REGIONAL MANAGER OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE (OPEX)

General Purpose of Job:

The Regional Manager, Operational Excellence is responsible for leading, guiding, and supporting continuous improvement efforts throughout the UM Health Regional Network. This leader will drive improvements that optimize operational efficiency, quality, and financial outcomes across the region. They will lead teams in applying proven improvement methodologies, manage operational priorities, and ensure the organization is able to sustain improvements effectively.

An important aspect of this role is the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) review process, a critical ongoing task that requires coordination and oversight. The Regional Manager will be responsible for ensuring that this process is well-managed and proper communications channels are open with leadership. This includes evaluating staffing needs, optimizing resource allocation, and making recommendations to support financial sustainability and operational efficiency within the network.

The role is essential to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence throughout the organization. This leader will guide projects and initiatives across functional areas to drive measurable results, working with leaders to develop strategies and goals that align with broader system priorities.

The Regional Manager, Operational Excellence will focus on strategic and tactical leadership, supporting operational and clinical leaders to execute the continuous improvement strategy across the region.

Essential Duties:

This job description is intended to cover the minimum essential duties assigned on a regular basis. Team members may be asked to perform additional duties as assigned by their leader. Leadership has the right to alter or modify the duties of the position.

• Provides direction and mentorship to Operational Excellence Specialists (OPEX) and measures department improvement needs in alignment with UM Health Regional Network strategic goals and objectives.
• Leads the recruitment process for new OPEX Specialists.
• Provides/coordinates staff orientation and development opportunities.
• Develops tactical and strategic project plans for the OPEX Office. This would include area operational and capital budgets, and resource utilization planning and allocation.
• Monitor's the OPEX's operational and capital budgets and ensures these expenditures are within budget standards and guidelines.
• Manages the OPEX's functional team(s) and provides leadership in the support, development, and growth of the functional areas.
• Provides leadership, coaching, and mentoring to the OPEX Office team members.
• Provides ongoing and annual evaluations and performance reviews of the OPEX Office's team members.
• Serves as the primary contact for OPEX Office operations and processes. Analyze and evaluate business plans and initiatives to enable strategic investment recommendations and issue resolution.
• Has direct oversight and responsibility for FTE management. Though collaboration, analysis and research; the manager will, in partnership with the office of the president, develop thought and accurate recommendation on new and replacement FTEs.
• Analyze various data sets (from Epic to income statements) and create reports & dashboards.
• Maage project tracking and administration. Effectively employs process improvement, project management, and change leadership methodologies (including, but not limited to LEAN Process
• Management, Project Management Institute (PMI) methodologies, Kotter) to drive, implement, and sustain enhancements across UM Health Regional Network, ensuring that process, quality, and financial outcomes of improvement initiatives are achieved within specified timeframes. Ensure clear measurements are established for each project and that they align with organizational metrics.
• Collaborate closely with system and hospital executives, sponsors, and operational and clinical departments to champion projects, drive results, and foster a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring alignment with the UM Health Regional Network's strategic goals and objectives through identification, guidance, coaching, implementation, and measurement of departmental improvement needs.
• Serves as a catalyst for fostering a culture of excellence and perpetual improvement across the organization.
• Passionately adopts a customer-centric approach to process enhancements, identifying core drivers to deliver an outstanding patient experience.
• Leads Value Stream Analysis (VSA), Action Workouts (AWO), and other improvement and related events with Executive level leadership.
• Leads implementation of Strategy Deployment for the UM Health Regional Network.
• Act as a respectful and insightful influence, revitalizing momentum and fostering openness to change when groups face stagnation or resistance to altering the status quo.