Join a diverse and dynamic team that makes and delivers the most valuable services in the world: electricity and natural gas. At Consumers Energy, our customers are at the heart of everything we do. Our employees work around the clock to provide service to our customers in honor of our history and to fulfill our promise to Michigan - Count on Us! Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy and headquartered in Jackson, Michigan, provides natural gas and electricity to nearly 6.8 million of Michigan's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
Department Summary
The Operations Performance Consultant position is responsible for working with the Operations Performance Zone Manager to provide leadership, direction, and management of continuous improvement efforts. Continuous Improvement is an element of the Consumers Energy (CE) Way that focuses on our culture of improving processes. The purpose of this role is to drive continuous improvement initiatives using lean principles and The CE Way across Operations and Engineering resulting in improved Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Morale to achieve key breakthrough business results. The scope of work will include coaching and mentoring leadership to strengthen monitoring and controlling, problem solving and waste elimination skill sets. The Operations Performance Consultant will effectively use Lean thinking, Business Plan Deployment, and the PDCA methodology to drive a lean culture and operating system. The individual must possess an in depth understanding of quality and lean principles. They must be able to work across all Operations (service, distribution, scheduling, contact center, engineering, work, tools, and methods) as well as other organizations outside of Operations (supply chain, fleet, HR, Lean Office, etc).
Job Description
- Work with Leaders to provide leadership, direction, and management of continuous improvement efforts using lean principles across business operations. This includes coaching, mentoring, training, presenting and collaborating with Leaders on the use of Visual Management, Operating Review, Problem Solving, Standards and Waste Elimination.
- Support Operations leaders in application of Visual Management and business plan deployment to ensure organizational strategies are aligned with CE corporate strategy using scorecards, A3's, countermeasures, daily, weekly, and monthly operating reviews focusing on problem solving and performance gap to target.
- Partner with Operations leaders to practice structured problem solving processes including problem definition, barriers analysis, and pareto graph design while partnering with the business to fix processes and operational issues and help to generate solutions to gaps in performance.
- Apply PDCA cycle to identify Operations process gaps and opportunities for continuous improvement.
- Utilize a gap assessment to understand Operations maturity level in implementing and sustaining the CE Way habits and methods.
- Assist in applying process improvement tools such as SIPOC, KPI, and process mapping as a way to ensure the Operations improvement efforts are focused and prioritized.
- Develop and lead a plan to foster a continuous improvement culture through utilizing CE Way elements, behaviors, and habits. This may include applying communications, change management tools, and recognition programs.
- Assist the Operations with achieving sustainable operational excellence by using and incorporating a tracking and monitoring mechanism that includes control plans, go-sees, and LPA's for process confirmation.
- Assist in the deployment of Lean tools to drive continuous improvement (i.e. Leader Standardized Work, Layered Process Assessment, Value Stream Map, and Visual Management, problem solving, standards).
- Train, coach, mentor and implement the CE Way, facilitate process improvement initiatives, go and see, process confirmations and assessments and track and monitor performance.
Requirements/Qualifications
- A Bachelor's degree in the applicable field of study. Less than a Bachelor's degree may be acceptable if accompanied by extensive Company or industry experience in positions that demonstrate required abilities and performance.
The following skills / experience may set you apart:
- Lean Certification or similar experience working in a lean environment
- Strong lean background with hands on experience applying lean tools (lean thinking, A3's, PDCA, value stream mapping, waste reduction, standardized work, lead time reduction, process standardization, statistical process improvement).
- Problem solving techniques (RCA, five why, cause and effect diagram, fishbone, pareto, Process Mapping, Value Stream Mapping).
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate across functional areas and influence action.
Essential Functions:
Business Support Advisors and Consultants support the planning, business analysis, general management, budget preparations and analysis, negotiations, transactions, customer services and auditing of a wide variety of business functions and processes of specific operating and support areas throughout the Company. Duties and who this individual reports to will fluctuate between projects, departments and offices. Lead and/or assist with business analysis and support for the plans, reports, impacts, contracts, schedules, estimates, data collection, observations, and field investigations. Provide business analysis and support services with accuracy, on time and under budget. Use computer assisted applications software and equipment to prepare business analysis support documents. Understand and follow Company established standard procedures for file structure and standard procedures for projects. Become familiar with business and department and Company plans and related material for each project and be able to utilize the information appropriately. Assists in client contact and communication. Utilize effective communication skills to answer inquiries from coworkers, clients, or the public. Public involvement may include producing reports, graphics, presentations, and other visual material as well as occasional speaking or meeting with stakeholders. Attend internal and external meetings. Provide business analysis and support services in a legal and ethical manner. Regular attendance is expected.
Hours and Travel:
This position requires the individual work 40 hours per week with 90% of time spent in the office or specific field locations. This position may require the ability to travel between field locations. This position may include nights and weekend/holiday timeframes.
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; stand; walk; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee frequently is required to talk or hear. The employee will be using a computer and the associated keyboard and mouse. The employee must frequently lift and move up to ten pounds and occasionally lift and move up to fifty pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The noise level on the construction site is often loud.
Position will be filled at the appropriate salary grade based upon the skills, knowledge, and experience of the selected candidate.
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, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.
