Innovation Associate III

Duquesne Light Company, headquartered in downtown Pittsburgh, is a leader in providing electric energy and has been in the forefront of the electric energy market, with a history rooted in technological innovation and superior customer service. Today, the company continues its role as a leader in the transmission and distribution of electric energy, providing a secure supply of reliable power to more than half a million customers in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Duquesne Light Company is committed to creating a culture of inclusion. We value and respect the unique differences and experiences of our employees. We believe that our differences lead to better collaboration, innovation and outcomes. We want you to join our team!

Job Title:Innovation Associate III

position Summary: TheInnovationAssociate IIIpartners with all business functions to bring new processes, technologies, and ways of working to DLC tobenefitour customers and employees. This position willexecuteinnovation initiativestoaddress critical needsacross the organizationwithaprimary focus onleveragingemerging technologies, advanced analytics,andartificialintelligence.The InnovationAssociatewillidentifysolutionsandmanage projectlifecyclesincludingpilotingand scalingnew opportunities.This position will help design and manage internalprocesses, includingidentifyingorganizational needsand project execution,to maximize the value of innovation.In addition, this role willinform theculture of the Innovation Center, focus areaprioritization,governance,andcontinuous feedback and improvement. The InnovationAssociatewill also develop and manageexternal relationships tohelp our businessgrowandour employees stay safe.

Location:Hybrid, downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (NOVA)

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Manage innovation initiatives frominceptionto execution includingpilotingnew technologyor process:

• Manage ideaintake, includingsoliciting& defining innovation ideas that addressorganizationalneedsby partneringwith internal stakeholders

• Research&validatepossiblesolutionswith SMEs to meetuser requirementswith a clearlydemonstratedvalue proposition.

• Procure &preparepilotplanwith vendors and internal stakeholdersto cost-effectivelyvalidateinternal requirements,solution capabilities & use casesapplications.

• Executepilotto defined test plan and within procured scope.Monitor,report & iterate as neededwithDLCstakeholders,

• Evaluatecapability to implementwith DLC stakeholders,developandvalidatebusinesscaseto operationalizesolution.

• Monitor and refine innovation metrics to drive accountability and measure success

• Consultonnewproductsand services, fromconceptdevelopment, validation,andgo-to-market,to achieve revenue growth through innovation.

Research & identifyinnovative solutions to address complex challenges:

• Develop technology landscapesand roadmapsthrough market research, technology scouting, and peer benchmarking.

• Track AI advancements, industry trends, and solutionlandscapetoidentifyopportunities for continuous improvement, expansion, and broader AI use cases.

• Define needs & requirements across company safety, system, operational, technical, and business challenges that might be addressed by innovation.

• Facilitate ideation sessionsleveragingHuman Centered Design toidentifyorganizational priorities and support breakthrough thinking.

• Develop actionable analysis& businesscases to supportimplementation of prioritized projects.

• Providethought leadershipand valuable insights tobusiness functionson competitivelandscape, market trends,insightsand themes.

Process:

• Manage & prioritize innovation opportunitiestomaintaina high value project pipeline and backlog.

• Produce clear reporting& documentationforinnovation opportunities.

• Engage externalvendors andservice providersto evaluate technology maturity,developand manage pilotscopes to ensureon-time and on-budget deliveryof services

• Demonstrate excellent project management skills by ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget, andwithstrategic impact

Communicate& Engage:

• Providetraining & coaching to develop innovation capabilities across business units through workshops and championing employees.

• Support change management initiatives, asappropriate, to foster a culture of acceptance,opennessand collaboration

• Engage senior leadership to review & governscope andobjectivesof innovation-related work.

• Maintain ecosystem of third-party, industry, academic & peer resources toleverage forresearch engagements and resourcing requirements with DLC stakeholders.

• Contribute to an inclusive and supportive high-performance environment with an emphasis on excellence, team building, coaching,feedbackand employee development

Additional Responsibilities:

• Perform other job-related duties as assigned
• Storm role duties as assigned

education and experience Required:

• ABachelor’sdegreeor equivalent degreerequired

• Educational background in informationtechnologyorengineering preferred

• Threeyears’related workexperiencerequired

• Exposure to emerging technology, product development, information technologypreferred

• Experience inleveragingorcriticallythinking about how to integrate AI into work processes, decision-making, or problem-solving. This may include using AI-powered tools, automating workflows, analyzing AI-driven insights, or exploring AI’s potential impact on the function or industry

• Knowledge ofsoftwareapplications anddata analyticsinthe energy/utilitiesindustrypreferred

• Ideal: Experience inoperationally intense industry, experience with project or program management

Skills/Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to workwitha rangestakeholdersand coordinatewithcross-functional teams

• Strong communicator with the ability todeliver presentations to diverse stakeholders

• Analytical capabilities, including ability toidentifyand develop hypothesesand find/use/apply data

• Project management abilities- highlyorganized, detailed oriented

• Self-directed problem solver with ability to manage ambiguity

• Technicalproficiencyinpotential innovation areas (e.g.,imageanalytics, distributed energy technologies, asset management,robotics,automationand AI, etc.)and approaches (e.g., design thinking, lean startup, etc.)

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, etc.

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 HR@duqlight.com and describe the specific accommodation requested for a disability-related limitation.