Innovation Associate III

Duquesne Light Company; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Duquesne Light Company is seeking an Innovation Associate III to partner with various business functions aimed at introducing new processes and technologies for enhanced customer and employee benefits. This role will leverage advanced analytics and AI to identify solutions and manage project lifecycles, focusing on continuous improvement in the innovation culture.

Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor’s degree, three years of relevant experience, and a background in IT or engineering. Responsibilities include managing innovation initiatives and engaging with stakeholders for successful implementation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
• Three years of related work experience required.
• Exposure to emerging technology and product development preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage idea intake, soliciting and defining innovation ideas.
• Develop technology landscapes and roadmaps through market research.
• Provide training and coaching to develop innovation capabilities.

Skills

Stakeholder coordination

Strong communication

Analytical capabilities

Project management

Problem-solving

Technical proficiency in innovation areas

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Educational background in information technology or engineering

Tools

Data analytics

Project management software

Job description

Job Title: Innovation Associate III

Duquesne Light Company (DLC) seeks an Innovation Associate III to partner with all business functions to introduce new processes, technologies, and ways of working that benefit customers and employees. The role focuses on leveraging emerging technologies, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence to identify solutions and manage project lifecycles, including pilots and scaling. The incumbent will help design and manage internal processes, prioritize initiatives, govern projects, and continuously improve the innovation culture while building external relationships to support business growth.

Location

Hybrid, downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (NOVA)

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Manage Innovation Initiatives

• Manage idea intake, soliciting and defining innovation ideas that address organizational needs by partnering with internal stakeholders.
• Research and validate possible solutions with subject‑matter experts to meet user requirements and demonstrate clear value.
• Procure and prepare pilot plans with vendors and internal stakeholders to validate requirements, capabilities, and use‑case applications.
• Execute pilots according to defined test plans and iterate as needed with DLC stakeholders.
• Evaluate the capability to implement the solution, develop and validate a business case to operationalize the innovation.
• Monitor and refine innovation metrics to drive accountability and measure success.
• Consult on new products and services from concept development, validation, and go‑to‑market to achieve revenue growth.

Research and Identify Innovative Solutions

• Develop technology landscapes and roadmaps through market research, technology scouting, and peer benchmarking.
• Track AI advancements, industry trends, and solution landscapes to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and broader AI use cases.
• Define needs and requirements across company safety, system, operational, technical, and business challenges that might be addressed by innovation.
• Facilitate ideation sessions using Human‑Centered Design to identify organizational priorities and support breakthrough thinking.
• Develop actionable analysis and business cases to support the implementation of prioritized projects.
• Provide thought leadership and valuable insights to business functions on competitive landscape, market trends, insights, and themes.

Process

• Manage and prioritize innovation opportunities to maintain a high‑value project pipeline and backlog.
• Produce clear reporting and documentation for innovation opportunities.
• Engage external vendors and service providers to evaluate technology maturity, develop and manage pilot scopes, and ensure on‑time and on‑budget delivery.
• Demonstrate excellent project management skills by ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget, and with strategic impact.

Communicate & Engage

• Provide training and coaching to develop innovation capabilities across business units through workshops and championing employees.
• Support change management initiatives to foster a culture of acceptance, openness, and collaboration.
• Engage senior leadership to review and govern scope and objectives of innovation‑related work.
• Maintain an ecosystem of third‑party, industry, academic, and peer resources to leverage for research engagements and resourcing requirements with DLC stakeholders.
• Contribute to an inclusive and supportive high‑performance environment with an emphasis on excellence, team building, coaching, feedback, and employee development.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other job‑related duties as assigned.
• Storm role duties as assigned.

Education and Experience Required

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
• Educational background in information technology or engineering preferred.
• Three years of related work experience required.
• Exposure to emerging technology, product development, and information technology preferred.
• Experience in leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into work processes, decision‑making, or problem‑solving.
• Knowledge of software applications and data analytics in the energy/utilities industry preferred.
• Ideal: experience in an operationally intense industry and experience with project or program management.

Skills / Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to work with a range of stakeholders and coordinate with cross‑functional teams.
• Strong communicator with the ability to deliver presentations to diverse stakeholders.
• Analytical capabilities, including the ability to identify and develop hypotheses and find, use, and apply data.
• Project management abilities—highly organized and detail oriented.
• Self‑directed problem solver with the ability to manage ambiguity.
• Technical proficiency in potential innovation areas (e.g., image analytics, distributed energy technologies, asset management, robotics, automation, AI) and approaches (e.g., design thinking, lean startup).

Scope

Responsibilities are generally tactical and basic in nature, however work may vary in type and complexity requiring the incumbent to be flexible to adjust to the given situation. Primary focus is on daily deliverables and outputs, while at the same time developing a knowledge of the broader context in which the work is being performed.

Decision Impact

Independent discretion or decision‑making capability is mostly limited. Employees at this level follow a general framework of established boundaries to help them perform their roles and make decisions. Decisions in situations that require deviation from this general framework are typically not made alone. The employee may recommend a solution; however the recommendations are frequently presented to their manager or more senior level professionals for review and approval prior to the decision being made.

Hybrid Work

Position follows our hybrid work model, with a minimum of two days working in the office and the remaining days working remotely. Reporting location and frequency may be subject to change based on job role and department needs.

Storm Roles

All Non‑Union Employees will serve in storm roles as appropriate to their role and skillset. Please be sure to discuss storm roles with the hiring manager for this position, as duties can vary across the Company. Examples of storm roles could include but aren't limited to duties such as: working with operations for service center support, or with the communications, customer service or government affairs teams to respond to public and customer requests for information.

Data Governance

Utilize data to make business decisions as appropriate for the position, support data stewardship activities and partner with IT on underlying data needs.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Duquesne Light Holdings is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all people in all aspects of the employment relationship, without discrimination because of race, age, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity or status as a Vietnam era or special disabled veteran or any other unlawful basis, as defined by applicable law, and fostering a workplace free of unlawful discrimination and retaliation. This policy affects decisions including, but not limited to, hiring, compensation, benefits, terms and conditions of employment, opportunities for promotion, transfer, layoffs, return from a layoff, training and development, and other privileges of employment. An integral part of Duquesne Light Holdings' commitment is to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws concerning equal employment and affirmative action.

Duquesne Light Holdings is committed to offering an inclusive and accessible experience for all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities. Our goal is to foster an inclusive and accessible workplace where everyone has the opportunity to be successful.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening, apply for a position, or participate in the interview process, connect with us at [e-mail] and describe the specific accommodation requested for a disability‑related limitation.