Quality Improvement Specialist/UKHC

University of Kentucky; Lexington (KY); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

UK Healthcare is seeking a Quality Improvement Specialist to apply systems engineering principles to improve health care delivery and transform UKHC into an HRO learning health system. This role will drive performance improvement, project facilitation, project management, data analytics and instructional guidance.

You will use lean principles, Six Sigma, ISO 9000 and related methods to identify opportunities, manage projects through their life cycle, and lead teams through complex, ambiguous

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in industrial or systems engineering or related field, with extensive process improvement experience.
• Experience with process design, flowcharting, layout optimization, and forecasting methodologies essential.

Responsibilities

• Apply systems engineering principles to improve health care delivery.
• Lead performance improvement and data analytics initiatives.
• Facilitate projects and manage project lifecycles.
• Collaborate with clinician champions to drive change and lead project teams.

Skills

Industrial Engineering

Data analytics

Clinical background

Business background

Education

Master’s degree in industrial engineering

Job description

Required License/Registration/Certification

None

Physical Requirements

This position requires occasionally lifting, pushing, and/or pulling objects weighing up to or over 50lbs.; standing or walking with objects weighing up to 10 lbs.; regularly sitting at a computer workstation for extended periods of time and performing tasks with repetitive motions (such as typing); and occasional job‑related travel.

Shift

Primarily Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm. As an exempt-level position, some evenings, nights, weekends, and/or holidays may be required in order to meet departmental business needs.

Job Summary

UK Healthcare is seeking a Quality Improvement Specialist to apply systems engineering principles to improve health care delivery and transform UKHC into an HRO (High Reliability Organization) learning health system. This position will be responsible for: performance improvement, project facilitation, project management, data/analytics and instructional guidance. Duties will include: Utilize lean principles or other change management methods (e.g., Six Sigma, ISO 9000) to provide direction and vision for identifying opportunities for performance improvement, quality engineering, and workflow analyses. Other duties include: manage healthcare projects through the entire project life cycle, collaborate with clinician champions to facilitate meetings and communication, and lead project teams through complex and ambiguous situations.

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

Industrial Engineering or other engineering, data/analytics, clinical, or business background

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? No

Preferred Education/Experience

A Master’s degree in industrial or systems engineering or a related field, as well as an extensive background in process improvement, specifically within a large healthcare enterprise preferred. Experience with and knowledge of process design, flowcharting, layout optimization, and forecasting methodologies are also essential.

Deadline to Apply

Deadline to Apply 10/12/2026

Our University Community

We value the well‑being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.
The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.
Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre‑employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Please choose the answer that best describes your years of paid, full‑time employment experience in process and quality improvement.
  • None
  • More than 0, up through 1 year
  • More than 1 year, up through 3 years
  • More than 3 years, up through 5 years
  • More than 5 years
• * Please choose the answer that best describes your years of paid, full‑time employment experience in directly applying industrial engineering tools and methods in optimizing operations.
  • None
  • More than 0, up through 2 years
  • More than 2 years, up through 5 years
  • More than 5 years, up through 10 years
  • More than 10 years
• * Please describe your experience process improvement utilizing methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, and/or Model for Improvement. Please provide a specific example including which methodology was used.

  (Open Ended Question)

• * Please describe your methodology for solving complex problems.

  (Open Ended Question)

• * Please describe how you prioritize tasks when managing multiple projects with competing timelines.

  (Open Ended Question)