Principal Quality Improvement Consultant - GES

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy knows job number one is to keep the lights on for customers. We are committed to delivering reliable, clean, and affordable energy to our customers 24/7.

LOCATION

This is an onsite position and is open to being assigned to any of the Consumers Energy Gas Service Centers located throughout Michigan’s lower peninsula. The selected candidate must be located within a commutable distance OR willing to relocate (relocation package available to those who qualify).

GENERAL SUMMARY OF JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The Principal Quality Improvement Consultant is to design and implement a continuous improvement culture using the Lean Operating System across the organization resulting in improved Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery and Morale to achieve strategic outcomes. Utilize skills in project management, lean facilitator, coaching, organizational and process analysis, to build and leverage cross-functional relationships spanning all levels of the organization to bring together ideas, data, and insights that drives a high level of continuous improvement across the enterprise. Perform detailed corrective action program investigations and analyses using established formal causal evaluation methods and tools. Collaborates with multiple departments to identify extent of condition and develop effective corrective and preventative action plans for identified issues. Plan and manage problem solving events, identify and engage stakeholders, monitor progress of action completion within scope, budget, and on time.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Facilitate, lead, and monitor regulatory related cross functional operational corrective action plans from Lean problem solving. Provide subject matter expertise for regulatory utility operational areas (installation to maintenance for the Natural Gas utility facilities)
• Develop SIPOCs/Process maps/Value stream maps and Key Performance Index trees. Executing waste walks, Problem solving activities; includes 4 diamond work sheets, Fishbones, Failure Modes Effects analysis, standards analysis, Root Cause Analysis, Apparent Cause analysis and Causal Factors analysis or statistical analysis
• Develop pilots and establish change management, data collection, communication, and action plans.
• Ensure effectiveness of Lean problem-solving outcomes through identified metrics and observation-based validation
• Recommends improvements in business process, practice and procedures. Identifies and communicates opportunities for systemic improvement
• Verifies corrective actions are sufficient, implemented and working
• Validates effectiveness to prevent recurrence
• Executes layered process assessments to assure change sustainability over time and leader standard work requirements
• Design and execute organizational daily, weekly and monthly operating reviews and visual management to establish the best practices needed to create the Plan Do Check Act habit that maintain improvement controls
• Create or update standard operating procedures and training to support the change across the organization
• SME and process owner until the organizations process owner accepts responsibility
• Designs and develops the initial automation tools and Power BI visuals used in problem solving and long-term operating reviews
• Develop and execute change management; includes complex change management analysis to define those impacted and what they need to know to support change and be successful
• Evaluate those who influence the change to assure they get what’s needed to be able to support the change; includes interviews, voice of the customer meetings, benchmarking, and potentially working with company change leaders
• Develop and execute complex continuous improvement projects
• Develop the project definition and charter which can include complex financial analysis and defining impacts as seen by the primary and secondary metric definition with baseline data (performance/compliance, Quality first time yield and Unit Cost related as an example)
• Coach, mentor, and drive Lean Operating System (CE Way) Maturity. These are activities aimed at supporting individual leaders, teams, and entire organizations (Companywide)
• Establish targeted improvements, team requirements and gain approvals with leadership to move forward 
• Align strategic objectives to Business Plan Deployment, also known as Hoshin planning
• Other duties as assigned or may be necessary

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Ability to lead team through process improvement ideation to realization of business results  
• Ability to effectively communicate and get buy in for the Lean Operating System
• Ability to function in a coaching and mentoring capacity  
• Multi-discipline gas operations experience to provide subject matter expertise
• Regulatory Utility Knowledge Need to be able to interpret and apply regulatory code requirements to Consumers Energy processes
• Ability to analyze, organize and prioritize work while meeting multiple deadlines

EDUCATION, CERTIFCATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific or business discipline with seven (7) or more years of experience in a Quality Improvement role with hands on experience with Lean deployment AND multi-discipline Natural Gas Engineering and/or Operations experience to provide subject matter expertise with Gas Code knowledge
  • • (OR) Associate’s degree in a scientific or business discipline with nine (9) or more years of experience in a Quality Improvement role with hands on experience with Lean deployment AND multi-discipline Natural Gas Engineering and/or Operations experience to provide subject matter expertise with Gas Code knowledge
    • (OR) High School Diploma/GED with eleven (11) or more years of experience in a Quality Improvement role with hands on experience with Lean deployment AND multi-discipline Natural Gas Engineering and/or Operations experience to provide subject matter expertise with Gas Code knowledge

• Lean and/or Six Sigma Certification (Required)

Why should you join our team?

At Consumers Energy, we offer more than just a place to work. We foster a culture that supports career development, growth, and stability, and we take pride in offering our co-workers excellent benefits and compensation packages. We are deliberately creating an inclusive culture that makes our diverse team of co-workers feel valued, supported, and empowered every day. We're a company made up of thousands of people, all with different stories to share and work to do, but we stand united in our company purpose: world class performance delivering hometown service.

What we offer:

• Competitive compensation packages
• Medical, Dental and Vision
• 401k with company match
• Paid parental leave
• Up to 13 paid Holidays
• Paid time off
• Educational Assistance Program

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: 

We, at CMS Energy, value Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. It is part of our DNA. We treat our employees with respect, we treat each other fairly and we value the opinions of others. We are passionate about building and nurturing an environment where everyone feels included. We don’t discriminate. We seek to learn about each other and better understand our unique differences. Our uniqueness makes us authentic. We create safe spaces where everyone can be who they truly are. We invite difficult conversations and uncomfortable topics. We value diverse perspectives; this is what makes us great together. We harbor an inclusive environment where employees feel empowered to share their backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. Our Employee Resource Groups, Women in Energy (WE), Minority Advisory Panel (MAP), Pride Alliance of Consumers Energy (PACE), GENERGY, capABLE, Interfaith and Veterans Advisory Panel (VAP) are key enablers to living the values of our company culture: Caring, Empowered, Deliberate, Agility, and Ownership.

All qualified applicants will not be discriminated against and will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected veteran status, disability, race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.