Director, Performance Excellence

Duke University Health System; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Duke Health is seeking a dynamic and experienced Director, Performance Excellence to lead the Duke Quality System and advance continuous improvement across the hospital. Reporting to the Chief Quality Officer, this leader will partner with executives, physicians, nurses, and operations to elevate quality, safety, and patient care while growing organizational capability.

The role directly manages six Performance Excellence Coaches and drives cross‑functional execution of strategic priorities with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; master's preferred in healthcare admin, business, engineering, or related field.
• Minimum seven years of progressive leadership in healthcare or complex service organizations.
• Proven success with Lean transformation and sustaining Lean management systems.
• Ability to lead teams and influence senior leaders through organizational change.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for deployment of the Duke Quality System and continuous improvement.
• Lead a portfolio of high‑impact improvement initiatives and manage six Performance Excellence Coaches.
• Partner with executive, physician, nursing, and operational leaders to improve quality, safety, and patient care.
• Drive culture of accountability, engagement, and learning while aligning priorities with system objectives.

Skills

Leadership

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Executive communication

Analytical rigor

Dynamic leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree in Healthcare Administration or related field

Tools

Value Stream Mapping (VSM)

A3 thinking

Lean methodologies

Root cause analysis

Systems thinking

Job description

At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.

About Duke University Hospital

Pursue your passion for caring with Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, which is consistently ranked among the best in the United States. The largest of the four Duke Healthhospitals with 1062 patient beds, it features comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including a regional emergency/trauma center, an endo-surgery center, and more.

Work Location & Relocation

• Primary Work Address: Duke University Hospital (DUH) — 2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710 (Onsite)
• Relocation Assistance: Eligible candidates will be offered relocation assistance to support transition to the Durham, NC area.

Position Summary

Duke Health is seeking a dynamic and experienced Director, Performance Excellence to provide strategic leadership for the deployment and advancement of the Duke Quality System (DQS) and continuous improvement efforts across the hospital. Reporting directly to the Duke Health Chief Quality Officer, this leader will partner closely with executive, physician, nursing, and operational leaders to strengthen organizational performance, improve quality and safety outcomes, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

The Director is responsible for leading a portfolio of high-impact operational excellence initiatives, directly managing a team of six (6) Performance Excellence Coaches, developing organizational improvement capability, and ensuring the successful execution of strategic priorities that enhance patient care, team member engagement, and operational performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Continuous Improvement
  • Translate executive intent into operational reality by interpreting strategic direction, establishing leadership alignment, and leading cross-functional execution of key organizational priorities.
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to executive and operational leaders on continuous improvement strategy and organizational transformation.
  • Identify opportunities to improve quality, safety, service, team member engagement, and operational performance.
  • Align Performance Excellence priorities with hospital and health system strategic objectives.
• Operational Excellence & Improvement Execution
  • Direct a portfolio of complex improvement initiatives across clinical, operational, and administrative areas.
  • Utilize Lean methodologies, A3 thinking, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, and systems thinking to achieve measurable outcomes.
  • Facilitate large-scale transformation efforts that improve care delivery, patient experience, team member engagement, and organizational effectiveness.
  • Monitor initiative progress and ensure sustainable results through rigorous performance improvement methods and principles.
• Leadership & Team Development
  • Provide leadership, mentoring, and professional development for a team of Performance Excellence Coaches.
  • Promote a culture of accountability, engagement, innovation, and learning.
  • Support performance management and team member development activities.
• Executive Partnership & Change Leadership
  • Partner with executive leaders, physicians, nurses, and operational teams to support strategic priorities and organizational transformation.
  • Translate operational challenges into actionable recommendations and improvement strategies.
  • Influence decisions across multiple departments and service lines through effective collaboration and stakeholder engagement.
  • Lead change management efforts that support sustainable adoption of new processes and management systems.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Required: Bachelor's degree.
• Preferred: Master's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, Organizational Leadership, Public Health, or a related field.

Experience

• Required: Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in healthcare, hospitals, or similarly complex service organizations.
• Demonstrated success leading Lean transformation, operational excellence, or continuous improvement programs.
• Experience developing, implementing, and sustaining Lean management systems across large organizations.
• Proven ability to lead teams and influence senior leaders through complex organizational change initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (Core Profile Emphases)

• Leadership & Change Management: Strong emphasis on demonstrated experience leading teams and driving organizational change management, specifically managing, developing, and coaching improvement specialists and coaches.
• Technical Methodology: Proven track record leading large-scale transformations, with deep hands-on expertise in Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and A3 thinking (in addition to root cause analysis, systems thinking, and performance management).
• Stakeholder Engagement: Exceptional ability to build trust, influence, and partner directly with clinical providers and nurses across complex care environments.
• Executive Communication & Analytical Rigor: Strong business acumen and analytical capabilities with the ability to synthesize complex data and operational challenges into executive-level recommendations.
• Dynamic Leadership: Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced healthcare environment and lead transformational change across multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.

Certifications

• Preferred: Lean Black Belt, Master Black Belt, Toyota Production System (TPS) certification, or equivalent advanced continuous improvement certification.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Reports directly to the Duke Health Chief Quality Officer.
• Directly leads, manages, and develops a team of six (6) Performance Excellence Coaches.
• Responsible for performance management, coaching, talent development, hiring recommendations, and resource deployment for the coaching team.
• Ensures appropriate allocation of Performance Excellence resources to support hospital and health system strategic priorities.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.