At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry. As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better health care, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system. We pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and student loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, our goal is to take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

The Vice President, Operations reflects the mission, vision, and values of Northwestern Medicine, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

This executive will provide leadership and direction for the day-to-day functioning of critical operations. He/she will carry out the mission and the vision of NMHC, and the established values of business conduct with respect to employee relations. The Vice President, Operations assumes responsibility for the effective execution, development and evaluation of the services of his/her areas in accordance with the overall strategy of “Patients First.”

The Vice President, Operations will offer direction, supervision and assistance to each of his/her direct reports, including Women & Children Services (WCS), Emergency Services, OP Services, West Region and Palos Spiritual Care, Canning Thoracic Institute (CTI) Relationship, and West Region Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM), and Pediatrics OP. This individual will collaborate with each director to establish annual goals, develop operating, staffing and capital budgets based on the goals, and execute on each department’s performance against the goals.

The Vice President, Operations will work closely with key internal contacts, including the President, Senior Vice Presidents, other Vice Presidents, Chief Medical Officer, the Associate Chief Medical Officers, medical directors, department directors and medical staff to ensure a successful on-going function.  The individual will develop and maintain working relationships with representatives of public and private agencies, seeking out and joining business and professional associations as appropriate, to promote communication and information exchange

The Vice President, Operations will play a lead role in the following key institutional initiatives including, but not limited to:

• Employee Engagement
• Patient Engagement
• Patient Access
• Reducing employee injuries
• Hospital Throughput/LOS
• Hospital quality/patient safety indicators/nurse sensitive indicators
  • Surgical Site Infection prevention
  • VTE prevention
  • HAPI prevention
  • CLABSI/CAUTI prevention
  • Falls prevention
• Clinical Documentation
• Service Line Growth
• Clinical Integration
• Operational Efficiency
• Financial Stewardship
• Facilitating professional development for staff & leaders
• Cultivating a culture of safety/psychological safety/diversity/equity/inclusion
• Maintaining ANCC Magnet Designation, Accreditation, and others 

Responsibilities: 

The Vice President, Operations is an officer of the corporation and has the primary authority and responsibility for the development of operations, the development of operations services policies, and the development and evaluation of clinical programs and services and program administration for the corporation, including but not limited to the following:

• Ensures that the corporation meets its long-range strategic plan and annual operating goals, including quality objectives; provides oversight to the annual implementation of the strategic plan to ensure quality priorities are established and accomplished
• Supporting management and staff in identifying and troubleshooting patient care questions, concerns, or issues
• Development of measurable goals and objectives for their areas of responsibility
• Serve as a leader/mentor for staff, administering timely performance evaluations and fostering a work environment that encourages achievement of professional, technical, and career goals
• Collaboration with medical and other professional staff in routine evaluation to identify improvement opportunities in quality, financial effectiveness, and other key performance criteria
• Supports ongoing learning and skill development for self and staff; provides coaching and mentoring; assigns stretch goals, cross-training and other opportunities for career development
• Thinks and acts in ways that support NM strategy, vision and plans. Identifies opportunities for new business growth and development, expansion of current services, etc.
• Practices fiscal accountability. Encourages staff and team accountability by involving them in budget     preparation, identifying ideas for increasing efficiency, cost savings, developing and growing the business and existing services.
• Measures and monitors budget and business development plans; provides ongoing updates to staff.
• Achieves or exceeds budget and business growth and profitability targets.
• As a member of the senior management team, full participation in and awareness of overall hospital issues and priorities
• Assurance of corporate compliance with all applicable laws and regulations
• Performance of other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in nursing or other relevant degree (e.g. MBA, MHA).
  • If the master’s degree is not in nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is required.
• The ideal candidate has developed his/her career within a large, complex hospital system environment.
• Demonstrated success in building and managing a “leading edge,” state-of-the-art department, utilizing innovative programs to improve customer services, quality, efficiency and cost management.
• Demonstrated success as a “change agent,” possessing the ability to work effectively with all constituents in order to effect change and impact results.
• Experience with standardization, utilization and compliance activities. 

Preferred:

• DNP/PhD is preferred.
• Ten years’ management experience preferred.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

Background Check

Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check.  Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act.

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. 

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section to learn more.

Sign-on Bonus Eligibility (if sign-on bonus offered for position): Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign on bonus. Exception: New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position at NM may be eligible depending upon the job family.