The Senior System-Level Improvement Specialist serves as a strategic partner and expert resource to UPMC's executive and operational leaders in driving large-scale, system-wide improvement initiatives. This role leads complex, high-impact improvement initiatives that advance the organization's goals in quality performance-directly influencing outcomes across UPMC's hospitals.
The Senior Improvement Specialist applies advanced improvement science, change management, and data analytics to achieve measurable, sustainable improvements. The position requires expertise in executive facilitation, strategic alignment, and the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights for decision-making.
This hybrid role will work standard business hours Monday through Friday. If you have prior experience with Vizient and a master's degree, this could be the next step in your career. Apply today!
Responsibilities: - Measures and analyzes data to understand and interpret information to focus on the right problem to solve.
- Skilled with representing UPMC by presenting accomplishments to regional and national forms.
- When assigned, completes special projects and performs other related duties according to agreed upon goals and parameters.
- Effectively communicates improvements that are made to work teams, staff, managers and administrators throughout the organization and UPMC Health System.
- Leads improvement utilizing various approaches such as TPS/Lean/PDSA or others as appropriate.
- Creates a supportive environment in the department, system or service line where improvement is being done that is sensitive to address the issues and needs of that area by regularly consulting with the Executive Sponsor, Director and front line staff.
- Works to ensure that quality improvement and innovation work remains focused on one more of the following goals: patient centeredness, staff vitality, process efficiency and waste reduction and safe and reliable patient care.
- Assess system/facility/departmental readiness and identifies strategies to achieve goals.
- Partners with all system divisional leaders to implement and deploy system and local change.
- Strategizes and drives Quality/Improvement agenda.
- Effectively coordinates the assessment of current operational processes at various UPMC entities.
- Acts as a lead in absence of the Director.
- Directs work to look at alternative more efficient/effective approaches.
- Partners with all system divisional leaders to implement and deploy system and local change.
- Demonstrate exceptional improvement skills using the UPMC improvement model to drive system level improvement.
- Leads and engages teams across the organization and interacts with all levels of executives at times.
- Utilized expert engagement approaches to drive change.
- Assess system/facility/departmental readiness and identifies strategies to achieve goals.
- Designs models for testing various approaches and evaluating effectiveness.
- Maintains accountability for ongoing self-development activities especially related to presentation facilitation, change management and application of quality improvement activities.
- May Manage direct reports.
Qualifications: - Master's degree, or UPMC approved certification, or completion of two years in a four-year bachelor's to PhD/DNP program required.
- Master's degree is strongly preferred for this role.
- Minimum seven years of improvement experience with five years in Quality and or healthcare experience required.
- Strong sepsis and improvement experience preferred.
- Knowledge of information systems and process improvement techniques.
- Experience applying quality improvement methodologies for Vizient Quality & Accountability aligned initiatives, including performance analysis, implementation of improvement strategies, and outcomes evaluation strongly preferred.
- Must be able to demonstrate skills to understand and interpret data
- Ability to establish and maintain positive, caring relationships with executives, managers, physicians, non-physician providers, ancillary and support staff, other departments, and patients/families.
- Ability to work productively and effectively within a complex environment, handle multiple/changing priorities and specialized equipment. Exemplary critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving abilities required as related to various aspects of patient care.
- Critical thinking skills necessary to exercise and to lead others.
- Mobility and visual manual dexterity.
- Physical stamina for frequent walking, standing, lifting.
Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances: - UPMC approved certification or master's degree in a related field required. Must maintain certification status
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