As an Associate Vice President of Performance Improvement & Operational Excellence, you will:
• Develop and oversee the Operational Excellence strategy, aligning it with enterprise strategic priorities.
• Lead the design, implementation, and standardization of performance improvement initiatives across hospitals, clinics, and ambulatory sites.
• Oversee Adventist’s Standard Management Approach framework, ensuring widespread adoption of process excellence methodologies.
• Drive Lean Six Sigma transformations, embedding continuous improvement principles within the organization.
• Use data analytics to measure, track, and improve key performance indicators (KPIs) or measures of success (MOSs) related to quality, efficiency, and patient outcomes.
• Ensure all initiatives support financial sustainability, patient safety, and regulatory compliance (including CMS, HSCRC, and Joint Commission standards).
• Champion the organization’s journey to Baldrige Performance Excellence, ensuring system-wide alignment and readiness.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Lean Six Sigma experts, performance improvement specialists, and project managers.
• Build a culture of continuous learning by designing and implementing internal training programs on Lean, Six Sigma, and Baldrige principles.
• Act as a trusted advisor and thought partner to senior leadership, helping to shape enterprise-wide transformation efforts.
• Serve as the primary liaison between operations, clinical leadership, and administrative teams to ensure a unified approach to operational excellence.
• Create a performance-driven mindset among frontline staff, middle management, and executives through coaching, facilitation, and leadership engagement.
• Responsible for the selection and hiring of new PE & OE team members.
• Conducts ongoing evaluation of the team. Manages and mentors the team to promote professional and personal development.
• Ensures budget compliance.
• Aligns resource allocation with system priorities.
• Evaluate and improve departmental performance on a continuous basis.
• Coaches and develops team members to the top of licensure skill set.
• Establish and oversee a project governance model to prioritize and execute high-impact improvement initiatives aligned with system strategy.
• Facilitates improvement teams through the life cycle of an idea and project. • The AVP is the subject matter expert on improvement methodologies and serves as an internal consultant.
• Ensure application and sustainable infrastructure for a system-wide project governance strategy.
• Develop and implement a change management framework to ensure the sustainability of process improvements.
• Identify and eliminate barriers to transformation by engaging frontline teams and leaders in problem-solving.
• Monitor adherence to performance improvement methodologies and provide executive-level reporting on initiative outcomes.
• Other duties as assigned
Qualifications Include:
• Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Health Systems, Public Health, Nursing, Business Administration, or a relevant field is preferred
• A minimum of seven years of Lean Six Sigma project experience and progressive leadership experience in a healthcare setting is required.
• Minimum of seven years in a Lean Six Sigma Transformation working environment required.
• Strong expertise in process reengineering and data-driven decision-making required
• Experience with Malcolm Baldrige Framework & a Malcolm Baldrige Examiner preferred. Willingness to become internal subject matter expert required.
• Seven or more years of management/leadership experience.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification is required.
• Deep healthcare system experience, preferably within a multi-hospital or integrated delivery network (IDN)
• Proven experience leading enterprise-wide Lean Six Sigma transformations within an acute-care setting.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex cross-functional projects
• Ability to monitor, analyze, and present performance data and design and implement process-related action plans to improve performance or adherence to standards or regulations
• Proven experience facilitating Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, Process Mapping, 5S workshops, and Root Cause Analysis sessions required
• Must have advanced leadership skills with demonstrated ability to successfully serve as a coach and mentor to Green Belts
• Advanced level competency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint required
• Experience utilizing statistical analysis software such as Minitab Engage required
• Experience working and coaching in a Team STEPPS-embraced environment required
• Strong customer service and organizational skills.
• Experience with a large multi-unit healthcare system preferred
Work Schedule:
Day Shift
#GR8 Other
Pay Range:
$187,186.20 - $280,779.29If the salary range is listed as $0 or if the position is Per Diem (with a fixed rate), salary discussions will take place during the screening process.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), this position is classified as:
United States of America (Exempt)At Adventist HealthCare our job is to care for you.
We do this by offering:
Work life balance through nonrotating shifts
Recognition and rewards for professional expertise
Free Employee parking
Medical, Prescription, Dental, and Vision coverage for employees and their eligible dependents effective on your date of hire
Employer-paid Short & Long-Term Disability, Basic Life Insurance and AD&D, (short-term disability buy-up available)
Paid Time Off
Employer retirement contribution and match after 1-year of eligible employment with a 3-year vesting period
Voluntary benefits include flexible spending accounts, legal plans, and life, pet, auto, home, long term care, and critical illness & accident insurance
Subsidized childcare at participating childcare centers
Tuition Reimbursement
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) support
As a faith-based organization, with over a century of caring for the communities in the Maryland area, Adventist HealthCare has earned a reputation for high-quality, compassionate care. Adventist HealthCare was the first and is the largest healthcare provider in Montgomery County.
If you want to make a difference in someone’s life every day, consider a position with a team of professionals who are doing just that, making a difference.
Join the Adventist HealthCare team today, apply now to be considered!
COVID-19 Vaccination
Adventist HealthCare strongly recommends all applicants to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before commencing employment. Applicants may be required to furnish proof of vaccination.
Tobacco and Drug Statement
Tobacco use is a well-recognized preventable cause of death in the United States and an important public health issue. In order to promote and maintain a healthy work environment, Adventist HealthCare will not hire applicants for employment who either state that they are nicotine users or who test positive for nicotine and drug use.
While some jurisdictions, including Maryland, permit the use of marijuana for medical purposes, marijuana continues to be classified as an illegal drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act. As a result, medical marijuana use will not be accepted as a valid explanation for a positive drug test result.
Adventist HealthCare will withdraw offers of employment to applicants who test positive for Cotinine (nicotine) and marijuana. Those testing positive are given the opportunity to re-apply in 90 days, if they can truthfully attest that they have not used any nicotine products in the past ninety (90) days and successfully pass follow-up testing. ("Nicotine products" include, but are not limited to: cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, vaping products, hookah, and nicotine replacement products (e.g., nicotine gum, nicotine patches, nicotine lozenges, etc.).
Equal Employment Opportunity
Adventist HealthCare is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We are committed to attracting, engaging, and developing the best people to cultivate our mission-centric culture. Our goal is to have a welcoming, equitable, and safe place to work and grow for all employees, no matter their background. AHC does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy and related medical conditions, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Adventist HealthCare will make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, in accordance with applicable law. Adventist HealthCare is a religious organization as defined under applicable law; however, it will endeavor to provide reasonable accommodations for applicants’ religious beliefs.
Applicants who wish to request accommodations for disabilities or religious belief should contact the Support Center HR Office.