Sr. Advisor, Operational Excellence

DescriptionHighlights of the jobThe Senior Advisor, Operational Excellence plays a key role in advancing EPCOR’s commitment to continuous improvement, operational reliability, and exceptional customer service. In this role, you’ll help shape how EPCOR operates by integrating strategy, process, technology, and data to drive meaningful, measurable results. You’ll collaborate closely with teams across EPCOR—including IT, Operations, Finance, Engineering, and Project Management—to design solutions that strengthen performance and support our long‑term business goals. This position is ideal for someone who thrives in a collaborative environment, enjoys solving complex challenges, and is passionate about helping teams work smarter and more efficiently. Your work will directly support EPCOR’s mission to deliver safe, reliable, and innovative services to the communities we serve. If you’re looking to make a visible impact within a purpose‑driven organization, this is an exciting opportunity to step into a highly influential role.What you’d be responsible for:The Senior Advisor, Operational Excellence is accountable for providing specialized expertise to integrate EPCOR strategy, process, technology, and information in a way that improves the business unit performance. By analyzing historical data, applying critical thinking skills, and innovative problem solving, the Senior Advisor, Operational Excellence will enhance the team’s ability to compete for new business, successfully execute projects and programs, reduce costs, improve profits, and deliver high customer satisfaction. Specific areas of expertise include IT strategy, IS integration, data analysis, process improvement, business process re-engineering, managing team dynamics, project management, and change management. This includes facilitating process redesign teams, ensuring the integration and documentation of processes, developing and completing project management documentation and developing communication and change strategy plans. This position will also be accountable for developing functional requirements for business information systems and reporting tools. This position will collaborate on a regular basis with peers in IT, Operations, Project Management, Finance, Business Development, Estimating, and Engineering/Design. Using strong leadership and interpersonal skills, the incumbent challenges the status quo and uses critical thinking skills to ensure that projects comply with best practices and established methodologies. Process owner requirements will be met through high employee adoption and customer satisfaction. Operational excellence will be sustained through consistent reinforcement of key messages, establishment of key performance indicators, and reporting of results to senior management.Provide input to the EPCOR Energy Services/ EPCOR USA business strategy, plans and directions. Ensure an appropriate understanding of the EUI and Operational Excellence strategy and ensure on-going effective positioning and appropriate relationships between other positions in EDTI, Electricity Operations Shared Services and in the rest of EUI.Responsible for the development of a stratum appropriate (3-12 month) operational excellence strategy for Energy Services that is integrated within the Operational Excellence Business Plan.Understand the business processes, business systems, financial management principles and data within Energy Services to develop innovative solutions that result in strong business performance and high customer satisfaction.Data Analysis and Reporting: prototype small applications, reports, etc. to meet the business requirements. Work closely with business analysts and the IT team to communicate functional system requirements and business goals. Ensures the business is well supported by IT in terms of resourcing and responsiveness. Provide backup support for the Coordinator, Business Systems.Identify the necessary budget requirements for the provision of process projects and/or process and enterprise maturity initiatives.Ensure the delivery of optimal results against appropriate performance metrics by ensuring best practice and innovative problem solving.Ensure optimal deliverables through effective cross-functional accountability and authority practices (when relevant) within Senior Manager’s context and prescribed limits.Training and Policy Development: Develop, implement and review EPCOR EDTI processes to ensure compliance to policies, standards, customer requirements and to ensure mitigation of risks.Consultation: Provide specialized consultative, training and mentorship expertise to Operations Managers in the areas of Change Management, process improvement, re-engineering, process mapping, business analysis and implementation planning. Ensure that processes meet business needs, mitigate risks, create efficiencies and comply with EPCOR policies, standards and customer requirements.Project Management: Provide clear documentation to ensure the appropriate cross functional team is involved, project scope is defined, clear definition of roles of project improvement team, budget control, and record management in compliance with establish standards.Facilitation of Process improvement Projects: Lead and facilitate process redesign and improvement projects. Design new processes, policies, procedures, work practices, tools and system requirements necessary to achieve performance improvement that require IT integration. Identify strategic issues that may require resolution but extend beyond the scope of the redesign effort and any downstream effects that need to be solved before changes are implemented.Provide