Quality Improvement Specialist (Full-time Remote, North Carolina Based)

The Quality Improvement Specialist plans and executes organization-wide improvement projects in order to improve organizational performance and promote efficient use of resources through effective design, measurement and analysis of key clinical and operational processes.  Applies statistical techniques, root cause analysis, Lean, Six Sigma, and other process improvement tools and techniques with subject matter experts to drive effective interventions and track the implementation of those interventions. The Quality Improvement Specialist will manage several projects simultaneously.

This is a full-time remote opportunity. The selected candidate must reside in North Carolina and be available to come into the Home office (Morrisville, NC) for onsite meetings and trainings as needed.

Functions & Duties

Manage interdepartmental projects to achieve quality targets-

• Form a team of experts required for effective completion of the project, documenting the projected resources, dates, and goals
• Develop and adhere to a timeline and list of tasks and resources should be generated that will describe the project in detail and plot important dates, meetings, and prospective finish
• Prepare and present project reports on a regular basis to the Project Team, Executives, and the Board of Directors
• Conduct regular meetings with team members to discuss the status of the project and also to make necessary changes and improvements to achieve the desired results
• Motivate and influence staff assigned to the project in order to accomplish task(s) successfully Statistics, Sociology, Economics, Public Health, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Psychology or related social science
• Identify and promptly address any problems that may pose a risk to achieving the desired outcome of the project within the time and budget constraints
• Create and deliver presentations and trainings to variety of internal and external stakeholders as needed

Identify the root causes of quality issues to ensure the problem is well defined and can be addressed

• Leverage lean concepts to identify nonvalue-added elements and activities, and are able to use quality tools to identify failure points in processes
• Conduct process mapping exercises, design effective data collection plans, understand sources of performance variation, and communicate these principles effectively to a broad audience
• Define success targets based on internal and external requirements as well a well thought out business case

Effectively measure the key output variables to ensure all performance changes are accurately assessed

• Conduct statistical analysis of initial and repeat measures to evaluate efficacy of interventions and to improve approach to successfully resolving root cause as needed
• Design appropriate sampling plans and measurement systems to assess process capability and overall system performance
• Evaluate validity and accuracy of data sources to draw appropriate conclusions

Analyze changes in performance to determine the impacts of interventions

• Perform any required data analysis to evaluate performance gaps 
• Prepare comprehensive reports to ensuring adequate documentation and methodology to support findings and recommendations

Design and lead the implementation of effective interventions to drive improvement

• Generate and evaluate solution ideas using Lean methodologies to reduce and prevent waste
• Develop plans for implementing proposed improvements, including conducting pilot tests or simulations, and evaluate results to select the optimum solution

Develop a sustainable monitoring process and procedure that will ensure long-term success

• Verify reduction in failures due to the targeted root cause
• Ensure that all staff involved in the improvement efforts are trained to sustain the improvements and have a robust monitoring plan to detect future performance issues

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities required-

Advanced Project Management skills

Advanced Quality Improvement Methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, etc.)

Advanced Data Collection & Analysis skills

Advanced Microsoft Applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint etc.) skills

Advanced Communication Skills

Advanced Collaboration Skills (problem-solving, mediation, conflict resolution and team work)

Knowledge and experience with NCQA and HEDIS measurements

Medicaid Experience 

Financial management skills

Minimum Education & Experience-

Bachelor’s degree and five (5) years of experience leading project teams focused on large-scale quality improvement efforts and/or experience gathering, editing, and analyzing data for social and economic research; 

or  

Master’s degree and three (3) years of experience leading project teams focused on large-scale quality improvement efforts and/or experience gathering, editing, and analyzing data for social and economic research.

 Special Requirement-

Certification as a Lean practitioner and/or Six Sigma Black Belt is required within eighteen (18) months of employment