Sr Project Manager
Duke Energy
Important Application Submission Information
In order to ensure your application is successfully received before the job posting expires, please submit your application by 11:59 PM on Monday, March 16, 2026More than a career - a chance to make a difference in people's lives.
Build an exciting, rewarding career with us – help us make a difference for millions of people every day. Consider joining the Duke Energy team, where you'll find a friendly work environment, opportunities for growth and development, recognition for your work, and competitive pay and benefits.
NOTE: the preferred location for this position is Duke Energy Plaza, Charlotte, NC. However, depending on the selected candidate's location, the hiring manager may also consider seating this position at one of the following Duke Energy Regional Headquarters: Raleigh-NC, St. Petersburg-FL or Cincinnati-OH.
Position Summary
This role must meet all the expectations of a standard Senior Project Manager (Sr PM) as described below and also the specific expectations of the PMCoE described here:
An ideal candidate for the Senior Project Manager position in Duke Energy’s Project Management Center of Excellence (PMCoE) is a seasoned leader who leverages their expert knowledge of project management to both identify systemic improvement opportunities and drive them to fruition. This is core to the group’s mission to drive excellence in project execution through governance, capability development, and strategic alignment. The PMCoE is committed to advancing Duke Energy’s enterprise strategy by standardizing project management and controls practices across business units, ensuring consistency, scalability, and regulatory compliance. This role demands a clear understanding of Duke’s tiered project governance model, where enterprise-wide standards are implemented by operational groups to meet the unique needs of diverse portfolios, from nuclear to renewables, while maintaining alignment with industry best practices like PMI and AACEI. The successful candidate will bring broad experience across complex, high-risk projects and demonstrate the ability to build relationships with senior leaders and cross-functional teams. They must be adept at articulating the value of project management and controls, not only in terms of cost, schedule, and risk, but also in how these disciplines contribute to regulatory transparency, stakeholder trust, and enterprise-wide performance. This includes fluency in Duke’s project lifecycle standards. Beyond technical expertise, the candidate must be a persuasive communicator and strategic thinker. We're looking for someone who can champion the PMCoE’s vision of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing, while mentoring others and fostering a culture of accountability and excellence. The ideal candidate will need to operate effectively across multiple business units within the utility, even in areas outside their subject matter expertise. They must demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning, adapting quickly to new disciplines and customer needs. High emotional intelligence, resilience, and a solution-oriented mindset are essential, especially when overcoming entrenched obstacles. Finally, they must have a proven track record of driving positive change. The successful candidate must be capable of all the following Standard SR PM responsibilities; however, their daily role is not running projects, but improving the framework those projects operate in.
Standard SR PM Responsibilities.
The Senior Project Manager (Sr PM) position has single point accountability or can be under general direction of a Sr. Project Director or Project Director. Sr PM position is responsible for management, or assisting management, of all phases of project planning and execution to ensure project success factors are met. These include but are not limited to scope, schedule, cost, quality, environmental, safety, communications, security, and integration. In addition, this position is highly involved in the funding management and budgeting of the project / program responsible. This position may have direct reports consisting of Project Managers and Project Controls and/or other resources such as construction management, engineering, administrative support staff and contingent workers.This position is typically assigned a portfolio of “Green” or “Brown” ranked projects per the Project Management Center of Excellence Risk-Informed Ranking Process. Higher ranked projects with greater risk may also be assigned when accompanied with an Enhanced Support and Oversight Plan (ESOP).The position is accountable for a portfolio of assigned projects with Moderate to High levels of risk and typically involve complex but mature technology and moderate complexity. Sr PM’s are accountable to various stakeholders that include facility and department level personnel in addition to Senior Management, and possibly the Board of Directors and External Agencies. Sr PM’s may be assigned to projects with specific risk-informed requirements based on specific experience and skill sets.Sr PM’s serve as unifying agent providing leadership, decision making, management, guidance, direction, coordination, and control of overall projects in accordance with established policies, procedures, systems, and requirements of the Company.This is a leadership position, and minimum qualifications must be met to be placed within this position. Progression to this level is based on experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, and restricted on the basis of Business Unit needs to manage the portfolio.
Responsibilities
This role must meet all the expectations of a standard Senior Project Manager (Sr PM) and also the specific expectations of the PMCoE described here:
• Support Complex Projects Across the Enterprise as an Expert Resource
• Serve as the single point of Project Management - Subject Matter Expertise for multiple Business Units, each managing all phases of complex projects ("White", “Green”, “Brown” & “Black” ranked) in accordance with the PMCoE’s Risk-Informed Ranking Process.
• Ensure each Business Unit you work with is in alignment with Duke Energy’s Enterprise Project Management Framework and PMCoE standards.
• Drive Strategic Alignment and Governance
• Apply enterprise-wide project governance (Tier II) and adapt it to business unit-specific needs (Tier III), ensuring consistency, scalability, and regulatory compliance.
• Support the PMCoE’s role as the governing body for standardized project management practices across Duke Energy.
• Establish Relationships to Engage & Support Senior Leadership
• Collaborate with executives, business unit leaders, and regulatory stakeholders to align project outcomes with enterprise strategy and stakeholder expectations
• Advocate for the value of project management and controls in driving transparency, accountability, and performance.
• Oversee Project Controls and Performance Reporting
• Attend key Project & Program Reviews to ensure proper management of scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, safety, environmental compliance, and integration across the project lifecycle
• Mentor and Develop Talent
• Coach and mentor junior project managers and project controls professionals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing
• Contribute to the development and delivery of training aligned with PMCoE’s competency models and learning paths
• Champion Continuous Improvement, Benchmarking, and Innovation
• Identify and implement process improvements that enhance project delivery, efficiency, and stakeholder satisfaction
• Participate in annual reviews of PMCoE policies and standards to ensure alignment with evolving business needs and industry best practices
• Support Regulatory and External Engagements
• Prepare for and respond to regulatory data requests, hearings, and compliance reviews, ensuring project documentation and reporting meet external expectations*
Required/Basic Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree
• 7 plus years related work experience
• In lieu of Bachelor's degree(s) AND 7 plus year(s) related work experience listed above, High School/GED AND 11 plus year(s) related work experience
Desired Qualifications
• Master's degree in Project management or
• Master's degree in Business Administration
• Configuration Management II Professional (CM2-P) and/or Project Management Professional and/or Professional Engineer
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Note: the hiring manager may elect to provide relocation assistance dependent upon the selected candidate's geographic location.
Additional Preferred Qualifications
Expertise to Strong Expertise in Project Management, Decision Making, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Projects related work experience; Risk Management; Leadership; Employee Management/Development; Oversight
Expertise to Strong Expertise in project related Scheduling, Cost Controls, Quality, Risk
Utility Business Unit Experience as determined by BU ranging from Regulated or Commercial energy services experience
Construction Management knowledge
Masters – business (MBA), project management, or equivalent
PMI (PMP) / CMII / AACE / Utility Technical Certifications
Professional Engineer License
The Senior Project Manager may have relationships with individuals in the following organizations ranging from individual contributors to Senior Department/Enterprise Leadership (i.e. individual contributors up to executive management):
Community Relations
Finance
Engineering
Environmental, Health and Safety
Enterprise Security
Global Risk Management and Insurance
Human Resources
Quality
Development
Project Controls
Construction Management
Supply Chain
Legal Department
Project Management Center of Excellence (PMCoE)
Operations
Corporate Communications
Regulatory and Compliance
Stakeholder Engagement
Fuels
Others
Mobility Classification - Hybrid
Travel Requirements