Job Description

Job Description

Look for more than answers. Patients and Physicians rely on our diagnostic testing, information and services to help them make better healthcare decisions. These are often serious decisions with far reaching consequences, and require sensitivity, tact and a clear dedication to service. Its about providing clarity and hope.

As a Sr. QMS/Continuous Improvement Project Manager with Quest Diagnostics East Region, you will work for the world leader in the industry, with a career where you can expand your skills and knowledge. Youll have a role where you can act with professionalism, you can inspire colleagues, and you can care about the work we do and the people we serve.

Job Summary

This position will lead a variety of complex continuous improvement and process improvement projects and teams to apply Quest Management System (QMS) principles and tools to ensure Quest Diagnostics is efficient and effective in the delivery of its services, solutions, and processes while improving customer and employee satisfaction.

While the primary focus of this position will be in the specimen management and lab areas of the business, it will require deep immersion in the upstream and downstream business functions and workflows, and strong collaboration with other QMS professionals, functional leaders and frontline employees in order to deliver desired results.

This is a highly visible role structured to deliver significant performance benefits to regional businesses, their leaders, and frontline employees. You are expected to model LeadershipQuest behaviors, competencies and the learning mindset we all aspire to at Quest.

The QMS Sr. Program Manager position is also responsible for coaching functional roles that it supports and developing capability across the region in CI principles and tools on how to utilize them as part of our daily work and responsibilities. This role will create a shared sense of urgency, accelerate change and to move others to action by modeling hands-on involvement and active learning as the primary way to get things done in this role.

The Quest Management System (QMS) is Quest Diagnostics approach to aligning decisions and actions to organizational priorities and then executing effectively. It is the structured way we support our people, lead change, and solve problems. Continuous Improvement (CI) is one of the 7 practices comprising the QMS:

Quest Management System 7 Areas of Practice

1. Management Approach & Governance

2. Breakthrough Management and Hoshin Planning

3. Customer Insights and Solutions Development

4. Process Management

5. Continuous Improvement (CI)

6. Project Management

7. Change Management

Job Responsibilities

Alongside building the capabilities and engagement of all regional employees (satisfaction, skills development, retention, productivity), success for CI Sr. Program Managers is also measured by quantifiable improvement of the regions operating margins, productivity, quality & service performance, and customer experience.

1. Advances goals and delivers expected results by leading improvement initiatives and kaizen events and working with cross-functional teams.

- Identify and prioritize business issues based on the context

- Develop problem-solving capabilities

- Acts as a change agent to guide teams toward success

- Coaches team members to perform through issues and constraints

- Owns the timeline, budget, resource constraints, and deliverables

- Shifts between the big picture and the small-but-crucial details (strategic vs. tactical)

- Knows when to roll up sleeves and work through detailed issues

- Ensures appropriate tools are applied effectively (e.g., standard work, process maps, the kaizen cycle, material and information flow charts, charter, Gantt charts, status updates, etc. )

2. Applies other QMS approaches to a variety of large or complex problems actively identifies current state, future state, gaps, and root causes of issues in ways that lead to aligned action around sound solutions.

3. Actively identifies root causes of issues and designs solutions that address them

4. Leads efforts to implement Process Control and Management (process definition, documentation, ownership, metrics, and monitoring systems)

5. Facilitates workshops and Kaizen Event teams to help quickly achieve strategic objectives, learning breakthroughs, and broad capability development among all participants across the enterprise

6. Works with local, regional and national QMS team members to identify and prioritize continuous improvement opportunities

7. Works with functional and site leaders as a thought leader to create future state improvement roadmaps with clear executable plans that are in line with the business strategies improvement need

8. Works with local, regional and national QMS team members to instill effective daily standard work habits, effective behaviors, and daily performance management

9. Contributes toward building a grass-roots culture of continuous improvement

10. Coaches other employees on the use of various tools, concepts and practices foundational to QMS

Qualifications/Job Requirements

1. Demonstrated understanding and experience in continuous improvement, process management, or system thinking (7+ years)

2. Significant experience working in the Toyota Production System, Danaher Business System, Virginia Mason Production System, Honeywell Operating System or similarly mature and rigorous lean model highly desired

3. First-hand experience participating in and leading teams in Shingijutsu-style kaizen events (aka Rapid Improvement Events, Kaizen Blitzes, Work-Outs, etc.) is highly desired

4. Deep experience with continuous improvement principles and practices including 5S, 8 Wastes, Standardized Work, Value Steam Mapping, Plan-Do-Check-Act or PDCA, Production Preparation Process or 3P, cycle time, takt time, lead time

5. Demonstrated experience using structured problem-solving skills: uses a systematic, disciplined and data-driven approach that identifies the root causes of various issues and designs solutions to resolve them

6. Demonstrated experience leading large and high complexity projects from initiation to completion

7. Proven track record in facilitating discussions or workshops and leading change

8. Demonstrated ability to influence business leaders

9. Demonstrated experience with process management, VOC tools & DFSS tools

10. Effective written and verbal communication skills

11. Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously

12. Advanced in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint applications

Education

Bachelors degree required

Formal training in continuous one or more of these improvement methodologies (e.g. Lean Manufacturing, TPS, Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, Project Management, etc)

External certification in Lean, Continuous Improvement and/or Six Sigma strongly desired

Skills and Behaviors Critical for Success in the Role

Problem solving skills

Verbal and written communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Decision making skills

Planning and organization skills

Negotiation skills

Results-oriented

Creative

Persistent

Composed

Able to learn new concepts rapidly

Able to work independently with little supervision

Other

25% travel expected (expectations shown are targeted ranges; actual travel required will vary by project and can exceed or go below targeted amounts)

This role is based in the Quests East Region, specifically the Teterboro, NJ area.

Some evening work hours may be required, depending on project needs