PURPOSE AND SCOPE:

Contributes to the overall reduction of costs and improved patient outcomes within the Operational Excellence group by driving and directing approaches to process improvement and problem solving.  Provides guidance, support, and expertise to ensure the appropriate implementation of the program – providing training and education to the pertinent personnel as needed.  Cultivates partnerships with the appropriate management to ensure the required level of support to achieve program goals and objectives.  Ensures all initiatives and projects are conducted in compliance with relevant regulatory requirements, and according to company standards, policies, and procedures.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Utilizing knowledge and proficiency in change management, collaborates with stakeholders to identify and define problems pertaining to inefficiencies and to eliminate waste within the division facilities and programs.  
  • Oversees the development, planning and implementation of processes to address and correct the identified problems and to improve processes and procedures. 
  • Identifies anticipated benefits, quantifies targeted results, and assists with the establishment of measurement criteria and in the prioritization of the initiatives.  
• Supports the implementation and management of programs to transform department, area, and regional performance with respect to customer service, productivity, operations, and finance, providing support, advice, and expertise.  Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:
  • Collaborating with the appropriate personnel to identify opportunities within all departments and across departmental lines. Organizes and leads meetings with department and/or area/regional leaders and stakeholders and assisting with brainstorming to identify and prioritize improvement opportunities to select those providing the most impact such as improving clinical outcomes and/or financial outcomes. Evaluates and analyzes data and trends to assist in the identification of improvement opportunities and associated issues and risks.  
  • Overseeing the development and planning of the improvement projects
  • Utilizing project management tools such as Gant charts, process mapping, workflow process diagrams and spaghetti charts to provide pertinent oversight and project management for the long-term projects as appropriate.
  • Providing support and guidance throughout the division regarding project management and the application of change management methodology and tools to ensure success of local/core functional area projects.  May assist with local project team self-analysis, implementation, and providing step-by-step coaching as needed.
  • Facilitating meetings with local and regional management to review and evaluate project progress toward achievement of stated project goals and objectives.  Identifies and applies changes as needed to ensure project success.
  • Taking the required actions to ensure that the projects remain on time, on-budget, and that they deliver the expected results.
  • Quantifying, tracking, and providing supporting documentation regarding all projects and process improvement initiatives.
  • Assisting and taking the required actions on projects where the pertinent team is encountering difficulties with “root cause” identification and/or implementing the necessary changes. Work with the pertinent personnel to assist Team in eliminating “roadblocks”.

• Responsible for providing stakeholders with the appropriate reports, updates and analyses regarding initiatives and process change program implementations.
•  Identifies quantifiable metrics and benchmarks to measure and evaluate process improvement initiatives for general implementation and to ensure achievement of stated goals and objectives (such as cost savings over a period of time.)  May develop a Scoreboard concept to measure the success of implemented process improvements.
• Maintains current knowledge regarding best practices, identifying practices relevant to the services provided by the Division and communicating this knowledge to the pertinent team members and senior management. 
• May participate and contribute to the budget process as it pertains to projects including forecasting, reporting and actual-to-date monitoring.
• Requires excellent understanding of ScheduleWise systems and workflows.
• Works to support the VP Program Management of ScheduleWise on various large-scale projects with focus on providing training and support to their assigned group.
• Develops strategy and improved implementation and delivers the voice of the customer to VP Program Management.
• Requires excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Performs Level II support focused on area/regional/group outcomes and training.
• Completes proactive review of area/regional/group data to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:

• The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Significant travel to local meetings is required.

SUPERVISION:

• Mentors and develops Level I support personnel assigned as direct reports.
• Completes timely employee evaluations and establishes annual goals for direct report staff.
• Maintains current knowledge regarding FMCNA benefits, Human Resources policies, procedures, and processes and acts as a resource for direct report staff.
• Provides written documentation of all disciplinary conferences in accordance with the established personnel policies and confers with the VP Product Management and Human Resources regarding the nature of the disciplinary decisions.

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s Degree – Business Management, Technical or Healthcare specialization preferred.

EXPERIENCE AND REQUIRED SKILLS:        

• 5 – 8 years of project management or healthcare experience; or a Master’s degree with 3 years’ experience; or a PhD without experience; or equivalent directly related work experience.
• DMAIC project experience across broad functional areas in a services based (preferably healthcare) business environment.
• Formal Lean training and experience leveraging key Lean management tools and methods.
• Experience facilitating use of Value Stream Management and Kaizen tools and events.
• Proven leadership skills to develop and motivate a team.
• Demonstrated ability to foster positive relationships both with and among team members.
• A strong numerical comprehension and adeptness at working with statistics, analyzing and manipulating data, and making recommendations.
• Strong project management skills.
• An ability to structure and organize the analyses required to prove/disprove hypotheses.
• Supervisory experience preferred.

EO/AA Employer: Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

Fresenius Medical Care North America maintains a drug-free workplace in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.