Cont Improvement Spec Lead (underfill senior)

Job Summary

NOTE: This position is embedded in the Department of Internal Medicine and reports to the Manager of the Department's Clinical Experience and Quality program. This position may be filled at a Lead or Senior level depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate. 

The Department of Internal Medicine has more than 1,000 faculty and over 300 residents and fellows within 13 specialty divisions. The Department's Clinical Experience and Quality (CEQ) program supports short-term small- and large-scale projects across the department and in collaboration with other departments and programs throughout the institution. 

Our vision is to create a culture of improvement throughout the Department. We foster a high-reliability culture that promotes belonging & inclusion, improves patient access, prioritizes safety & quality, and enhances the patient and staff experience. We aim to partner and equip healthcare professionals with knowledge and tools to lead problem-solving efforts and spread best practices throughout the department, organization, and beyond.

We achieve measurable results through the application of continuous improvement, change, and project management principles, concepts, systems, and tools:

• Leading and Facilitating Problem Solving: We empower teams to identify problems, understand root causes, develop countermeasures, and design systems to sustain improvements.
• Value Stream Optimization: Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, we analyze healthcare processes to enhance patient care and operational efficiency.
• Data Analytics and Performance Measurement: Utilizing data insights, we inform decision-making, measure performance indicators, and drive quality enhancements.
• Change Management: We guide teams through change, ensuring smooth transitions and sustainable adoption of new practices.

Responsibilities*

Continuous Improvement Specialist Lead

The Continuous Improvement Specialist Lead will work in the Department of Internal Medicine's Clinical Experience and Quality team, in collaboration with other Continuous Improvement Specialists, faculty, operational leaders, and staff. The Lead serves as a subject matter expert in Continuous Improvement, Change Management, and Project Management, providing strategic direction and leadership for complex, high-impact improvement initiatives across the department.

The Lead operates independently, anticipates organizational challenges, identifies opportunities for improvement, and guides interdisciplinary teams in developing sustainable, measurable solutions. This position is responsible for advancing the department's continuous improvement capabilities, influencing organizational strategy, mentoring colleagues, and partnering with leaders to achieve operational, clinical, and organizational objectives.

Lead Complex Improvement Efforts Through the Application of Continuous Improvement, Change and Project Management Principles, Concepts, Systems and Tools (80%)

• Independently leads and manages multiple complex, high-impact improvement initiatives that align with departmental and organizational strategic priorities. Establishes project scope, objectives, deliverables, timelines, resource requirements, and measures of success. Ensures projects achieve sustainable, measurable outcomes.
• Establishes priorities and manages competing demands across multiple initiatives. Evaluates new improvement opportunities, assesses organizational readiness, recommends resource allocation, and makes independent decisions regarding project direction and implementation strategies.
• Anticipates and navigates highly complex, ambiguous, and politically sensitive situations. Recognizes organizational dynamics, competing priorities, and potential barriers. Develops strategies to create clarity, build alignment, and move initiatives forward.
• Proactively identifies, evaluates, and mitigates risks and barriers that may affect project outcomes. Escalates significant concerns when appropriate and recommends solutions to address complex organizational challenges.
• Demonstrates expert-level application of continuous improvement and problem-solving tools and techniques, including A3 thinking, project scoping, current condition analysis, process mapping, data analysis, root cause analysis, prioritization of experiments, implementation planning, and control plans. Guides others in selecting and applying appropriate tools to complex problems.
• Serves as a recognized subject matter expert in Continuous Improvement and Lean methodologies. Evaluates emerging practices, research, and innovations within and outside healthcare. Incorporates relevant best practices into departmental improvement strategies and advises leaders and colleagues on opportunities for innovation.
• Leads the collection, analysis, and interpretation of complex quantitative and qualitative data to identify improvement opportunities, evaluate interventions, and measure outcomes. Establishes meaningful performance measures and monitoring processes to ensure improvements are effective and sustainable.
• Partners with faculty, operational leaders, and staff to assess strategic business objectives, operational challenges, improvement priorities, and organizational learning needs. Recommends improvement approaches that enhance patient experience, quality, safety, efficiency, productivity, and resource utilization.
• Identifies opportunities to redesign and standardize business and clinical processes. Evaluates existing workflows, emerging technologies, and information systems to recommend sustainable solutions that improve operational performance and support organizational goals.
• Leads interdisciplinary teams through the design, implementation, and evaluation of complex improvement initiatives. Builds commitment to change, addresses resistance, and mobilizes individuals and groups to achieve shared objectives.
• Expertly facilitates challenging conversations and complex group dynamics, including situations involving competing priorities, differing perspectives, and significant conflict. Guides teams toward shared understanding, informed decisions, accountability, and actionable solutions.
• Independently develops and delivers clear, compelling written and verbal communications to faculty, staff, operational leaders, and executive audiences. Translates complex information and data into meaningful insights and actionable recommendations. Adapts communication strategies to influence decisions and support organizational change.
• Leads and facilitates high-stakes meetings, workshops, and presentations involving diverse stakeholders. Designs effective facilitation approaches that encourage participation, build psychological safety, surface differing perspectives, and enable groups to make decisions and achieve deliverables. Adapts strategies in real time to meet group needs and objectives.
• Builds and maintains strategic relationships across departments, disciplines, and organizational levels. Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of formal and informal organizational structures, leadership relationships, and cultural dynamics. Leverages these relationships to build collaboration, influence change, and achieve organizational priorities.
• Advises departmental leaders on continuous improvement strategies, emerging challenges, and opportunities for system-level change. Contributes to the development of departmental improvement priorities and approaches that support long-term organizational effectiveness.

