Principal Enterprise Assessment

PG&E’s Enterprise Performance System team drives Lean implementation through training, coaching, KPI development, problem-solving, and waste elimination. This team leads the enterprise assessment process for operational excellence and Lean maturity.

About the role

This Principal role serves as the execution lead and key thought partner for designing and implementing PG&E’s enterprise operational excellence system, including the Performance Playbook, enterprise assessment processes, and coaching. Reporting to the strategy lead, you will partner in assessment design, drive execution of enterprise assessment initiatives, and translate performance objectives into structured assessment execution and reporting. The position requires strong system thinking, the ability to operate effectively in ambiguity, and the capability to influence senior leaders without direct authority.

This is a hybrid role requiring 1–3 days per week in-office at the Oakland General Office, with some travel across PG&E territory to support assessment execution. The assigned work location will be within the PG&E Service Territory and agreed upon by the successful candidate and hiring leader.

Responsibilities

• Enterprise Assessment & System Execution
  • Lead execution of enterprise assessments, including Business System Performance and Lean Maturity.
  • Translate Performance Playbook objectives and criteria into assessment execution approaches and practices.
  • Independently make decisions on execution approach within established scope and methodology.
  • Conduct assessments using multiple methods (e.g., interviews, document review, observation, data analysis) and synthesize findings into defensible conclusions.
• Assessment Design & Development
  • Contribute subject matter expertise to co-develop and refine assessment models, scoring frameworks, and evaluation criteria.
  • Ensure alignment between performance objectives, assessment methods, and expected outcomes.
  • Integrate insights across sources to evaluate whether conditions for excellence exist.
  • Support development and refinement of tools and processes that enable consistent, scalable enterprise assessments.
• Reporting & Executive Insights
  • Develop and support delivery of clear, structured, and insight-driven executive-level reports for SLT/EOT.
  • Synthesize complex and ambiguous data into coherent narratives and actionable recommendations.
  • Identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities through correlation of qualitative and quantitative inputs.
  • Support leadership teams in understanding findings and implications for improvement.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Influence
  • Engage cross-functional stakeholders to build alignment on assessment approach and outputs.
  • Facilitate discussions on performance findings.
  • Respond to challenge and questioning with clear, logical, and defensible positions.
  • Influence without authority in a complex, evolving enterprise environment.
• Program Management & Execution
  • Manage end-to-end delivery of assessment-related activities, ensuring milestone adherence, coordination across stakeholders and SMEs, and high-quality deliverables.
  • Operate effectively in ambiguous and evolving scope, refining approach as the program matures.
  • Maintain governance processes, standards, and documentation across assessment efforts.
• Training & Capability Building
  • Co-develop training curriculum and materials for assessment teams.
  • Contribute to and support development of assessment capability across the organization to ensure long-term sustainability, including coaching of assessment participants.
  • Apply and adapt emerging standards (e.g., WANO-style criteria) into training and execution.

Requirements

• Direct participation in the design of assessment frameworks or models (not limited to tool execution).
• Experience leading or co-leading formal assessments, including conducting evaluations and synthesizing findings.
• Experience producing assessment outputs or reports used by leadership to inform decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to structure ambiguous problems, apply logical reasoning, and communicate clearly under scrutiny.

Qualifications

• Minimum:
  • 10 years of experience in project/program management, organizational change, or operations management.
  • Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, statistics, organization development, or related field.
• Desired:
  • Experience managing large-scale, cross-functional assessment or improvement initiatives.
  • Ability to lead projects with measurable results, working across organizational boundaries and with senior executives.
  • Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to engage technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Ability to facilitate sessions with senior leadership to create assessment modules and delivery processes.
  • Experience in Malcolm Baldrige or Shingo Institute assessment processes.
  • Experience in consulting or advisory roles requiring structured problem solving, adaptation, and synthesis of complex information.
  • Demonstrated skill in coaching leaders to make data-driven decisions and solve problems objectively.
  • Familiarity with process improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, etc.).
  • Project Management Certification (PMP or equivalent) and/or Change Management Certification.

Who will thrive in this role

This role is well suited for individuals who:

• Have experience as an assessor, consultant, or system builder, not just a program manager.
• Are comfortable operating with partial information and evolving direction.
• Can connect concepts across systems (e.g., performance frameworks, assessments, and outcomes).
• Communicate in a clear, structured, and logically defensible manner, especially in senior forums.
• Demonstrate ownership, initiative, and independent thinking, while aligning to overall strategy.

Growth Opportunity

This role is designed for a high-performing individual with the aspiration to grow into a leadership position, providing exposure to enterprise-level strategy, stakeholder engagement, and system design.

Pay

The full salary range for this position is provided by PG&E. The actual amount paid will be based on factors such as internal equity, skills, education, certifications, experience, market value, and geographic location. The range to reasonably expect is around the minimum and midpoint.

• Bay Area Min: $140,000
• Bay Area Mid: $189,000
• Bay Area Max: $238,000

This position is also eligible to participate in PG&E’s discretionary incentive compensation programs.