Senior Program Manager, Performance and Transformation - Value Improvement Office - Full Time 8 Hour Days (Exempt) (Non-Union)

The Senior Program Manager is responsible for the strategic design, coordination, and execution of enterprise-level programs that drive operational excellence, growth, and transformation across Keck Medicine of USC. This role provides strategic leadership, oversight, and integration of complex initiatives that align with institutional priorities and the Keck Operating System. The Senior Program Manager partners with executives, clinical and operational leaders, and cross-functional teams to ensure programs are designed, executed, and sustained with measurable outcomes. This position advances enterprise strategy by guiding program portfolios, facilitating alignment between operational performance and strategic goals, and embedding improvement and transformation methodologies across departments. The Senior Program Manager also mentors program managers and analysts, strengthens the organizational performance infrastructure, and ensures deployment of tools, systems, and practices that improve reliability and scalability of results. The Senior Program Manager, Office of Performance and Transformation facilitates initiatives across Keck Medicine of USC that promote organizational transformation, efficiency, and business growth. The Senior Program Manager's primary responsibility is to lead the deployment and evolution of the Keck Operating System, developing and cascading strategy A3s, KPIs, visual management systems, and huddle structures at all levels of the organization. The position serves as a strategic integrator, connecting data, process, and performance to institutional priorities. In addition to driving system-level execution, the Senior Program Manager provides executive-level consultation and thought partnership to senior leadership, translating strategic objectives into measurable, sustainable outcomes. This includes shaping enterprise operating rhythms, identifying cross-functional dependencies, and advancing a culture of accountability and performance transparency. The Senior Program Manager proactively identifies opportunities to scale best practices across departments, informs enterprise decision-making through data-driven insights, and ensures that transformation efforts are cohesive, aligned, and embedded into long-term operational strategies. The successful candidate demonstrates a high degree of strategic thinking, executive communication, and systems-level problem solving, and operates with a deep understanding of healthcare operations, performance improvement, and organizational change management.

The Program Manager, Information Systems, Administration Subportfolio (working title: Admin Portfolio Manager, or Admin PfM) manages Information Services' Administration subportfolio, as well as programs and projects across Keck Medicine of USC that promote operational excellence and business growth. The Admin PfM is responsible for the overall health of the Administration subportfolio – and, in doing so, provides expertise and leadership to ensure the subportfolio remains directionally aligned with the organization's goals, philosophies, and objectives. The Admin suportfolio is comprised of non-clinical applications related projects, e.g., data warehouse, financial management systems. The Admin PfM provides oversight over projects and programs within their subportfolio and serves as an advisor to the program managers, project managers, senior project managers, project coordinators supporting or leading projects within the subportfolio. The Admin PfM is responsible for ensuring the subportfolio's component projects and programs are delivered within scope, according to deadlines, within budget, and adhere to quality standards set forth by leadership. This includes reporting on progress, health, risk (& remediation plans) directly to the PMO Director. From a project management standpoint, the Admin PfM develops project charters, builds project work breakdown structures & schedules, develops detailed project organization charts & role/responsibility descriptions, performs meeting management, communicates progress/status and health, enforces quality management, and manages risks, issues, decisions, action items, dependencies, and changes. The Admin PfM has strong project financial management abilities (funding requests, forecasting, spend management), has prior experience directly & indirectly managing staff, boasts a sharp attention to detail, and demonstrates a respect and appreciation for project documentation by ensuring project documentation for their subportfolio is appropriately captured, kept up-to-date, and stored in a central location. Additionally, the Admin PfM manages special projects as assigned by the PMO Director. Special projects may include – but are not limited to – the operationalization of new technologies and processes to support the department, business modeling, portfolio roadmapping, program and process design.

Essential Duties:

• Leads strategic programs and enterprise-level initiatives that advance operational excellence and performance transformation across Keck Medicine of USC.
• Provides executive-level guidance and facilitation, ensuring that program objectives are achieved within defined scope, timelines, and budgets while maintaining alignment with institutional goals.
• Develops and manages multi-year strategic roadmaps and program portfolios; establishes performance measurement systems to track outcomes and sustain results.
• Advises and partners with executives, department leaders, and clinical teams to translate strategic priorities into actionable improvement programs, using data and analytics to guide decision-making.
• Leverages advanced business modeling and financial analysis to inform strategic decisions and quantify return on investment for transformation initiatives.
• Mentors and supports Program Managers and Analysts, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, data-driven decision-making, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Develops and deploys the Keck Operating System tools and principles, including A3s, KPIs, huddles, visual boards, and standard work—ensuring consistency and capability across the organization.
• Facilitates executive and tiered huddles to ensure alignment, accountability, and visibility of performance and progress.
• Partners with Business Intelligence and Performance Improvement teams to integrate analytics, technology, and process redesign in support of program objectives.
• Engages with internal and external stakeholders to manage complex, high-visibility initiatives, ensuring effective communication, risk mitigation, and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Evaluates organizational performance and capability gaps, recommending system-level solutions that enhance scalability, efficiency, and workforce engagement.
• Promotes professional growth and organizational learning through coaching, education, and the dissemination of improvement methodologies.
• Serves as a subject matter expert on lean principles, change management, and operational transformation.
• Participates in strategic planning, leadership forums, and enterprise governance committees, providing insight and data to inform institutional decision-making.
• Performs other duties as assigned or requested.

Required Qualifications:

• Req High School or equivalent
• Req Bachelor’s Degree in a related field

• Req 5 years Experience leading process improvement efforts to improve clinical, operational, and financial performance in an Academic Health System.
• Req 3 years Managerial experience with direct supervisor responsibility of multidisciplinary teams and experience with ambulatory/physician practice operations.

• Req Proficient PC skills.
• Req Working knowledge of databases, spreadsheets, word processing and statistical software programs.
• Req Knowledge of business (operational, clinical and financial) statistics and data analyses techniques.
• Req Ability to manage and analyze data.
• Req Strong analytical thinking and problem solving skills.
• Req Demonstrates ability to work independently with minimal direction and supervision.
• Req Knowledge and demonstrated proficiency and application of Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques
• Req Knowledge and demonstrated proficiency and application of Project Management Professional tools and techniques

Preferred Qualifications:

• Pref Master’s degree In Health Administration, Nursing, Industrial Engineering, Analytics
• Pref Project Management Professional (PMP) Active Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, or if not available upon hire, one must be obtained within one year of start date

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)

The annual base salary range for this position is $95,680.00 - $158,230.00. 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.

                                                  

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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