Principal Process Safety Engineer Jobs in Virginia

This role is a key position within the team responsible for the delivery of continuous improvement initiatives across the enterprise. The Principal Business Process Engineer is a strategic leader responsible for improving enterprise performance through end-to-end process engineering, operational excellence, and business transformation. This role drives measurable outcomes by redesigning processes, embedding Lean Six Sigma practices, and identifying digital, automation, and AI-enabled solutions that enhance efficiency, scalability, and customer experience. The role operates at the intersection of process, data, and technology, partnering closely with all Lines of Business and Technology teams to translate operational challenges into optimized workflows and digitally enabled solutions. This role is expected to spend at least 50% of its time facilitating, coaching, and leading improvement efforts (Kaizen, discovery, process redesign, problem-solving workshops) rather than documenting processes.

Position Accountabilities

Enterprise Process Engineering & Improvement

• Lead end-to-end, cross-functional process redesign initiatives
• Identify and prioritize opportunities aligned to strategic and financial outcomes
• Optimize value streams and customer journeys to eliminate waste and improve flow

Facilitation & Transformation Execution

• Facilitate:
  • Kaizen events
  • Rapid improvement workshops
  • Problem definition & solution design sessions
• Lead structured workshops to align stakeholders and define clear paths forward

Process Design & Analysis

• Develop current state and future state process maps (BPMN, value stream maps)
• Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) using structured methodologies
• Apply Lean Six Sigma (DMAIC/DFSS) to solve complex operational problems
• Drive process standardization and simplification

Automation, AI & Digital Enablement

• Identify, assess, and prioritize opportunities for:
  • Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
  • AI / Agentic AI solutions
  • Workflow orchestration and digitization
• Partner with Technology teams to:
  • Translate redesigned processes into automated or AI-enabled solutions
  • Define processes, logic, and decision points for automation
  • Support light solution design (e.g., workflows, decision trees, automation triggers)
• Demonstrate working knowledge of:
  • Process-to-technology translation
  • Automation feasibility assessment
  • AI use cases (decisioning, document processing, workflow optimization)

Data-Driven Problem Solving

• Analyze performance data to identify:
• Bottlenecks
• Variation
• Waste
• Define and track KPIs tied to business outcomes

Change Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Assess change impacts across people, process, and technology
• Influence senior leaders with data-driven insights and recommendations
• Facilitate decision-making and alignment across functions

Continuous Improvement Capability Building

• Coach teams on Lean mindset and Continuous Improvement methodologies
• Support Green Belt / Black Belt development

• Build a self-sustaining continuous improvement culture

Governance & Sustainability

• Establish controls to ensure long-term sustainability of improvements
• Define process ownership and accountability
• Track benefits realization and adoption

Organizational Relationship

This role reports directly to the Director of Solutions Engineering

Position Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree or 10+ years related work experience in a banking environment
• Must have 10+ years in process improvement including event facilitation, continuous improvement, process analysis and Operational excellence or transformation roles.

• Change management experience preferred
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (required)
• Master Black Belt (preferred)
• BPMN / Process Modeling certification (preferred)
• Ability to:
• Define automation requirements and logic
• Participate in solution design discussions with developers
• Preferred exposure to:
• AI use cases (document processing, decision engines, copilots)
• Basic understanding of APIs, data flows, and system integrations

Knowledge & Skills

• Demonstrated leadership capability, including knowledge of process review and improvement techniques and the ability to influence change
• Knowledge of Six Sigma - Black Belt or Master Black Belt techniques required. Certification, or significant progress toward certification, preferred
• A proven track record of establishing a proactive, constructive dialogue and partnering effectively with business leaders
• Ability to identify and influence process changes that drive performance in a complex organization
• Advanced written, oral, interpersonal and negotiating skills with ability to prepare and present presentations and guide internal customers.
• Strong proficiency in Miro, MS Office products, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio

Salary offered will be based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. This position is also eligible to participate in either an applicable incentive compensation plan for the position or a discretionary profit sharing bonus program. General information on our comprehensive benefits package can be found by visiting https://www.atlanticunionbank.com/about/careers/benefits.

We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We maintain a drug-free workplace.