Senior Director, Continuous Optimization

Description

Who We Are

Priority Power is an independent energy management services and consulting firm. We act as an extension of our client’s staff to develop and implement strategies that mitigate risk and overcome challenges associated with managing energy data, supply, demand, and delivery infrastructure. By leveraging our deep experience and resources, combined with unsurpassed commitment, Priority delivers financial and operational improvements to our clients as their trusted energy advisors.

Our Mission

Our mission is to lead the energy transition with innovative client-focused solutions built upon integrity, trust, and transparency.

Job Summary

The Senior Director, Continuous Optimization will lead the systematic identification, quantification, prioritization, and implementation of operational improvement opportunities across the business. This role will own the company’s continuous optimization agenda, build and maintain a disciplined value creation pipeline, and facilitate cross-functional execution of initiatives that improve efficiency, profitability, scalability, service quality, and operational discipline.

This is a hands-on, enterprise-facing role for a leader who can combine consulting-style problem solving, live operations experience, Lean Six Sigma methodology, financial discipline, and practical business transformation experience. The ideal candidate will be able to assess complex operating areas, identify improvement opportunities, quantify financial and operational impact, align stakeholders, and help move initiatives from recommendation to execution.

The ideal candidate has a combination of management consulting, operational leadership, transformation, and continuous improvement experience and is equally comfortable in an executive meeting, a field operation, a process walkthrough, a data review, and a cross-functional implementation session. This person should be analytical, commercially minded, operationally grounded, and strong at influencing without direct authority, with the ability to move from strategy to execution and from diagnosis to measurable results.

The role reports to the COO and partners closely with Operations, Finance, Procurement, Engineering, IT, Business Line leadership, the Office of Strategic Execution, and other functional leaders.

Key Responsibilities

Continuous Optimization Leadership

• Own and manage the company’s continuous optimization program, including the identification, evaluation, prioritization, and delivery of improvement opportunities across the business.
• Develop and maintain a value creation pipeline that captures identified opportunities, estimated financial value, required effort, ownership, status, implementation milestones, and realized value.
• Partner with senior leaders to identify areas of operational friction, waste, margin leakage, underutilized assets, process variation, customer service issues, and cross-company synergies.
• Translate broad business challenges into structured optimization initiatives with clear scope, quantified value, owners, timelines, risks, and success measures.

Partnership with the Office of Strategic Execution

• Work closely with the Office of Strategic Execution to ensure optimization initiatives are aligned with enterprise priorities, strategic programs, and leadership expectations.
• Coordinate with the Office of Strategic Execution on initiative governance, executive reporting, progress tracking, escalation of risks, and benefits realization.
• Ensure optimization efforts are integrated into the company’s broader execution rhythm and do not operate as disconnected improvement projects.
• Partner with the Office of Strategic Execution to help move approved opportunities from assessment into structured implementation plans with clear accountability.

Operational Deep Dives

• Lead structured operational deep dives across priority business areas, including processes, systems and technology, policies, equipment, customer approach, people and culture, regulatory requirements, procurement, and cross-company synergies.
• Facilitate cross-functional working sessions with operators, finance partners, subject matter experts, business line leaders, and functional leaders to diagnose root causes and quantify opportunities.
• Produce executive-ready findings that include current-state assessment, root causes, financial impact, prioritized opportunities, implementation requirements, owners, and 90-day action plans.
• Maintain a regular cadence of optimization reviews with the COO, the Office of Strategic Execution, and the leadership team.
• Implementation Facilitation
• Serve as the facilitator and execution catalyst for approved optimization initiatives, ensuring ideas move from assessment to action.
• Coordinate across functions to remove barriers, align resources, clarify decision rights, and maintain momentum against implementation milestones.
• Support initiative owners in developing implementation plans, tracking benefits, managing risks, and reporting progress.
• Establish a disciplined follow-through process to ensure savings, revenue improvements, productivity gains, and service improvements are actually realized.

