Continuous Improvement Manager at Duke Energy in Charlotte, NC

Job description

Important Application Submission Information In order to ensure your application is successfully received before the job posting expires, please submit your application by 11:59 PM on Saturday, October 24, 2026 More than a career - a chance to make a difference in people's lives. Build an exciting, rewarding career with us – help us make a difference for millions of people every day. Consider joining the Duke Energy team, where you'll find a friendly work environment, opportunities for growth and development, recognition for your work, and competitive pay and benefits. This position is open to various jurisdictions throughout Duke Energy’s service territory. Employees are expected to live within a reasonable commuting distance of their designated Duke Energy facility. The specific location will be determined at the time of offer based on business needs. Job Summary This position is responsible for applying continuous improvement methodologies, tools, and techniques to identify improvement opportunities, address complex business challenges, and lead operational excellence, business integration, and transformational improvement initiatives across Lighting Programs. Methodologies may include Lean, Six Sigma, Design Thinking, Business Process Management (BPM), and other structured improvement approaches. The incumbent is accountable for leading improvement efforts from opportunity identification through implementation, sustainment, and realization of business value. This position engages with all levels of the organization to identify, prioritize, and execute initiatives aligned with business objectives and leadership priorities. The incumbent will partner with leaders and stakeholders to evaluate opportunities, define scope, facilitate workshops and improvement events, assess current-state processes, and develop practical, sustainable future-state solutions. The position is responsible for translating improvement outcomes into actionable plans, business requirements, governance structures, and measurable deliverables that support operational performance and customer value. The incumbent is expected to engage directly with business operations, systems, and processes to understand organizational needs, identify opportunities for standardization and optimization, and support successful implementation of improvement initiatives. The incumbent will collaborate with cross-functional teams, business leaders, project resources, analytical resources, and change management practitioners to achieve desired outcomes and support organizational objectives. Responsibilities include overseeing initiative execution, monitoring progress, measuring results, documenting activities, maintaining action plans, tracking key performance indicators, and communicating progress, risks, opportunities, and outcomes to leadership and stakeholders. In addition to leading improvement initiatives, the incumbent will coach and develop others in continuous improvement methodologies and problem-solving techniques. This includes facilitating knowledge transfer, mentoring project teams, supporting change adoption, and promoting a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, accountability, and operational excellence. Strong leadership, facilitation, collaboration, analytical thinking, and problem-solving capabilities are essential. The incumbent must demonstrate the ability to influence diverse stakeholder groups, manage competing priorities, and build alignment around change. The successful candidate must demonstrate a questioning attitude, customer-focused mindset, and ability to communicate complex concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences. This professional-level position operates proactively; exercises sound judgment and requires minimal direction while leading multiple priorities in a dynamic business environment. The hiring manager is particularly interested in candidates who possess experience in the following specialized area: Speci