Quality, Risk & Continuous Improvement Manager - UPMC Kildare
UPMC Ireland
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
UPMC Ireland is seeking a Quality, Risk & Continuous Improvement Manager to lead the hospital’s quality and patient safety agenda. You will drive continual improvement, strengthen risk mitigation, and support accreditation processes across the organisation.
Responsibilities include leading audits, developing dashboards, and guiding multidisciplinary teams in policy development and the implementation of improvement initiatives. The role emphasizes governance and data‑driven decision making.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Healthcare Management, Quality, or related field (Master’s desirable).
- Training in Lean, Six Sigma, or quality improvement (Green/Black Belt advantageous).
- Experience in healthcare quality, patient safety, or risk management.
Responsibilities
- Lead hospital quality improvement programme and strategy.
- Develop, implement and monitor the hospital’s Quality Management System (QMS).
- Ensure compliance with national healthcare standards (HIQA, JCI, ISO, CHKS, JAG, HSA).
- Lead quality audits, coordinate action plans, and monitor improvement outcomes.
- Analyse quality data, produce dashboards, and present reports to senior leadership.
- Support policies and procedures development across clinical and non-clinical teams.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Location: UPMC Kildare Hospital
Job type: Permanent
The Quality, Risk & Continuous Improvement Manager is responsible for leading the hospital’s quality, patient safety, risk management, and continuous improvement agenda. The role ensures compliance with national standards, drives quality improvement initiatives, supports accreditation processes, and strengthens risk mitigation strategies across the organisation.
- Works incollaboration with the General manager, Director of Nursing , ChiefQuality and Compliance Officer , Medical Director and hospital leadershipin the development of the hospital quality improvement programme andstrategy.
- Develop, implement,and monitor the hospital’s Quality Management System (QMS).
- Ensure compliancewith national healthcare standards (e.g. HIQA, JCI, ISO, CHKS,JAG,HSA)
- Lead qualityaudits, coordinate action plans, and monitor improvement outcomes.
- Analyse qualitydata, produce dashboards, and present reports to senior leadership.
- Support clinicaland non‑clinical teams in developing and reviewing policies andprocedures.
- Oversee thehospital’s Risk Management Framework, including risk identification,assessment, mitigation, and monitoring.
- Lead incidentmanagement processes, including investigation, root cause analysis (RCA),and implementation of learning.
- Promote a cultureof open disclosure and support staff involved in incidents.
- Ensure statutoryreporting of incidents and risks where required.
- Implement andenhance patient safety initiatives (falls reduction, medication safety,infection prevention, etc.).
- Monitor safetyindicators and clinical outcomes; identify trends and support improvementstrategies.
- Facilitatemultidisciplinary patient safety committees.
- Support compliancewith safeguarding, patient rights, and safe‑care standards.
- Lead continuousimprovement activities using methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, PDSAcycles, and process mapping.
- Train and coachstaff on quality improvement tools and techniques.
- Facilitate cross‑departmentalimprovement projects and evaluate their effectiveness.
- Develop and trackKPIs to measure progress and ensure sustained improvement.
- Lead on thepreparation for internal and external inspections or accreditationsurveys.
- Ensuredocumentation, policies, and processes meet required standards.
- Liaise withregulators and accreditation bodies.
- Support servicedevelopment and change management programmes.
- Provide regularquality, risk, and patient safety reports to General Manager and Directorof Nursing.
- Maintain accuraterecords and ensure timely submission of compliance reports.
- Support clinicalaudit programmes and oversee audit action plans.
- Contribute togovernance meetings and promote evidence‑based decision‑making.
- Deliver training onrisk management, incident reporting, quality tools, and improvementmethodologies.
- Promote a cultureof safety, accountability, and continuous learning.
- Engage teamsthrough communication, feedback, and recognition of improvement efforts.
- Contribute to service development through appropriate continuous education, research initiatives, keeping up to date with literature, recent research and new developments in management, education and practice and attend staff study days as considered appropriate.
- Provide support/advice to those engaging in continuous professional development in his/her area of responsibility.
- Participate in the identification, development and delivery of induction, education, training and development programmes for nursing and non‑nursing staff.
- Participate in in-service training, orientation programmes and appraisals of all nursing staff.Also, participate in nurse training programmes and any other programmes pertaining to future development in the hospital.
- Provide support supervision and professional development of appropriate staff.
- Engage in performance review processes including personal development planning e.g., by setting own and staff objectives and providing and receiving feedback.
- Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Healthcare Management, Quality, or related field (Master’s desirable).
- Training in Lean, Six Sigma, or quality improvement (Green/Black Belt advantageous).
- Experience in healthcare quality, patient safety, or risk management.
- Have at least 5 years’ experience in healthcare administration.
- Experience with hospital accreditation essential – CHKS or JCI.
- Knowledge of healthcare standards and regulatory requirements.
- Demonstrate a high level of knowledge of developments within the healthcare quality.
- Demonstrate a knowledge of applying standards to practice, quality improvement process and quality and safety frameworks.
- Experience in the application of knowledge on standardisation to practice / process.
- Excellent IT skills: MS Office skills to include, MS Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, knowledge and experience of using an email system effectively e.g., Outlook.
- Leadership skills
- Quality‑focused decision‑making
- Strong organisational and project management skills
- Ability to influence and engage multiple stakeholders
- Problem‑solving and root cause analysis skills
- Data analysis and report development
- Strategic thinking and continuous improvement mindset
Salary: €65,000.00-€80,000.00 per annum based on a 39 hour work week
This jobdescription is intended to be an outline of the areas of responsibility. As the UPMC Kildare Hospital and the post holder develop, this job description may besubject to review in light of the changing needs of the Centre.
UPMC is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
At UPMC we provide a total rewards program that is not only market competitive, but fair and provides growth opportunities for all our colleagues.
Compensation – Competitive pay for the work employees do – base pay, performance related payand premium pay where applicable.
- Fully paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents.
- Competitive PensionPlan, company funded Death in Service Benefit x 3 times.
- Critical Illness coverfor all employees up to the age of 66.
Rewards for performance that supports the goals and mission of UPMC through our annual ACES programme.
Enhanced annual leave up to a maximum of 27 days. Flexible working opportunities to support you to work around external family commitments.
Opportunities for each employee to reach their career goals through continued learning and/or advancement.
UPMC is a renowned multinational academic medicalcentre committed to delivering people-focused care that’s close to home. Headquartered in Pittsburgh and affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, UPMC shapes the future of health through clinical and technological innovation, research and education. UPMC expands its expertise globally, bringing world-class care across continents through its UPMC Internationaldivision - an owned and operated network of hospitals and ambulatory care centres in Italy, Ireland and Croatia. UPMC International brings new access to the signature specialtyservices of UPMC Hillman Cancer Centre, UPMC Sports Medicine and others to more people in more places around the world. In Ireland UPMC has provided high-quality healthcare in the South East since 2006. UPMC’s operations in Ireland now include UPMC Whitfield Hospital in Waterford, UPMC Sports Surgery Clinic in Dublin, UPMC Kildare Hospital in Clane, and UPMC Aut Even Hospital in Kilkenny. Outpatient care is available at the UPMC Carlow Outreach Centre, UPMC Hillman Cancer Centre radiotherapy locations in Waterford and Cork, UPMC The 4th Practice in Mallow, and across UPMC Sports Medicine Clinics in Dublin, Waterford, Limerick, Tipperary, Cork, and Mayo. UPMC has also established a nationwide Concussion Network. UPMC's Global Technology Operation Centre is based in Kilkenny.
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