Job Description

The Sr Manager of Sales Excellence and Business Operations supports the Sales function by leading the automation, process improvement, data tracking, and project management capabilities needed to operate a modern, data-driven customer growth function. This role is accountable for translating growth priorities into disciplined project plans, repeatable processes, measurable performance routines, and actionable insights that improve pipeline visibility, reduce manual work, strengthen cross-functional accountability, and accelerate customer onboarding from initial contact through meter installation and activation. The Manager partners closely with Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Construction, IT, and Analytics teams to identify process bottlenecks, standardize workflows, improve data quality, develop dashboards and reporting, support CRM and digital adoption, and lead special projects that advance Washington Gas's customer growth agenda. This role brings execution discipline to complex, cross-functional initiatives by defining milestones, owners, risks, dependencies, decision needs, and control plans that sustain improvements over time.

Business Excellence & Continuous Improvement
• Lead process improvement initiatives that reduce manual work, eliminate redundancies, improve handoffs, shorten cycle times, and drive customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Apply structured continuous improvement methods, including current-state mapping, root-cause analysis, future-state design, pilots, controls, and sustained performance monitoring.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to document standardized workflows, service standards, handoff requirements, escalation paths, and role clarity across the customer acquisition lifecycle.
• Translate process pain points, customer feedback, employee feedback, and performance data into practical improvement plans with clear owners, milestones, benefits, and adoption measures.
• Identify early quick wins that build momentum while also developing longer-term operating improvements.

Automation, Digital Enablement & Data Quality
• Lead automation opportunities that streamline intake, lead qualification, project status updates, reporting, customer communications, and internal handoffs.
• Support adoption and disciplined use of CRM, pipeline dashboards, status trackers, workflow tools, and related digital platforms that improve visibility into lead sources, opportunity progression, aging, backlog, cycle times, and customer commitments.
• Work with IT, Analytics, Sales Operations, and business owners to define requirements for system enhancements, data integrations, workflow automation, and customer-facing status visibility.
• Establish data quality routines, validation steps, ownership standards, and reporting governance to improve the accuracy, consistency, and timeliness of sales data.
• Convert manual tracking and ad hoc reporting into repeatable dashboards, management routines, and exception reports that support faster decisions and clearer accountability.

Performance Management, Dashboards & Insights
• Develop and maintain performance reporting that tracks growth initiatives, pipeline health, lead conversion, project cycle times, service level performance, rework, customer experience pain points, and other leading indicators.
• Ensure reporting is actionable, consistent, and aligned with the management routines used by the Senior Director of Sales and broader Customer Growth leadership team.

Project Management & Special Growth Initiatives
• Lead project management for special initiatives that advance Washington Gas's customer growth agenda, including new business process modernization, market development support, key account initiatives, federal growth opportunities, customer onboarding improvements, and other assigned strategic priorities.
• Coordinate cross-functional workstreams and ensure project owners understand deliverables, timing, handoffs, risks, and escalation needs.
• Support disciplined governance, including project kickoff, updates, milestone reviews, action tracking, issue resolution, change management, and closure documentation.

Customer Experience & Cross-Functional Accountability
• Advance customer experience improvements that give developers, builders, key accounts, and new business customers clearer points of contact, better project visibility, more consistent communication, and faster issue resolution.
• Help design and implement service standards, response-time expectations, project status transparency, escalation routines, and internal handoff protocols that support a 'customer first' growth model.
• Work with operational partners to clarify ownership across departmental silos and reduce the risk of customers experiencing delays, unclear accountability, or repeated requests for information.
• Use customer feedback, project performance data, and frontline input to identify pain points and recommend changes that improve responsiveness, predictability, and accountability.
• Support change management, communications, training materials, and playbooks needed to embed new processes and ensure consistent execution across teams.

EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree required; degree in business, engineering, operations, analytics, information systems, or a related field preferred.

WORK EXPERIENCE

7+ years of related experience in process improvement, project management, sales operations, customer operations, business transformation, analytics, utility operations, or other infrastructure-intensive environments preferred.

3+ years of experience leading cross-functional projects, process improvement efforts, automation initiatives, data/reporting routines, or operational performance programs.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

Lean Six Sigma, PMP, Agile, Prosci/change management, or similar certification preferred but not required.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES
• Demonstrated ability to map current-state processes, identify root causes, design future-state workflows, implement controls, and sustain measurable improvements.
• Strong project management skills, including scope definition, work planning, milestone tracking, RACI development, risk management, stakeholder coordination, and executive reporting.
• Experience developing dashboards, scorecards, trackers, and performance reporting that support operational decision-making and accountability.
• Experience with CRM platforms, workflow tools, Power BI or other reporting tools, data quality routines, process automation, and change adoption preferred.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data, customer feedback, and process observations into practical business recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare concise executive updates, facilitate working sessions, and influence without direct authority.
• Experience working across Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Construction, Customer, Finance, IT, Regulatory, Legal, or similar cross-functional teams preferred.
• Familiarity with utility new business processes, service activation, pipeline management, regulatory environments, capital planning, tariffs, or customer growth economics preferred.
• Commitment to accountability, continuous improvement, customer focus, diversity, equity, inclusion, and a high-performance culture.

We offer a competitive salary range of $149,200 to $215,425 annually, commensurate with experience, education, and skills. In addition, we provide a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.

The Company values diversity in its workforce and encourages United States military veterans and service members who meet the qualifications to apply