Business Optimization Specialist

University of California Irvine; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 91,000 - 166,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of California Irvine is seeking a Business Process Optimization Analyst within the Division of Finance & Administration. Based in Irvine, this full-time role focuses on improving operational efficiency through process redesign, dashboards, and AI-enabled tooling to streamline services for campus teams.

You will analyze current workflows, partner with cross-functional groups, develop training materials, and monitor performance with clear metrics while supporting change management

Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of business process improvement and service delivery optimization.
• Strong analytical skills for complex operational and performance analysis.
• Advanced problem solving to improve efficiency and service delivery.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with executives and staff.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments with regular progress updates.
• Bachelor's degree in related area or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Analyze existing business processes and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Design and implement streamlined workflows and dashboards to monitor performance.
• Develop training materials and promote adoption of updated workflows.
• Document processes and standards for continuous improvement and knowledge sharing.

Skills

Business process improvement

Analytical thinking

Change management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Reporting & presentation

Usability & accessibility

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

MS Office 365

Adobe Creative Cloud

HTML

Storyline

AI-enabled tools

Job description

University of California Irvine

Business Optimization Specialist

Req ID: 149917

Payroll Job Title: 007394-ORGANIZATIONAL CNSLT 3

Location: Irvine, California

Organization: UCI Campus

Division: Div of Finance/ Administration

Department: DFA Pgrm Dev & Execution

Reports to Title: 000554-EXEC ADVISOR 4

Position Type: Full Time

Salary Range Minimum: USD $90,600.00/Yr.

Salary Range Maximum: USD $166,400.00/Yr.

Who We Are

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide.

To learn more about UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

The Division of Finance & Administration (DFA) provides services and support to over 50,000 students, faculty, and staff with the mission of advancing UCI's brilliant future and the vision of becoming world-class campus partners. DFA serves the university as planning partners, problem solvers, and solution providers-striving to make it as easy as possible for people to get the services they need, when they need them.

The office of Program Development & Execution (PDE) is proud to support the division, the campus community, and the University of California as a whole. DFA is focused on continuous improvements in delivering excellent and ever more efficient service to our clients. Our goal is to make a significant increase in quality and productivity across campus. Through campuswide collaboration, we continuously focus on maintaining a safe and attractive environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors; ensuring buildings and other infrastructure perform efficiently and are well maintained; and providing professional services in the areas of accounting, purchasing, risk management, safety, and transportation.

Your Role on the Team

The Business Process Optimization Analyst supports DFA's efforts to improve operational efficiency and service delivery across administrative functions. This role analyzes existing business processes, identifies opportunities for improvement, and partners with cross-functional teams to design and implement streamlined workflows that enhance efficiency, consistency, and user experience.

The position facilitates process redesign and improvement initiatives, including the use of AI-enabled tools, automation solutions, and other technology-supported approaches to reduce manual effort and improve access to information and services. In addition, the role supports the adoption of new processes and tools by developing training materials, assisting with change management activities, and promoting effective use of updated workflows across the organization.

This position also develops dashboards and performance metrics to monitor process effectiveness and improvement outcomes, and documents business processes and standards to support continuous improvement and organizational knowledge sharing.

What It Takes to be Successful

Required:

• Thorough knowledge of business process improvement, service delivery optimization, organizational effectiveness concepts, practices, and functions.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills to perform complex operational, process, performance, and business analysis.
• Advanced problem solving skills to assess complex issues and develop solutions that improve efficiency, effectiveness, and service delivery.
• Strong interpersonal skills to work collaboratively and effectively with multi-disciplinary, cross-functional teams and facilitate stakeholder engagement and consensus building.
• Well-developed written and verbal communications skills, including an ability to positively interact with executives, campus partners, and staff at all levels.
• Ability to develop comprehensive reports and presentations and communicate finding and recommendations to diverse audiences.
• Knowledge and ability to apply usability and accessibility principles as specified by industry standards and regulations (USSG, ATAG, WCAG).
• Capable of managing multiple, diverse assignments concurrently, ensuring accurate and timely completion, with regular communication to the supervisor on progress and challenges.
• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.

Preferred:

• Advanced proficiency in standardized business software and database applications (Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, HTML, online survey tools, authoring tools (e.g., Storyline)) and ability to learn and utilize workflow, reporting, automation, and AI-enabled business tools.
• Understanding of instructional design principles and learning strategies.
• Experience implementing, configuring, or supporting adoption of AI-enabled tools, chatbots, automation solutions, or similar technologies in a complex organizational environment.
• Bilingual English/Spanish
• Project management
• Prosci certified
• Lean six sigma certified - yellow, green, or black belt
• Professional certification in business analysis (e.g., CBAP, CCBA)
• A minimum of 3 years of experiencein business process improvement, workflow redesign, or operational effectiveness. Experience includes analyzing and redesigning administrative processes, supporting implementation of service delivery improvements, and contributing to change management and adoption efforts. Experience with technology-enabled solutions, automation tools, or AI-enabled applications to improve efficiency and service delivery is preferred.

Special Conditions:

• Hybrid work schedule (1-3 days in office; more if necessary due to project requests/deadlines) partial on-campus and partial remote required.
• May require onsite work at various campus locations.

Total Rewards

In addition to the salary range listed below, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at UCI even more rewarding. These benefits may include medical insurance, sick and vacation time, retirement savings plans, and access to a number of discounts and perks. Please utilize the links listed here to learn more about our compensation practices and benefits.

Conditions of Employment:

• Background Check and Live Scan
• Employment Misconduct*
• Legal Right to work in the United States
• Vaccination Policies
• Smoking and Tobacco Policy
• Drug Free Environment

*Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

The following additional conditions may apply, some of which are dependent upon business unit or job specific requirements.

• California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act
• E-Verify
• Pre-Placement Health Evaluation

Details of each policy may be reviewed by visiting the following page - https://hr.uci.edu/new-hire/conditions-of-employment.php

Closing Statement:

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.

We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce along with honoring unique experiences, perspectives, and identities. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.

UCI provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities upon request. For more information, please contact Human Resources at [phone] or [e-mail].

Consideration for Work Authorization Sponsorship

Must be able to provide proof of work authorization