Manager, Operational Excellence

Location: New York, NY

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The possibilities are endless...

Now more than ever, our guiding principles are helping us in our search for exceptional talent - candidates who align with our unique workplace culture and who want to maximizethe abundant opportunities for growth and success.

If this describes you then let’s talk!

HSS is consistently among the top-ranked hospitals for orthopedics and rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report. As a recipient of the Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence, HSS was the first hospital in New York City to receive the distinguished designation. Whether you are early in your career or an expert in your field, you will find HSS an innovative, supportive and inclusive environment.

Working with colleagues who love what they do and are deeply committed to our Mission, you too can be part of our transformation across the enterprise.

Emp Status

Regular Full time

Work Shift

Compensation Range

The base pay scale for this position is $111,500.00 - $170,000.00. In addition, this position will be eligible for additional benefits consistent with the role. The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be determined based on various factors, including but not limited to: scope of role, level of experience, education, accomplishments, internal equity, budget, and subject to Fair Market Value evaluation. The hiring range listed is a good faith determination of potential compensation at the time of this job advertisement and may be modified in the future.

What you will be doing

Manager Operational Excellence

Hybrid - NYC

The Operational Excellence (OE) team partners with leaders and teams across HSS to turn enterprise priorities into disciplined execution and measurable impact. We combine data, clarity, and trusted relationships to build systems and processes that accelerate performance, strengthen operating models, optimize capacity and access across ambulatory and perioperative care, and instill a continuous improvement mindset across the organization.

Our work spans strategic execution, operating model design, portfolio management, and continuous improvement, all in service of delivering measurable, lasting results for patients and the organization. The OE department is highly visible, reporting to the Vice President of Hospital Operations and Operational Excellence, and all members have the opportunity to work with multidisciplinary teams comprised of clinical and business leaders.

As part of this team, you will help shape how HSS operates today and scales for the future.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director, Operational Excellence, the Manager, Operational Excellence will play a critical leadership role in the success of enterprise OE initiatives. The Manager will partner closely with clinical and operational leadership to identify opportunities, design solutions, and lead implementation. This role focuses on designing and governing the systems for block time management, OR efficiency, and perioperative throughput.

The Manager will own and drive projects to completion, including: development and presentation of leadership-ready materials, design of change management and communication plans, facilitation of multidisciplinary stakeholder discussions, execution of analytics, and construction of complex models to inform decision-making and performance improvement. The Manager will lead a team of junior members, setting direction for their work and contributing to a culture of continuous learning and capability building within OE.

Perioperative Efficiency & Block Time Management

• Lead initiatives focused on optimizing block time allocation, utilization, and release policies in collaboration with surgical chiefs, OR scheduling, and hospital leadership.
• Develop and maintain analytic frameworks to monitor block utilization, on-time starts, turnover time, case cancellations, and overall OR throughput.
• Identify and implement evidence-based best practices for perioperative flow, including pre-surgical testing, day-of-surgery preparation, PACU throughput, and surgical scheduling optimization.
• Partner with surgical teams to design and sustain improvements in first-case on-time starts and intraday OR schedule management.
• Support development and governance of block time committees and OR efficiency councils, including agenda preparation, data synthesis, and follow-through on action items.

Strategic Project Leadership

• Lead and execute strategic perioperative projects to achieve operational efficiency and support margin improvement.
• Partner with OR, surgical, and anesthesia leaders to optimize functional area performance, ensuring productivity, efficiency, and structural effectiveness.
• Collaborate with physicians, clinicians, and operational leaders to redesign patient workflows, care touchpoints, and the perioperative experience.
• Serve as a thought partner and facilitator for governance structures managing perioperative performance improvement.
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to influence and align clinical, operational, and executive stakeholders across complex, multidisciplinary environments.

Performance Improvement

• Drive a variety of perioperative performance improvement initiatives, including:
• Creating and facilitating highly effective infrastructures for collaborative decision-making and initiative advancement.
• Leveraging a continuous improvement mindset to design and implement perioperative best practices.
• Building project plans, preparing final deliverables, and leading stakeholder alignment to ensure successful execution of operational priorities.
• Supporting perioperative capacity planning and forecasting efforts through data analysis, scenario modeling, and evaluation of future operational demand and resource needs.

Executive Support & Team Development

Offer executive project management support to C-suite and surgical leaders, including the Chief Operating Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Surgeon-in-Chief, and Vice President, Perioperative Services on a variety of special projects.

Contribute to Operational Excellence team development, including performance management, professional development, and mentoring of junior team members.

Additional Job Description

Education and Experience — Required

• Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Engineering, Statistics, or a related field
• Minimum 5 years of consulting, operational excellence, strategy, or equivalent experience with increasing responsibility
• Demonstrated experience managing projects end-to-end and leading cross-functional teams
• Experience using MS Office Suite and data visualization tools to produce high-quality deliverables

Skills — Required

• Strong proficiency in analytical and presentation tools (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint, Visio)
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects, priorities, and deadlines with minimal oversight
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to present confidently to senior leadership
• Structured problem-solving and critical thinking skills; able to synthesize ambiguous information into clear recommendations
• Demonstrated stakeholder management and facilitation skills, including ability to influence without authority
• People management or formal mentoring experience, with ability to set clear expectations and develop junior staff
• Strong understanding of operational KPIs across one or more care delivery areas
• Experience with workforce planning, labor productivity, or organizational design conceptsAbility to navigate complex, matrixed organizations with multiple clinical and operational stakeholders

Skills & Experience — Preferred

• Experience in healthcare-focused consulting or an academic medical center environment
• Master's degree in a related field (e.g., Industrial & Systems Engineering, Healthcare Administration, or Operations Research)
• Experience with Tableau or similar BI tools

Experience with Epic applications

• Lean/Six Sigma certification or equivalent experience
• Experience supporting or designing care delivery models in an acute or ambulatory setting
• Familiarity with healthcare workforce management systems or labor analytics tools

Non-Discrimination Policy

Hospital for Special Surgery is committed to providing high quality care and skilled, compassionate, reliable service to our community in a safe and healing environment. Consistent with this commitment, Hospital for Special Surgery provides care, admits, and treats patients and provides all services without regard to age, race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, national origin, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, veteran or military status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law or by accreditation standards.