University of California San Diego

Project Management Specialist - 140750

Healthcare
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 9 years of relevant experience or a Bachelor's Degree in organizational development, business administration, human resources, or related area with 5 years' project management experience.
  • Experience in overseeing and managing planning, design, and implementation of large-scale healthcare projects.
  • Advanced understanding of organizational development theories for strategic intervention implementation.
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving, project planning and implementation skills.
  • Highly skilled in facilitation, consulting, and relationship building.
  • Excellent verbal, written communication, and presentation skills.
  • Ability to coach and influence individuals at all levels.

Responsibilities

  • Lead enterprise-wide change management efforts for health system initiatives.
  • Develop and deliver comprehensive change management strategies for complex projects.
  • Act as a liaison between Senior Leadership and initiative champions, managing key relationships.
  • Advise on the organization's plans and their implications for change.
  • Make recommendations to enhance sustainability and change adoption.
  • Foster a culture of process improvement and resource efficiency throughout the organization.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health benefits package.
  • Generous paid time off and holidays.
  • Retirement plan options with employer contributions.
  • Professional development opportunities including training and certifications.
  • Supportive work environment encouraging diversity and inclusion.
Full Job Description
Payroll Title:
ORGANIZATIONAL CNSLT 4 Department:
Quality & Patient Safety Hiring Pay Scale
$120,000 - $160,000 / Year Worksite:
Kearny Mesa Appointment Type:
Career Appointment Percent:
100% Union:
Uncovered Total Openings:
1 Work Schedule:
Days, 8-Hour Shift, Monday-Friday

#140750 Project Management Specialist
Filing Deadline: Tue 9/1/2026
Apply Now

DESCRIPTION

The Project Management Specialist is responsible for identifying opportunities for organizational enhancement, organizing and leading multidisciplinary teams of senior management personnel, establishing goals and objectives, leading execution, and institutionalizing changes thereby evolving and improving the organization.

Position will lead projects and programs in the areas of:
  • Lead and manage major change initiatives improving patient safety processes (Redesign the incident reporting platform and associated processes to drive patient safety improvements).
  • Quality and Patient Safety initiatives (e.g. Culture of Patient Safety Survey and associated performance improvement, Significant Events Committee, Just Culture)
  • Operational excellence and efficiency (e.g. QIP Program Initiatives)
  • Health System general management (e.g. Lean Initiatives)
This position is part of UC San Diego Health's Quality and Patient Safety team and works collaboratively with senior management to direct the planning, design, and implementation of strategic projects with the underlying strategic goal of creating a world class academic medical system focused on patient experience, clinical excellence, performance management, and growth.

This is a high-level project management position in an extremely demanding academic medical center environment that requires a comprehensive understanding of all elements of health care delivery, including quality and safety, strategy, business planning, operations, workforce challenges, and financial considerations.

Position requires excellent project management skills including organization of complex data sets, establishment of aggressive but realizable goals aligned with organizational strategic objectives, visionary leadership of diverse senior level individuals, thorough attention to implementation detail, and the ultimate ability to institutionalize gains achieved into the ongoing fabric of the organization.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
  • Lead large enterprise-wide change management efforts related to health system initiatives.
  • Create, develop, and deliver change management strategy for complex projects. This includes, but is not limited to, using the methodology to identify resistance, performance gaps, and the development and implementation of corrective actions to close those gaps.
  • Manage the relationships and interfaces with multiple departments by acting as a liaison with Senior Leadership and initiative champions.
  • Advise on the implications of the organization's plans and actions.
  • Make recommendations on factors that may influence change adoption and sustainability.
  • Support and build a culture of process improvement and efficient use of resources at all levels of the University.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
  • Nine (9) years of relevant experience OR a Bachelor's Degree in organizational development, business administration, human resources, or a related area and five (5) years or more of relevant project management experience.
  • Experience must include overseeing and managing the planning, design, and implementation of large-scale projects within a healthcare setting.
  • Advanced knowledge of the organizational development and effectiveness field, theories, and models to assess, design, and implement customized, strategic organizational interventions.
  • Demonstrates strong analytical, problem-solving, project planning and implementation skills.
  • Highly skilled in facilitation, consulting and relationship building.
  • Applies strong verbal, written communication and presentation skills.
  • Possesses strong consulting, relationship building, and strategic thinking skills.
  • Demonstrates skill in consulting to managers and groups at all levels.
  • Ability to coach, facilitate, and influence people at all levels.
  • Demonstrates ability to learn quickly, reason, synthesize, and generalize based on information obtained; sound judgment; ability to draw unbiased conclusions.
  • Ability to focus on priorities, strategies, and vision.
  • Knowledge of the consulting process to effectively lead engagements from inception to conclusion.
  • Ability to persuade through both logic and appeal to positive motivations.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Master's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Public Health, Organizational Development, or related field.
  • CPHQ certification.
  • Lean Six Sigma training and certification.
  • Process improvement/project management experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
  • Training or certification in project management principles and methodologies e.g. PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP etc.
  • Experience managing enterprise-wide initiatives within an academic medical center.
  • Experience leading organizational change management efforts for complex operational, technology, or enterprise transformation initiatives.
  • Experience working within an academic medical center.
  • Experience translating healthcare policy and regulatory requirements into operational strategy and implementation plans.
  • Exposure to process improvement methodologies (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma - Yellow Belt or higher) with experience applying structured problem-solving approaches (e.g. root cause analysis, process mapping).
  • Experience supporting enterprise transformation, operational improvement, digital transformation, AI/automation, or Epic-related initiatives.
  • Proficiency with project, portfolio, and operational management tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Wrike, Asana, Visio, Power BI, Tableau, Jira, or similar platforms).
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
  • Must be able to work various hours and locations based on business needs.
  • Employment is subject to a criminal background check and pre-employment physical.
Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: $111,300 - $211,100 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: $53.30 - $101.10

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

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About University of California San Diego

The University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is the seventh-oldest of the 10 University of California campuses and offers over 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, enrolling approximately 38,325 students. UC San Diego is organized into six undergraduate residential colleges (Revelle, John Muir, Thurgood Marshall, Earl Warren, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Sixth College) and five academic divisions (Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Jacobs School of Engineering, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences). The university operates 19 organized research units (ORUs), including the Center for Energy Research, Qualcomm Institute (a branch of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology), and the San Diego Supercomputer Center.
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