Manager, Ambulatory Transformation & Access Innovation - Ambulatory Operations Improvement - Fu[...]

University of Southern California; Glendale (CA); On-site; USD 126,547 - 208,803; Full time

Job summary

USC Care Medical Group seeks a Manager, Ambulatory Transformation & Access Innovation to lead a portfolio of technology initiatives advancing patient access and operational excellence. The role leverages Cerner, AI, and automation, driving strategic investments and governance across ambulatory sites.

The position requires senior-level program management, cross-functional leadership, and expertise in healthcare IT, with a focus on measurable value and scalable deployment across the enterprise.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a related field as stated.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and complex implementations.
• Experience with healthcare technologies (EHR Cerner/Epic) and AI/digital health tools.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic governance for ambulatory access initiatives to improve efficiency and patient throughput.
• Leads lifecycle management from concept to adoption, including business case development.
• Utilizes Cerner/EHR workflows to support scheduling, referrals, and operations.
• Identifies and vets emerging AI technologies and vendor solutions for ROI and scale.
• Collaborates with clinical, operational, IT, and vendor stakeholders to coordinate projects.
• Develops standardized workflows and dashboards to enable scalable deployment.
• Ensures adoption through change management, training, and communications.
• Monitors initiatives to maximize ROI and performance.
• Maintains executive dashboards and portfolio reports for decision-making.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic planning

AI capabilities

Project management

Facilitation of cross-functional work

Ambulatory workflows knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

Cerner/Epic EHR exposure

Job description

The Manager, Ambulatory Transformation & Access Innovation is responsible for the strategic leadership and governance of a portfolio of technology initiatives that advance patient access, operational excellence, and digital transformation across the ambulatory enterprise. Serving as the portfolio owner for Ambulatory Access technologies, this role identifies, evaluates, prioritizes, and oversees investments that leverage Cerner capabilities, artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and other emerging technologies to improve access, optimize workflows, and enhance operational performance. This leader continuously monitors the healthcare technology landscape to stay at the forefront of AI innovation and industry best practices, proactively identifying solutions that improve patient and provider experiences while advancing organizational priorities. The Manager proactively identifies business challenges and strategic opportunities across the ambulatory enterprise, partnering with operational, clinical, and IT leaders to define high-impact use cases and build a prioritized innovation portfolio. This role continuously evaluates Cerner capabilities, AI solutions, and emerging technologies to identify the best-fit tools, develops business cases to support investment decisions, and oversees the governance of technology initiatives that deliver measurable operational and financial value. The Manager provides portfolio governance across multiple concurrent initiatives, balancing priorities, managing dependencies, mitigating risk, and driving successful adoption of new capabilities. This role develops and maintains a multi-year technology roadmap, ensuring investments are aligned with organizational strategy, maximize return on investment, and deliver measurable value. The Manager provides regular portfolio updates, performance reporting, and data-driven insights to monitor key access metrics, evaluate program effectiveness, and guide strategic decision-making to achieve organizational access and operational performance targets.

Departmental Specific Summary

Essential Duties

• Manages assigned strategic initiatives focused on improving ambulatory access, operational efficiency, and patient throughput, supporting alignment with departmental and organizational priorities.
• Provides management support for the full lifecycle of programs-from concept and business case development through implementation, adoption, and optimization-ensuring timely and successful delivery.
• Utilizes EHR systems (e.g., Cerner) to support scheduling, referral workflows, and clinical operations while assisting with the implementation of new system enhancements.
• Identifies, evaluates, and vets emerging AI technologies and vendor solutions, providing recommendations based on operational value, scalability, and ROI.
• Collaborate with clinical, operational, IT, and vendor stakeholders to coordinate project activities, facilitate communication, resolve issues, and support successful implementation.
• Develops and implements standardized workflows, tools, and processes to enable scalable deployment of successful initiatives across ambulatory sites.
• Ensures successful adoption of new technologies and workflows through effective change management strategies, including stakeholder engagement, training support, and communication.
• Continuously evaluates implemented initiatives to identify optimization opportunities, ensure sustained performance improvement, and maximize return on investment.
• Develops and maintains executive dashboards and portfolio reports to monitor key access metrics, measure program outcomes, and provide actionable insights that support leadership decision-making.
• Must be dependable, have integrity, initiative, tact, ability to work on details, ability to learn and possess a sense of values and ethical standards.
• Utilizes the Keck Operating System to support operational improvement through the development of A3, KPIs, visualization, boards, huddles and area of support.
• Participates in administrative staff meetings and attends other meetings as assigned.
• Performs other duties as assigned or requested.

Required Qualifications

• Req Bachelor's Degree Degree in a related field.
• Req 5 years Experience in healthcare operations, consulting, program management, or digital transformation
• Req 3 years Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional initiatives and complex implementations
• Req 3 years Experience with healthcare technologies (e.g., EHR systems such as Cerner or Epic)
• Req 1 year Understanding of emerging AI capabilities.
• Req Strategic planning and critical thinking skills for problem solving and identification of solutions.
• Req Familiarity with AI, automation, or digital health tools
• Req Knowledge of ambulatory workflows and access management strategies
• Req Proficiency of both theoretical and practical aspects of project management including tools and techniques (formal project planning, risk/issue management, governance, cost/benefit analysis, project change controls, etc.)
• Req Ability to facilitate working sessions with large, cross-functional, multidisciplinary teams.
• Req Experience with healthcare technologies (e.g., EHR systems such as Cerner or Epic)

Preferred Qualifications

• Pref Master's degree (MHA, MBA) Degree or equivalent degree.

Required Licenses/Certifications

• Req Fire Life Safety Training (LA City) If no card upon hire, one must be obtained within 30 days of hire and maintained by renewal before expiration date. (Required within LA City only)
• Pref Project Management Professional (PMP) PMP or Change Management Certificate

USC Care Medical Group serves as the sole physician entity reporting to the USC Health System, uniting faculty clinical practice under Keck Medicine of USC. This entity oversees clinical governance, physician and ambulatory services, and core enterprise functions including billing, contracting, and financial operations. The organization encompasses 17 clinical departments, with approximately 1,500 physicians and 2,000 staff delivering care across more than 80 locations from Kern County to Orange County and into Las Vegas. USC Care Medical Group is the engine for patient-centered growth-advancing quality, safety, access, and financial strength through integrated, system-level thinking that transcends silos and traditional models. By building bridges across the enterprise, embracing innovation, and leveraging technology, we deliver seamless, 5-Star access and service while expanding clinical reach and diversified models of care. Our work fuels a sustainable cycle of good health-organizationally, financially, and within the communities we serve-driving continued growth from within and beyond the system's boundaries.

The annual base salary range for this position is $126,547.00 - $208,803.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.