Agile Program Manager, Strategic Initiatives

Direct Energy; Edmonton; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail utility company in Canada is seeking an Agile Program Manager to lead cross-functional initiatives that enhance operational performance. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in Business or Information Systems and over 5 years of program management experience in Agile environments. Responsibilities include developing product strategies, leading stakeholder engagement, and driving operational improvements. The role offers the opportunity to work in a dynamic environment with a focus on innovation and customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in program management, with 2 years in a leadership role.
• Proven experience working in Agile environments with multiple product teams.
• Agile certification (e.g., SAFe POPM, CSPO, PMI-ACP) required.

Responsibilities

• Develop product strategy and roadmap for internal tools.
• Drive initiatives that support customer satisfaction and compliance.
• Coordinate across Agile teams for planning and execution.
• Lead portfolio-level planning and sprint reviews.
• Act as a liaison between teams and stakeholders.

Skills

Agile methodology

Stakeholder engagement

Program management

Data analysis

Operational excellence

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business or Information Systems

Tools

SAP CRM

Salesforce

Agile tools (e.g., ADO, Smartsheet)

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking a strategic and collaborative Agile Program Manager to join our internal support team within the retail utilities sector. This role is instrumental in leading cross-functional initiatives that enhance the performance and integration of Front Office, Mid Office, and Back Office functions. You will work closely with Agile Product Owners, initiative sponsors, and key stakeholders to align product vision, coordinate delivery, and ensure the successful execution and measurement of initiatives. This includes defining and refining product strategies, developing business cases, driving operational improvements, and ensuring that outcomes are aligned with expected business benefits across both regulated and deregulated utility environments.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Product Leadership

• In collaboration with the Leadership team and key stakeholders, develop and maintain product strategy and roadmap for internal tools and processes that support customer operations across both regulated and deregulated utility environments.
• Drive prioritization of initiatives that support customer satisfaction, operational resilience, and compliance with energy market regulations.
• Collaborate with Agile Product Owners to ensure alignment across product backlogs and strategic initiatives.

Agile Collaboration & Governance

• Coordinate across Agile teams and Product Owners to manage dependencies, shared deliverables, and cross-functional planning.
• Lead portfolio-level planning, sprint reviews, and retrospectives to ensure transparency and alignment.
• Support Agile Product Owners in backlog refinement, stakeholder engagement, and delivery execution.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Act as a key liaison between internal support teams, IT, regulatory affairs, and customer operations.
• Translate strategic business goals into actionable product features and measurable outcomes.
• Provide regular updates to leadership on initiative progress, risks, and value realization.

Operational Excellence & Innovation

• Identify opportunities for automation, digital self-service, and process optimization across the customer lifecycle—from onboarding and billing to issue resolution and disconnection.
• Use data and analytics to inform decisions and track performance against KPIs such as call resolution time, billing accuracy, and customer satisfaction (CSAT).
• 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 for new initiatives, including cost-benefit analysis, risk assessment, and alignment with strategic goals.
• Measure and report on the realized outcomes of initiatives against planned benefits.
• Use insights to inform future prioritization, continuous improvement, and strategic alignment.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Systems, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in program management, with at least 2 years in a leadership or coordinating role.
• Proven experience working in Agile environments with multiple product teams.
• Agile certification (e.g., SAFe POPM, CSPO, PMI-ACP).

Preferred Skills

• Master’s degree in Business, Information Systems, or related field.
• Proven ability to build and maintain product roadmaps that align with long‑term strategic initiatives.
• Strong skills in negotiating priorities and trade‑offs with stakeholders across business and technology teams.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and present business cases that support strategic decision‑making and investment planning.
• Experience in developing, tracking, and measuring Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to drive accountability and performance.
• Experience in the retail utilities industry (electricity & gas), especially in customer operations or internal support functions.
• Strong understanding of contact center operations.
• Experience with customer information systems (CIS) and billing platforms.
• Familiarity with SAP CRM and / or Salesforce for customer relationship and case management.
• Experience with NICE CXone or similar cloud‑based contact center platforms.
• Knowledge of utility regulatory compliance and customer protection standards.
• Proficiency with Agile tools (e.g., ADO, Smartsheet).