AI and Digital Practice Replication

• Identify AI, automation, analytics, and digital practices already being used successfully in specific areas of the business.
• Evaluate which of those practices have measurable impact, practical scalability, and relevance to other business areas.
• Partner with business leaders, IT, data teams, and the Office of Strategic Execution to replicate proven AI-enabled plays across additional functions, regions, service lines, or operating units.
• Create visibility into successful AI and digital use cases so the company can reuse what is already working instead of reinventing solutions in separate parts of the business.
• Help leaders distinguish between practical, value-generating AI applications and low-impact experimentation.

Operational Excellence and Lean Six Sigma

• Apply Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, standard work, process control, and other operational excellence tools to improve business performance.
• Identify opportunities to reduce waste, variation, cycle time, manual effort, rework, avoidable cost, and operational inconsistency.
• Develop repeatable frameworks, playbooks, and metrics that embed continuous improvement into the operating rhythm of the business.
• Coach leaders and teams on structured problem solving, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement practices.

Synergy and Value Creation

• Identify opportunities for cross-selling, shared infrastructure, shared service models, vendor consolidation, process standardization, routing optimization, and better use of customer and operational data.
• Work with Finance to validate value estimates, track realized impact, and ensure benefits are reflected in business performance.
• Create executive-level visibility into the highest-value opportunities across the company.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, Finance, Supply Chain, Technology, or a related field.
• 10 or more years of experience in operations, transformation, continuous improvement, management consulting, business optimization, or a related function.
• Experience leading operational improvement initiatives in a live operating environment, not only in strategy or advisory settings.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, quantify, and implement cost savings, productivity improvements, revenue opportunities, process efficiencies, or margin expansion initiatives.
• Strong understanding of Lean, Six Sigma, operational excellence, process improvement, and structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Experience facilitating cross-functional initiatives involving senior leaders, functional experts, operators, finance partners, technology teams, and execution or transformation offices.
• Strong financial acumen, including the ability to build business cases, estimate value, validate savings, and track realized impact.
• Experience using data, analytics, dashboards, automation, or digital tools to assess performance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Excellent executive communication skills, including the ability to produce concise, insight-driven presentations and recommendations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification, Master Black Belt, or equivalent operational excellence certification.
• Prior experience in a management consulting firm, internal consulting group, transformation office, or private equity operating team.
• Experience identifying and scaling proven practices across business units, regions, service lines, or operating functions.
• Experience with AI-enabled business tools, process mining, workflow automation, RPA, advanced analytics, or digital transformation initiatives.
• MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• PMP, Prosci, Agile, or other transformation/change management certification is a plus.
• Experience in multi-site, service-based, infrastructure, facilities, industrial, field operations, logistics, or asset-heavy environments is highly relevant.

Why Choose Priority Power?

Empowered to Make an Impact in a Values-Driven Energy Future
At Priority Power, we’re more than just an energy company—we’re a purpose-driven team dedicated to transforming the future of energy through meaningful work, empowered people, and enduring partnerships. We invite mission-minded professionals to grow with us in a culture defined by trust, collaboration, and real outcomes.

Values-Driven Culture
We lead with integrity, customer focus, and accountability—prioritizing ethics and purpose in every decision we make. Our culture is rooted in doing what’s right for our clients, our communities, and each other.

Empowered Opportunities
Here, initiative is celebrated. You’ll have the autonomy to lead, innovate, and contribute in ways that grow your career and advance our mission. We empower our employees to take ownership of their impact.

Accountability & Outcomes Orientation
Our results matter. We are a high-performance culture that rewards accountability, champions progress and celebrates milestones that move the needle for our clients and the energy industry.

Collaborative Colleagues
You’ll work alongside passionate experts who are generous with knowledge and united by a shared vision. Cross-functional teamwork and open communication are at the core of how we solve big energy challenges together.

Make a Real Difference
At Priority Power, your work directly contributes to building a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy future. Whether optimizing large-scale power strategies or innovating in renewables, you’ll be part of something bigger than yourself.

Flexible Work Environment
We respect your life outside of work. Our flexible work policies allow you to thrive personally and professionally ensuring balance, trust, and well-being for every team member.

Equal Opportunity Employer
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability.