Manager of Process Improvement, Operation Excellence

Ardent Health; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Ardent Health in Brentwood, Tennessee, is seeking a Manager of Process Improvement, Operation Excellence to lead enterprise-wide transformation across clinical and operational functions. You will modernize workflows, accelerate digital health adoption, and deliver measurable improvements in patient care and clinician experience.

The role requires strong change management, project governance, and Lean Six Sigma expertise, with collaboration across executive and clinical leadership to sponsor and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field is required.
• Three years of Change Management, Project Management and Process Improvement experience, with healthcare exposure.
• Strong understanding of clinical workflows and governance for change initiatives.
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Drives measurable improvements in operational efficiency and patient care outcomes.
• Partners with executive and clinical leadership to align improvement initiatives with strategy.
• Develops and executes enterprise-wide change management strategies.
• Identifies risks, anticipates resistance, and implements mitigation strategies.
• Leads Lean Six Sigma and Kaizen initiatives to resolve workflow inefficiencies.
• Manages end-to-end project execution including governance and milestones.

Skills

Change Management

Project Management

Process Improvement

Stakeholder Management

Executive Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, Organizational Psychology, or related field

Master's Degree

Job description

Overview

Ardent Health is a leading provider of healthcare in communities across the country. With a focus on consumer-friendly processes and investments in innovative services and technologies, Ardent is passionate about making healthcare better and easier to access. We are driven by our purpose of caring for people: our patients, our communities and one another.

Located in Brentwood, Tennessee, Ardent has earned a reputation as one of the industry’s strongest and most innovative healthcare systems. Our facilities and clinics are consistently recognized among healthcare’s best employers. We recognize each hospital and clinic is as unique as the community it serves. We strive to maintain strong community ties through advisory boards, contributions, charitable care, education and outreach.

Ardent includes:

• 30 hospitals
• 280 sites of care
• 4,281 beds
• 24,000+ team members
• 8,200+ nurses
• 1,800+ aligned providers
• 5.8M annual provider encounters
• 421 medical residents

Ardent makes considerable investments in people, technology, facilities, and communities, producing high quality care and extraordinary results. From newly constructed facilities and expanded services, to lifesaving technology and outstanding opportunities for employees, Ardent is committed to providing its hospitals and clinics the tools needed to succeed.

We believe it is this mix of corporate support and local autonomy that equips our teams for success.

Job Overview:

We have an exciting opportunity to join our leadership team at Ardent as a Manager of Process Improvement, Operation Excellence.

The Manager of Process Improvement, Operation Excellenceis a critical leader responsible fordrivingsupportingenterprise-wide transformation across clinical and operational functions. This role partners with executive and clinical leadership to modernize workflows, accelerate digital health adoption, and deliver measurable improvements in patient care, operational efficiency, and clinician experience.

Responsibilities

• Drives measurable improvements in operational efficiency, clinician experience, and patient care outcomes.
• Partners with executive and clinical leadership to align process improvement and change initiatives with organizational strategy.
• Develops and executesenterprise-wide organizational change management (OCM) strategies.
• Identifies change risks, anticipate resistance, and implement mitigation strategies to sustain adoption.
• Collaborates with Performance Improvement teams and SMEs to identify and resolve workflow inefficiencies.
• Leads continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Six Sigma, Value Stream Mapping, and Kaizen methodologies.
• Ensures alignment of people, processes, and technology during system implementations and enhancements.
• Translates complex strategies into clear, actionable plans for clinical, operational, and leadership audiences.
• Coaches leaders andmanagerstheir teamto effectivelysponsor, support, anddrive adoption of change initiatives.
• Establishes and maintains communication plans, including progress updates, success metrics, and stakeholder alignment.
• Defines,tracks,and reports key performance indicators, including adoption rates and benefit realization post-implementation.
• Manages end-to-end project execution, including planning, governance, cross-functional coordination, risk management, and delivery of milestones.

Qualifications

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, Organizational Psychology, or a related field.
• Three years of dedicated Change Management, Project Management, and Process Improvement experience, with at least twoyears in a healthcare system, hospital, or payer environment.
• Deep understanding of clinical workflows, change portfolio management, and project management fundamentals.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, conflict resolution, executive communication, prioritization, risk management, and cross-functional coordination abilities.

Preferred Job Requirements:

• Master’s Degree
• Prosci Change Management Certification or similar.