Executive Director, Process Improvement

Dean’s Office has a leadership opportunity for a Executive Director, Process Improvement. The incumbent in this role develops and implements the Process Improvement (PI) program and strategy for the University of Miami Health System (UHealth). This role provides leadership for the PI and project management functions throughout the health system, and is responsible for working with senior leadership in the definition and execution of key PI projects that align with the mission and vision of the organization. This position leads an established team of professionals currently leading process improvement and project management initiatives. Key accountabilities include: identifying, developing, and driving process improvement projects to achieve improvements in quality, reduction in costs, and better access to care; ensure effective execution of assigned projects; and creating a vision and strategy to achieve a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence, acting as a champion and change agent.

• Provide strategic direction and oversight to the Process Improvement and Project Management programs at the health system level, including patient-facing and back-office processes of inpatient, outpatient, and physician practice operations.
• Direct day-to-day process improvement and project management operations, including leading, mentoring, and developing a staff of process improvement and project management professionals.
• Assist strategic planning efforts to support leadership team engagement and alignment, and encourage a systems-thinking approach. (i.e. enhance our Leadership Priority Setting capabilities)
• Support process and cultural transformation by guiding stakeholders through change management efforts.
• Partner with clinical and non-clinical leaders in recommending improvements for unit-based, departmental, and health system goals, in alignment with overarching goals and priorities.
• Build relationships and collaborate with various stakeholders and University leaders on process improvement efforts, in order to gain consensus, approval, and resourcing for the implementation of new initiatives.
• Consult with enterprise-wide constituents to analyze, design, and implement improvement initiatives
• Support the execution of a site-specific strategic plans, in alignment with overall business strategies.
• Put in place required operational and data-driven decision support systems to establish and maintain a culture of execution and continuous improvement (i.e. enhance our Measurement Capability)
• Ensure the operational metrics, financial metrics, and quality metrics are aligned to ensure projects are meeting targets and delivering value to our patients, faculty, staff, and business stakeholders.
• Establish control mechanisms to measure and monitor the effectiveness and sustainability of improvement efforts, to meet evolving organizational needs and to drive a continuous improvement culture
• Track the levels of satisfaction with internal customers to ensure an ongoing focus on meeting and exceeding the Process Improvement and Project Management program requirements.
• Manage special projects, as requested by University senior leadership.
• Build and execute strategies to grow the organization’s internal capacity to improve; this may include teaching and coaching cross functional teams through Lean Six-Sigma concepts, Quality Improvement methodologies, and Project Management principles and tools to drive improvements in cost, quality, and access.
• Develop, maintain, and support deployment of UHealth’s PI training program for all levels of staff, clinical and non-clinical, including content/curriculum design, as well as defining and executing the training schedule (i.e. enhance our Improvement Capability, and help UM become a Learning Organization).
• Build and report Process Improvement progress and metrics, and support health system efforts to create, report, monitor and assure transparency of performance throughout organization.
• Foster collaboration amongst PI-trained staff within UHealth, and support sharing and adoption of PI methodologies throughout the health system.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on process improvement and project management, including acting as principal advisor and aiding decision makers in identifying initiative opportunities, risks, targets, and success factors.
• Keep abreast of methodologies and technologies in process improvement and project management, and leverage the most effective tools available within available resources.
• Prepare and submit an annual operational budget, manage effectively within this budget, and report accurately on progress made and challenges encountered.
• Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the University’s policies and applicable law. Responsible for interviewing, hiring, training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising process; mentoring and developing direct reports; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing and resolving problems.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree and/or Master’s degree in business administration, healthcare administration, industrial/systems engineering, or related field. Relevant, demonstrated experience will be considered in lieu of education requirements.

Certification and Licensing, preferred:

• Black Belt or Master Black Belt certified
• Lean Gold Certification
• Change Management certification

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years’ experience leading and managing a sustainable Process Improvement program, preferably in the healthcare industry. Academic Medical Center experience is a plus.
• Mastery level in application of Six Sigma and Lean tools with tangible impact. Enterprise-wide Lean transformation or Six Sigma program deployment experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience mentoring and developing people at all levels of the organization to successfully and consistently achieve high performance. Successful track record of leading Black Belts and/or LEAN/CI/SS projects to completion across multiple locations is a plus.
• Experience creating, administering, and conducting training programs for all levels of the organization.

Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes:

• Exceptional analytical, conceptual, and problem-solving skills required, including a thorough understanding of how to interpret business and user needs and translate them into technical requirements.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to work effectively with clinical and non-clinical leaders and staff.
• Strong team facilitation and negotiation skills
• Ability to express ideas and information clearly, effectively, and concisely, verbally and in writing.
• Works well with all levels of the organization (Senior Executives to Front Line Staff)
• Exceptional strategic and systems-thinking skills.
• Able to influence without direct reporting responsibility
• Strong Program Management skills, including the ability to evaluate workload and available resources and prioritize effectively.
• Knowledge of business statistics, quantitative methods, process analysis, and development of business process dashboards, scorecards and KPI’s.
• Ability to quickly obtain and understand the needs of the organization and user community.
• Ability to sustain high-level proficiency in all aspects of the job.
• Proven ability to help guide programs and manage employees, with a wide range of skills and experience, at all levels in the company.
• Computer literate with proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Access. Experience in statistical analysis packages a plus (SPSS, SAS, Matlab, R, etc.).
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, and to work under pressure and stressful situations.
• Prioritizes and handles multiple assignments at any given time while maintaining commitment to deadlines.

Any appropriate combination of relevant education, experience and/or certifications may be considered.