Senior Manager, Strategic Change and Agile Delivery

Welcome to the intersection of energy and home services. At Direct Energy, an NRG company, we’re all about propelling the next generation of leaders forward. We are driven by our passion to create a smarter, cleaner and more connected future. We deliver innovative solutions that make our customers’ lives easier—helping them power, protect, and intelligently manage their homes and businesses. To do this, we need creative and talented people to join our company.

We offer a dynamic work environment and a unified and inclusive culture. Our company programs are designed to help employees develop the skills they need for success now and in the future. In everything we do, we aim to champion our employees and bring value to our customers, investors and society.

More information is available at www.directenergy.com. Connect with NRG and Direct Energy on Facebook, LinkedIn, and follow us on Twitter.

Job Summary

The Senior Manager – Strategic Change & Agile Delivery is a leadership role in the retail utilities sector, responsible for driving enterprise-wide change initiatives and strategic programs across customer care operations, technology, and regulatory environments. This role blends traditional PMO leadership with Agile program management to ensure the successful delivery of high-impact initiatives that enhance customer experience, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance. The Senior Manager leads a team of Product Owners and Continuous Improvement Analysts, ensuring that product strategy, delivery execution, and process enhancements are aligned with business goals and customer needs. The ideal candidate will bring a strong mix of business acumen, Agile expertise, and analytical leadership to support both regulated and deregulated utility operations.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Program & Portfolio Leadership

• Develop and execute a 3-year PMO roadmap aligned with corporate and Business Unit strategies.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives across Front-, Mid-, and Back-Office operations.
• Define and refine product and program strategies in collaboration with leadership and Agile Product Owners.
• Manage project intake, prioritization, and alignment with strategic imperatives.

Agile Delivery & Governance

• Lead portfolio-level planning and execution across three Agile teams focused on Front Office, Marketing Operations, and Back Office improvement initiatives.
• Ensure alignment of team-level backlogs with strategic priorities and cross-functional dependencies.
• Collaborate across teams to align on shared deliverables, mitigate risks, and maintain timelines.
• Oversee sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives to ensure transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Support Agile Product Owners in stakeholder engagement and delivery execution, ensuring consistent value delivery and outcome measurement.
• Ensure delivery against budget for regulated and competitive lines of business.

Team Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Manage and mentor a team of Product Owners and Continuous Improvement Analysts.
• Guide Product Owners in defining and prioritizing product backlogs aligned with business strategy.
• Support Continuous Improvement Analysts in identifying, analyzing, and implementing process improvements across customer operations.
• Foster a culture of data-driven decision-making, innovation, and operational excellence.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Act as a liaison between internal support teams, IT, regulatory affairs, and customer operations.
• Provide executive-level reporting on initiative progress, risks, and value realization.
• Communicate through dashboards, steering committees, and regular updates.

Operational Excellence & Innovation

• Identify and implement opportunities for automation, digital self-service, and process optimization.
• Use predictive analytics and operational data to drive performance improvements.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and customer-centric innovation.

Benefits Realization & Outcome Measurement

• Collaborate with initiative sponsors to define success criteria and expected benefits.
• Develop business cases with cost-benefit analysis and risk assessments.
• Track and report on realized outcomes and use insights to inform future prioritization.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Computer Science, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in project/program delivery, including 2+ years in Agile environments.

Preferred Skills & Tools

• Master’s degree in Business, Computer Science, or related field
• Project Management certification (e.g., PMP, Prince2) and Agile certification (e.g., SAFe POPM, PMI-ACP).
• Strategic Thinking & Prioritization: Ability to align product and program roadmaps with long-term business goals and customer needs.
• Change Leadership: Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills to lead change across diverse teams and functions.
• Agile Product Management: Experience guiding Agile Product Owners and managing product backlogs across multiple teams.
• Process Optimization: Proven track record of identifying and implementing process improvements.
• Customer Operations Expertise: Deep understanding of contact center operations, customer lifecycle management, and service delivery models.
• System Expertise with one or more of SAP CRM, SAP ECC, Salesforce, NICE CXone
• Data & Analytics:
  • Ability to define and track KPIs, OKRs, and business outcomes
  • Experience using data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau)
  • Familiarity with predictive analytics and performance dashboards
• Agile Tools & Frameworks:
  • Proficiency in one or more of Jira, Azure DevOps (ADO), and Smartsheet
  • Familiarity with SAFe, Scrum, or Kanban frameworks
• Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge: Understanding of utility regulations and customer protection standards in both regulated and deregulated markets.

Working Conditions

• Fast-paced, open office environment with occasional international travel.
• Flexibility for extended hours or weekend work as needed.
• Most work performed on a personal computer in a seated position.
• Hybrid work environment: 2–3 days in-office, 1–2 days remote.
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NRG Energy is committed to a drug and alcohol-free workplace. To the extent permitted by law and any applicable collective bargaining agreement, employees are subject to periodic random drug testing, and post-accident and reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing. EOE AA M/F/Protected Veteran Status/Disability. Level, Title and/or Salary may be adjusted based on the applicant's experience or skills.

EEO is the Law Poster (The poster can be found at http://www.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf)

Official description on file with Talent.