organizational change management for Agile adoption, designing enterprise change roadmaps, and developing success metrics for cultural adoption. The position also focuses on operational excellence by diagnosing friction points, facilitating continuous improvement, and partnering with various departments to drive consistent execution. Furthermore, the Senior Manager will contribute to the evolution of enterprise Agile standards and governance, ensure alignment across different organizational levels, and support the rollout of metrics dashboards. A significant part of the role is dedicated to culture building and capability development, including leading Agile training, mentoring various Agile roles, and promoting a culture of psychological safety and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in related field preferred.
10 years of experience in agile transformation preferred, with a proven track record of leading Agile or Lean transformation initiatives within global, complex, matrixed organizations.
5+ years in managerial positions, including 3+ years of experience leading Lean-Agile Center of Excellence or equivalent transformation function.
Other combinations of experience and education that meet the minimum requirements may be substituted.
Strong consulting background gained in a management consulting environment or similar strategic function.
Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and manage organizational change.
Experience coaching teams and individuals at all levels.
Strong understanding of SAFe, Scrum, Kanban, Lean, and scaled agile frameworks, supported by certifications such as SAFe SPC, SA, and RTE.
Experience delivering presentations to senior-level executives, product groups and technical audiences.
Deep understanding of product management and software development cycle.
Exceptional communication, facilitation, and storytelling skills.
Advanced problem-solving and facilitation skills, with excellent communication and a persuasive, outcomes-oriented approach.
Exceptional relationship-building skills and ability to gain stakeholder buy-in, establishing trust, addressing concerns, and aligning diverse groups around shared transformation goals.
Strong situational awareness and emotional intelligence; able to accurately assess group dynamics, adapt communication style, and respond effectively to subtle cues and organizational context.
Strong collaboration skills and a proven team player, able to build trust and work effectively across functions, levels and geographies.
Proactive self-starter with a talent for creating clarity in ambiguity and building alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.

Nice To Haves

Additional certifications like LPM, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent are highly desirable but not required.

Responsibilities

Coach Executives, VPs, and senior leaders on Lean-Agile principles, operating rhythms, and leadership behaviors that enable transformation success.
Facilitate executive workshops, portfolio alignment sessions, and quarterly business reviews (QBRs) to ensure strategic clarity and cohesive prioritization.
Provide data-driven insights and thought leadership that shape decision-making at the highest levels.
Lead the change management strategy for Agile adoption, including communications, stakeholder alignment, readiness assessments, and organizational impact management.
Design and deliver enterprise change roadmaps that support mindset, process, and structural shifts.
Develop and socialize success metrics that measure cultural adoption and maturity.
Diagnose friction points across teams, value streams, and functions to identify systemic blockers.
Facilitate root-cause analysis, value-stream mapping, and improvement workshops to enable flow and throughput.
Partner with Product, Technology, and Business Operations to drive consistent execution patterns and cross-functional collaboration.
Contribute to the evolution of Agile practices, playbooks, guardrails, and governance frameworks across the enterprise.
Ensure alignment between Strategy, Portfolio Management, ARTs/Teams, and Executive Leadership.
Support the definition and rollout of metrics dashboards, maturity assessments, and health indicators.
Lead Agile training, communities of practice, and leadership enablement sessions that foster scalable internal capability.
Mentor Agile Coaches, RTEs, Product Managers, and other roles across the organization.
Promote a culture of psychological safety, experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement.