IT Business Partner

At Cleco, we're not just powering lives—we're powering a cleaner, smarter future for Louisiana. With bold investments in innovative energy solutions, we’re transforming how we power our communities: smarter, cleaner, and more sustainable. This is a long-term commitment to our people and our communities because our future—and the future of generations to come—depends on it. If you're ready to make an impact where it matters most, join us at Cleco—where we're Energizing Your Tomorrow. The IT Business Partner (ITBP) II is an experienced professional responsible for overseeing and optimizing the value streams within an organization as they relate to the IT function. In a concentrated effort to bridge the gap between IT and business stakeholders through data-driven improvements, the ITBP is responsible for ensuring that IT initiatives are aligned with business objectives. Using fact-based analysis, the ITBP will regularly interact with the business unit to drive value and continuous improvement and end-to-end process management, ensuring they create maximum value. The ideal candidate will possess strong communication and process optimization skills, business acumen, analytical skills and knowledge of IT solutions. This role requires a self-motivated, proactive approach to identifying opportunities for business improvements and ensuring that technology solutions align with organizational goals for current and future business needs. Key Responsibilities: Champions a corporate culture that emphasizes transparency, integrity, safety, environmental responsibility, employee development, diversity and inclusion, customer service, and operational excellence. Defines, implements and optimizes end-to-end processes within IT value streams, ensuring they create maximum value and minimal waste Collaborates regularly with business stakeholders, IT teams and leadership to align strategies and technology solutions Map and optimize end-to-end processes, identifying inefficiencies, redundancies and bottlenecks Prioritize initiatives within the value stream, balancing short-term and long-term business needs Provide direction and guidance to teams involved in the value stream as it relates to technologies and IT processes, fostering collaboration, innovation and shared accountability Manage risks, dependencies and change within the value stream, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations Ensure compliance with IT governance, cybersecurity and regulatory requirements Supports business leads by utilizing a structured requirements process (gathering, analyzing, documenting, and managing changes) Ensures data integrity and security across all business systems and processes Supports all phases of the project lifecycle, including requirements gathering, design, development, testing and implementation Champions change initiatives, effectively communicating the benefits of improvements to stakeholders and engaging employees in the process Identifies and addresses root causes of issues within the value stream, utilizing problem-solving techniques to implement sustainable solutions Leads and supports the creation, completion and validation of solution testing processes to ensure the integrity of each solution is maintained Investigates problems and develops and implements data-driven recommendations for resolution Establishes key performance indicators to track value stream performance, identify trends, and measure the impact of improvement initiatives Produces communication materials and reports such as presentations, and written and oral communications Articulates the business impact of opportunities and problems through financial and non-financial analysis Facilitates vendor discussions with the company’s best interest in mind to ensure vendor accountability and delivery of commitments Serves as a key point of contact for business units, providing ongoing support and guidance for IT-related inquiries and issues Monitors and assesses the performance of current and future solutions, recommending and facilitating enhancements where necessary Maintains awareness of business strategies and objectives, including critical business problems and business goals. Keeps abreast of industry trends and innovations in technology. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration or related field 3-5+ years of related experience Proven experience in value stream management, process improvement and optimizing IT service delivery Strong understanding of Lean, Agile and DevOps Experience in managing projects, timelines, and budgets to achieve desired outcomes Demonstrated ability to communicate complex results to technical and non-technical audiences Experience with process mapping and optimization techniques Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on actionable insights Proficient at functioning effectively individually as well as within a team environment, present ideas and opinions in a respective and collegial manner Strong business acumen related to the utility industry Ability to multitask and manage multiple priorities with competing deadlines Certifications: Entry Certificate in Business Analysis™ (ECBA™) or equivalent, Preferred IT Process Certifications (ITIL, Six Sigma), Preferred Project Management Professional Certification, Preferred Primary Competencies BEHAVIORAL Balance stakeholders Builds effective teams Business Insight Communicates effectively Courage Demonstrates self-awareness Drives results Ensures Accountability Instills trust Nimble learning Plans and Aligns Strategic mindset Safety Drives vision and purpose TECHNICAL Analytical skills Compliance Equipment Utilization Production Production Quality Production Resource Management Production Risk Management May perform other duties as assigned. Salary dependent on experience, skills, education, and training.