Develop Individuals' and the Organization's Continuous Improvement Capabilities (15%)

• Independently coaches faculty, operational leaders, individuals, and interdisciplinary teams in the application of continuous improvement principles, problem-solving methodologies, change management, and project management. Develops others? critical thinking, leadership, and improvement capabilities through effective questioning, feedback, and experiential learning.
• Leads the development, evaluation, and enhancement of continuous improvement educational programs, curricula, and learning resources. Designs and delivers training tailored to varying levels of experience, professional roles, and organizational needs.
• Advances the department's continuous improvement culture by identifying opportunities to integrate improvement thinking and practices into daily operations, leadership activities, and organizational decision-making.
• Serves as a lead mentor and resource for less experienced Continuous Improvement Specialists and other colleagues. Provides guidance on complex projects, facilitation strategies, stakeholder engagement, analytical approaches, and professional development. Creates opportunities for experiential learning, collaboration, and skill development.
• Promotes the sharing and adoption of improvement knowledge, best practices, lessons learned, and successful interventions across the department and broader organization. Identifies opportunities to strengthen consistency, effectiveness, and sustainability of improvement practices.
• Maintains advanced knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies, healthcare quality, change management, and organizational development. Evaluates emerging trends and innovations and recommends approaches to enhance the organization's continuous improvement capabilities.

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

Continuous Improvement Specialist Senior

The Continuous Improvement Specialist Senior will work in the Department of Internal Medicine's Clinical Experience and Quality team, in collaboration with other Continuous Improvement Specialists, faculty, operational leaders, and staff. 

Manage improvement efforts through the application of Continuous Improvement, Change, and Project Management principles, concepts, systems, and tools (80%)

• Manages own deliverables and workload efficiently and effectively. Manages multiple projects, achieves deliverables on time and with high quality. Assesses new requests, defines prioritization and resource needs. 
• Works effectively with large levels of ambiguity. Recognizes and manages emotions in ambiguous situations. Tolerates highly complex situations. Uses processes, structure, and tools to find clarity and direction. 
• Communicates and escalates barriers and risks.
• Applies problem-solving tools/techniques with minimal guidance and coaching: A3 problem-solving thinking, scoping, current condition, data analysis, root cause analysis, prioritizing experiments, and control Plans.
• Is knowledgeable of continuous improvement/lean industry and demonstrates ability to share issues, trends, and future innovation. Applies this knowledge to clients and colleagues. 
• Analyzes data and understands information. Applies common tools and techniques independently, appropriate to scope of problem and client request.
• Assesses clients? business objectives, goals and learning needs.
• Motivates and mobilizes others to action. Guides the design of creative solutions. Identifies strengths and gaps between leadership and the working group
• Facilitates others through minor conflict or through early stages of more complex situations.  Helps the group find clarity in ambiguous and complex situations. Drives conversations, asks difficult questions, speaks up when necessary.  Conducts crucial conversations. Discerns when to take the lead and when to let the group conversation proceed.  Is comfortable with silence.
• Communicates with minimal guidance. Develops and presents written and verbal communication with individuals and groups at all levels of the organization.  Chooses approach, language, and style appropriately. Tailors verbal and written communication to any audience.
• Co-presents collaboratively and supportively. Organizes information effectively. Communicates clearly in a variety of formal presentation settings. Modulates tone, volume, pace and nonverbals. Changes tactics mid-stream if something isn't working.
• With minimal guidance, facilitates groups to make decisions and complete deliverables. Creates sound facilitation plans that provide structures and processes for groups to make decisions and complete deliverables. Builds trusting relationships, creates psychological safety and encourages open dialogue. Invites participation from all participants and opposing perspectives. Is flexible in presentation style, analyzes and adapts approach as needed.
• Develops diverse relationships and navigates organizational structures. Understands and uses formal and informal organizational structures (hierarchies, committees, leadership, matrix relationships, influential individuals, etc.). Anticipates how new situations will affect individuals and groups. Is attuned to cross-cultural sensitivities.

