Program Manager, Operational Excellence

NOTE:  This position is available for remote work within the contiguous United States, with travel as required for business needs.

POSITION SUMMARY:  As Program Manager, Operational Excellence, you will be tasked with implementing operational improvements that lead to sustainable, standardized practices throughout the enterprise. This position leads and facilitates improvement initiatives, developing and providing training and coaching on methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, and related tools to support NuScale Power’s commitment to ongoing process and operational enhancement. As a self-motivated/partially self-directed leader, you will play a visible, pivotal role in supporting the enterprise, promoting a culture of innovation, adaptability, and continual improvement, while participating in defining success metrics and developing comprehensive, multi-level balanced scorecard reporting across the organization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee the execution of Operational Excellence strategies, including Lean and other frameworks, to advance process optimization and operational efficiency within multiple departments.
• Facilitate the application of Operational Excellence tools (e.g., value stream mapping, A3 problem solving, FMEA), identifying areas for improvement and inefficiencies, and provide instruction, mentorship, and coaching in their use.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Enterprise Process Administration, to implement continuous improvement projects, streamline processes, eliminate redundancies, and maintain alignment with organizational objectives.
• Lead kaizen events and guide teams in adopting Operational Excellence principles, serving as a catalyst for a company-wide culture of adaptation and ongoing process refinement.
• Act as a subject matter expert for Operational Excellence, ensuring best practices are regularly benchmarked and integrated into NuScale’s operational framework. Work closely with leadership to assess change impacts, recognize resistance, and devise actionable mitigation plans.
• Lead organization in identification and reduction of cost of poor quality (COPQ), leveraging continuous improvement tools to identify and eliminate redundancies and waste.  Participate with finance and project leadership to determine value associated with improvements and elimination of COPQ.
• Support leaders in establishing performance metrics and key indicators, utilizing data analysis to identify inefficiencies and generate actionable recommendations for improved business outcomes. Continually enhance and champion the usability of data visualization platforms such as PowerBI and KanBo to aid improvement initiatives.
• Guide the generation and prioritization of suggestions and initiatives, uphold tracking standards, and ensure accountability mechanisms are in place. Employ KanBo and similar tools to track progress, monitor accountability, and measure the impact of improvement activities on business outcomes.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

CORE COMPETENCIES: To perform the job successfully, the individual should demonstrate competencies in performing the essential functions of this position by performing satisfactorily in each of these competencies. 

• Problem solving: Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner, gathers and reviews information appropriately.  Uses own judgment and acts independently; seeks input from other team members as appropriate for complex or sensitive situations.
• Oral/written communication: Listens carefully and speaks clearly and professionally in all situations. Edits work for accuracy and clarity, is able to create, read and interpret complex written information.  Ability to develop strong interpersonal networks within the organization.
• Planning/organizing: Prioritizes and plans work activities, organizes personal and project timelines and deadlines, tracks project timelines and deadlines, and uses time efficiently.
• Adaptability: Adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands and is able to deal with frequent interruptions, changes, delays, or unexpected events.
• Dependability: Consistently on time and at work, responds to management expectations and solicits feedback to improve performance.
• Team Building: Capable