research, analysis, performance measurement, or solution design to support redesign initiatives. Ensure that the project complies with established methodologies, that they meet process owner requirements, that there is high employee adoption, that improvements achieve the desired results and that they are sustainable. Ensure the appropriate metrics are in place to measure progress and that metrics clearly link performance to strategic goals and enterprise KPI’s. Participate or lead implementation of process improvement projects as required.Change Management: Assist Process Owners with developing and executing change management plans. When assigned to deliver a change management or employee adoption project, assess change needs and stakeholder impact, determine success measures, define or create the new expected employee behaviours, and design the approach and plan. Develop and implement change activities, such as communication or training, and continually evaluate and adjust implementation based on progress assessment. Ensure that the project complies with change management methodologies.Process Documentation: Ensure that processes are documented consistently in accordance with EPCOR standards. Ensure that processes are integrated, work cross functionally, and consider all downstream effects including financial. Oversee the management of information on SharePoint for access by all process stakeholders.Research: Contribute to the enhancement of IT solutions, process, project or change management methodologies through reviews of project performance and individual research and thought leadership.Demonstrate a high performance, high discipline, safe, accountable, focused, innovative and achievement-oriented, easy to do business with manner of working.What’s required to be successful:Post-secondary training in Business, Engineering, Information systems or a related area required.Certification or education in Business process redesign required (e.g. Hammer, Six Sigma).Certification or coursework in project management desired.An understanding of business operations, construction management, project management, competitive business models, accounting, and innovative approaches for meeting customer requirements.Deep understanding of business process re-engineering, process improvement, redesign methodologies requiredA deep understanding of change management principles and practices requiredUnderstanding of Metrics design and analytics requiredIS Systems – Expert user of existing EDTI IS systems, data bases and reporting toolsData analysis – Advanced skills in Excel with strong background in statistics and performance metrics required Process design – Demonstrated ability to apply methodologies on redesign projects requiredProcess mapping - Ability to build and integrate clear understandable process maps requiredOrganization – Ability to manage large multi-stakeholder projects requiredFacilitation – ability to manage meetings and facilitate consensus required \Project management – Ability to plan, track and deliver large multi-stakeholder projects. Ability to develop and execute implementation plans required - Change management - Ability to create messages, conduct stakeholder analysis, design a game plan, execute and measure changes in behaviors desired.Training – ability to create and deliver training and information sessions desired Decision makingLanguage and communicationOther important facts about this jobAs an EPCOR employee, you will enjoy a variety of benefits such as a competitive salary, an incentive award program, an excellent benefit package including medical, dental, vision and other insurance coverage, retirement plan with substantial company contribution, generous time-off schedules, training opportunities, tuition reimbursement, and certification support. We’ve been voted as a Best Places to Work employer and we value the safety of each of our team members through our robust safety training and celebration of safety milestones.Headquartered in Glendale, EPCOR USA owns, operates and builds water, wastewater and natural gas infrastructure and is among the largest private water utilities in the Southwest. EPCOR USA is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of EPCOR Utilities Inc. We invest in and look after our communities and the environment. We’re proud of the work we do and the people we hire to do it.EPCOR USA is an equal opportunity employer. We're committed to fostering a respectful, supportive, and inclusive workplace that recognizes and values the unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds of all individuals. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.Please note the following information:A requirement of working for EPCOR is that you are at least 18 years of age and legally entitled to work in the United States. (A copy of a valid work permit may be required.)If you are considered for the position, clearance on all applicable background checks (which may include criminal, identity, educational, and/or credit) and professional reference checks is required. Some EPCOR positions require an enhanced level of background assessment, which is dictated by law. These positions require advanced criminal record checks that must also be conducted from time to time after commencement of employment.A technical/practical assessment may be administered during the selection process and this exercise will be used as a part of the selection criterion.To meet the physical demands required of some positions, candidates must be in good physical condition and willing to work in all weather conditions. Clearance on pre-placement medical and drug and alcohol testing may be required.