Performance Improvement Specialist

LifeLink Foundation, Inc.; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company-paid Medical, Dental, and Life

Paid Vacation, Sick Days & Holidays

Job summary

LifeLink Foundation, Inc. in Florida is seeking a Performance Improvement Specialist to advance its organ and tissue donation mission. You will collaborate with OPO leadership to design and implement systematic improvement efforts across clinical and operational areas.

This role requires a Bachelor’s degree, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, 2–4 years in PI, strong data analysis, and team leadership skills. You’ll develop charters, run pilots, map processes, and report on progress to drive high-impact

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required preferably in Business or Healthcare.
• Experience with value stream mapping and LEAN principles.
• Leadership and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Plan, set up, execute, and follow up on PI initiatives with OPO leadership.
• Lead workgroups on short and long projects to improve outcomes.
• Develop project charters, plans, and documentation showing high reliability.
• Identify data-driven strategies to ensure team success.
• Create progress reports with A3s, driver diagrams, run charts, and PDSA.
• Run pilots, time studies, and value-stream maps to guide decisions.
• Report metrics demonstrating quality improvements across the OPO.
• Support QAPI in analyzing data and identifying improvement opportunities.
• Assist in policy/protocol updates for regulatory compliance.
• Participate in PIC meetings and committees.
• Maintain relationships with LifeLink leadership and staff.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Data analysis

Process mapping

Root cause investigation

MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business or Healthcare

Job description

Join LifeLink — Join a Life Saving Team!

About LifeLink
More than four decades ago, a visionary group of innovators, led by renowned nephrologist Dr. Dana Shires, made a life-changing commitment—to save lives through organ and tissue donation. From that bold beginning, LifeLink Foundation was established – founded with heart, purpose, and a mission that still guides us today.

What started as a nonprofit with big dreams has grown into a vision-driven organization of more than 700 dedicated professionals across west-central Florida, Georgia, parts of South Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

At LifeLink, we are united by our mission: To honor donors and save lives through organ and tissue donation.

Our vision remains clear: To maximize the gift of life while giving hope to donor families and transplant patients.

We are grounded in the values that shape our work and culture—Compassion. Excellence. Legacy. People. Quality.

If you’re inspired by purpose, driven by impact, and ready to help save and heal lives, LifeLink is the place for you.

What You’ll Do

As a Performance Improvement Specialist, you will directly contribute to LifeLink’s life-saving mission.

The Performance Improvement (PI) Specialist will support the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) by working with the OPO Leadership under the direction of the Director OPO Quality Systems to coordinate the planning and implementation of systematic approaches focusing on improving clinical and operational outcomes. The PI Specialist will support the OPO strategic plans to achieve high impact and significant improvements in organizational performance by providing oversight to performance improvement activities. This will be accomplished by bringing together leadership, stakeholders, and work systems using performance improvement methodologies to facilitate targeted and measurable improvement activities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the planning, set-up, execution, and follow-up of performance improvement initiatives in collaboration with OPO leadership and frontline staff members across the OPO.
• Facilitate and provide leadership collaboratively to highly functioning workgroup teams organized around multiple short and long duration projects designed to improve clinical and operational outcomes. Engage and develop team members in the work of quality & performance improvement measures.
• Assist with developing project charters, plans, and documents that demonstrates high-reliability and performance through the effective use of data.
• Identify & implement data driven strategies to ensure team's success.
• Create and maintain timely and thorough progress reports that may include A3s, key driver diagrams, run charts and/or PDSA testing documentation.
• Execute pilots, time studies, process observations, value-stream maps and other information gathering activities that support PI decision-making.
• Develop and report key metrics to accurately demonstrate improvement in quality across the OPO.
• Assist QAPI team in reviewing, analyzing, and interpreting information to identify opportunities for improvement with variance and incident data. May assist in root cause analysis to identify and facilitate improvement opportunities from identified variances.
• Will lead and guide teams through policy and protocol development and updates ensuring regulatory compliance. Will propose revisions and modifications when identified through performance improvement opportunities.
• Actively participates in quarterly Process/Performance Improvement Committee (PIC) meetings.
• Will serve in the capacity of a co-chair of the Improvement Projects Committee, a standing committee of the PIC. Will be an active participant in other PIC standing committees and may serve in a chair and/or co-chair capacity.
• Ensures compliance with and ongoing evaluation of the OPO Quality Assessment Performance Improvement Plan in conjunction with all leadership.
• Participates, as needed, in the testing and validation of iTransplant update releases, assisting with updating protocols/guidelines and policies as needed.
• Participates, as needed, in regulatory surveys and inspections including CMS, OPTN/UNOS, and AHCA surveys. Will participate in other identified audits as needed.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
• Serves as a liaison and maintains professional relationships and rapport with LifeLink leadership and staff.

Who You Are

• Passionate about helping others and making a difference
• Aligned with LifeLink’s core values of Compassion, Excellence, Legacy, People, and Quality
• Bachelor’s degree required preferably in Business or Healthcare.
• Minimum of two to four years of experience with Performance Improvement methodologies preferably in healthcare.
• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of value stream mapping and LEAN management principles. Experience with process mapping and root cause investigation techniques.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification or must obtain within first year of hire.
• Demonstrates critical thinking to analyze data to monitor trends and identify opportunities to improve performance.
• Must possess interpersonal skills necessary to interact with all levels of staff. Must be able to influence teams without direct oversight.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite products required.
• Must be extremely organized, detail-oriented, a self-starter, and able to function independently.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• A collaborator who thrives in a mission-first environment.

Working Conditions:

Work requires extended hours during peak procurement periods. Office space and equipment will be provided to perform necessary duties.

Why LifeLink?

• Be part of an organization with a legacy of saving lives and giving hope
• Join a passionate and supportive team across Florida, Georgia, and Puerto Rico
• COMPANY PAID Medical, Dental, Disability & Life Insurance
• Paid Vacation, Sick Days & Holidays
• Growth opportunities in a mission-driven, high-impact nonprofit
• Work with purpose, knowing your efforts directly touch lives

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
LifeLink is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment that reflects the communities we serve.

Ready to Help Change Lives?
Your next career move could be the most meaningful one yet.

Qualifications

Skills

Required

Organization and Attention to Detail

Expert

Behaviors

Required

Detail Oriented

Detail Oriented

: Capable of carrying out a given task with all details necessary to get the task done well

Motivations

Required

Ability to Make an Impact

Ability to Make an Impact

: Inspired to perform well by the ability to contribute to the success of a project or the organization

Education

Required

Bachelors or better in Business Administration.

Experience

Required

Minimum of two to four years of experience with Performance Improvement methodologies preferably in healthcare.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.