Develop Individual's and Organization's Continuous Improvement Capabilities (15%)

• Coach individuals and small teams with minimal guidance. Listens deeply, suspending assumptions and biases. Develops the thinking of others through questions, activities, tools, and processes
• Develops curriculum and teaches CI tools and concepts with minimal guidance.
• Continuously learns and shares to advance CI knowledge across the team and organization.
• Mentors less experienced staff and/or other colleagues with minimal guidance. Serves as orientation buddy; provides opportunities for others to shadow; coaches an academic or resident/fellow team; mentors staff.

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

Required Qualifications*

Lead Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Nursing, Health Administration, Quality Improvement, other healthcare field, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Master's preferred.
• At least 6 years of continuous improvement experience (a few examples include Lean, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, Quality Improvement, Kaizen, PDCA, Rapid Cycle Improvement, Total Quality Management).
• Demonstrated experience independently leading complex, cross-functional continuous improvement initiatives that result in measurable and sustainable improvements.
• Excellent communication skills demonstrated in oral, written, and presentation/teaching formats, including the ability to communicate effectively with faculty, staff, operational leaders, and senior leadership.
• Excellent interpersonal skills (including coaching, mentoring, and feedback), as demonstrated by the ability to influence and work effectively with individuals and teams across disciplines and organizational levels.
• Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge, develop educational content, and determine/provide appropriate learning experiences for individuals and teams with varying levels of continuous improvement experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change, navigate ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and facilitate conflict resolution in complex situations.
• Demonstrated advanced time management, organizational, and project management skills, including the ability to independently prioritize and lead multiple complex initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to identify improvement opportunities, evaluate interventions, and measure outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to guide and mentor others in the application of continuous improvement methodologies, problem-solving tools, and facilitation techniques.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and make decisions of significance within the scope of responsibility.

Senior Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Nursing, Health Administration, Quality Improvement, other health care field or equivalent combination of education and experience.  Master's preferred. 
• At least 4 years of continuous improvement experience (a few examples include Lean, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, Quality Improvement, Kaizen, PDCA, Rapid Cycle Improvement, Total Quality Management).
• Excellent communication skills demonstrated in oral, written, and presentation/teaching formats.
• Excellent interpersonal skills (includes coaching and feedback), as demonstrated by the ability to work effectively with individuals and/or teams, across disciplines.
• Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge and determine/provide appropriate learning experiences for customers.
• Demonstrated change management and conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstrated time management, organizational, and project management skills.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Demonstrated ability to work with minimal direction, as appropriate.

Desired Qualifications*

Lead Desired Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience applying continuous improvement methodologies such as PDCA, Lean, Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, and/or Rapid Cycle Improvement in the work setting.
• Experience identifying, implementing, and evaluating process and quality improvements in a healthcare setting, including the use of data to improve operational performance, patient outcomes, safety, efficiency, or service delivery
• Master's degree in Industrial Engineering, Nursing, Health Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• Advanced certification in Continuous Performance Improvement, such as Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Lean

Senior Desired Qualifications: 

• 6+ years of experience in applying continuous improvement methodologies such as PDCA, Lean, Six Sigma, total quality management and/or rapid cycle improvement in the work setting.
• Experience identifying, implementing, and evaluating process and quality improvements in a healthcare setting, including the use of data to improve operational performance, patient outcomes, safety, efficiency, or service delivery
• Certificate in Continuous Performance Improvement, such as Lean, Lean Six Sigma or other professional certification, is preferred. 
• Experience with analytical tools to complete data analyses and mathematical modeling is preferred. 

Why Join Michigan Medicine?

Michigan Medicine is one of the largest health care complexes in the world and has been the site of many groundbreaking medical and technological advancements since the opening of the U-M Medical School in 1850. Michigan Medicine is comprised of over 30,000 employees and our vision is to attract, inspire, and develop outstanding people in medicine, sciences, and healthcare to become one of the world?s most distinguished academic health systems.  In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. Work at Michigan Medicine and become a victor for the greater good.

What Benefits can you Look Forward to?

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage effective on your very first day
• 2:1 Match on retirement savings

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Underfill Statement

This position may be underfilled at a lower classification depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate.

Additional Information

This position will be eligible for mobile/remote mode of work, however, there are some required in-person meetings which occur approximately 2-3 times per month. Additional in-person meetings may be required from time to time depending on specific project needs. Flexible work opportunities are determined at the discretion of the hiring department. Flexible work agreements are reviewed annually and are subject to change depending on the business needs of the team throughout the course of employment.

Background Screening

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third-party administrator to conduct background screenings.  Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.