Senior Continuous Improvement Analyst

City of Seattle; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Seattle seeks two Senior Continuous Improvement Analysts to lead structured problem-solving and data-driven decision-making across city operations. The role focuses on rapid improvement events, 5S, data visualization, and cross-department collaboration to optimize workflows and automate processes.

Ideal candidates have Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, strong facilitation and communication skills, and a track record of managing multi-disciplinary improvement projects within complex

Qualifications

• Three years of experience in systems, operations, procedures, research or analysis.
• Bachelor's degree in business or public administration, finance, computer science or related field or equivalent background.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification or equivalent with at least three years of Green Belt project experience.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate and manage improvement initiatives across diverse teams.
• Identify pain points, perform root cause analysis, and test countermeasures.
• Collect, clean, analyze, and interpret data; develop dashboards and reports.
• Assist with integrating new applications to support automation and streamline processes.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across the utility and city departments to drive improvements.
• Manage multiple improvement projects ensuring alignment with strategies.
• Translate technical solutions into plain business language and drive adoption.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Data visualization

Tableau

Excel

SQL

Workflow automation

Stakeholder engagement

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or public administration or related field

STEM or social science degree (e.g., industrial engineering, economics, OR public administration)

Tools

Tableau

Microsoft PowerAutomate

Adobe Sign

Job description

Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked very hard to keep Seattle's electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

We are seeking two Senior Continuous Improvement Analysts to lead and support organizational improvement initiatives through structured problem-solving and data-driven decision-making. The ideal candidate will facilitate different structured problem-solving activities such as rapid improvement events, 5S, and discreet improvement projects. They will analyze complex systems and processes, develop insightful data products, and lead cross-functional improvement projects. This role requires advanced skill in facilitation, problem-solving, collaboration, and business system workflow and process analysis. A strategic mindset guided by Lean and/or Lean Six Sigma methods are instrumental to this position’s success.

• Facilitate and manage improvement initiatives: Design, facilitate, and manage rapid improvement events and structured problem-solving activities with diverse teams. Model and coach individuals and teams in effective problem solving and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
• Process Optimization & Workflow Enhancement: Partner with business to identify pain points in existing processes and workflows, conduct root cause analysis, and identify and test countermeasures. Apply new and/or existing technologies to automate and error-proof workflows and processes.
• Data Analysis & Visualization: Partner with business and data and technology teams to collect, clean, analyze, and interpret data; and develop dashboards, reports, tables, and other visual tools to enable a deeper understanding of operational performance and to inform decisions.
• Business Application Integration: Assist with integrating new applications into existing processes to support automation and/or streamlining; and identify opportunities to leverage existing functionality of different business applications to optimize business and operational processes.
• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Partner with stakeholders within the utility and across city departments to drive coordinated process improvements.
• Project Management: Manage multiple improvement projects ensuring continued alignment with strategic priorities.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Change Management: Work closely with employees at all levels, translating technical solutions into accessible business language and fostering adoption of continuous improvement thinking and tools.

Required Qualifications

Experience:Three years of experience in systems, operations, procedures, research or analysis.

Education: Bachelor's degree in business or public administration, finance, computer science or a related field (or a combination of education, training or experience that provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class).

Desired Qualifications

• Experience
  • 3 years+ of experience in a dedicated continuous improvementwork environment such as health care, construction, or manufacturing.
  • 3 years+ of experience managing cross-functional improvement projects in a large, complex organization.
  • Demonstrated expertise in data analysis, visualization, and reporting for diverse audiences.
  • Bachelor’s degree in a STEM or social science field such as industrial engineering, economics, organizational psychology, operations research, business administration, or public administration.
• Technical Skills
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification or equivalent including at least three years of experience conducting Green Belt level improvement projects.
  • Proficiency in data visualization and analytics tools (i.e., Tableau, Excel, SQL).
  • Experience with workflow automation solutions (i.e. Adobe Sign, Microsoft PowerAutomate).
  • Ability to quickly learn and work with various data and business applications.
• People Skills:
  • Strong problem-solving skills and ability to navigate ambiguity and change.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to translate technical concepts into plain business language.
  • Ability to influence without authority and partner effectively with stakeholders across functions and levels.