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Performance Improvement Specialist

Children's Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI · Full time

Posted Oct 1, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a quality or process improvement project you led from start to finish.

What they are checking: Whether they can lead real improvement work, not just take part in it.

Tell me about a time clinicians resisted a change you were leading. How did you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can win over busy clinicians by involving them, not forcing changes on them.

Tell me about a time data told a different story than people expected.

What they are checking: Whether they let data guide decisions and can share hard findings tactfully.

What does operational excellence mean to you in a children's hospital?

What they are checking: Whether they connect process work to better, safer care for kids and families.

What would you do

How would you start supporting quality work at the Herma Heart Institute in your first few months?

What they are checking: Whether they would listen and learn before driving change in a specialized clinical area.

This role also works with teams across the Forward Pediatric Alliance. How would you work across organizations with different cultures and systems?

What they are checking: Whether they can collaborate across organizations without direct authority.

How would you explain a process map or improvement plan to a frontline nurse?

What they are checking: Whether they can make improvement work simple and useful for busy staff.

About the work

What improvement methods have you used, like Lean, Six Sigma or PDSA cycles, and when do you choose each?

What they are checking: Whether they understand improvement tools and use them thoughtfully.

How do you measure whether an improvement actually worked and will last?

What they are checking: Whether they use data and run charts to show results and sustain them.

How do you pick which problems to work on when there are many?

What they are checking: Whether they prioritize by impact on patients and the organization.

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The full job description

As published by Children's Wisconsin.

At Children’s Wisconsin, we believe kids deserve the best. Children’s Wisconsin is a nationally recognized health system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children. We provide primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergency care, community health services, foster and adoption services, child and family counseling, child advocacy services and family resource centers. Our reputation draws patients and families from around the country. We offer a wide variety of rewarding career opportunities and are seeking individuals dedicated to helping us achieve our vision of the healthiest kids in the country. If you want to work for an organization that makes a difference for children and families, and encourages you to be at your best every day, please apply today. Please follow this link for a closer look at what it’s like to work at Children’s Wisconsin: https://www.instagram.com/lifeatcw/ Children’s Wisconsin is seeking a Process Improvement Specialist to lead quality and process improvement initiatives that enhance patient care, operational performance, and organizational effectiveness. This role will support the ongoing quality and continuous improvement needs of the Herma Heart Institute , helping to drive sustainable outcomes and operational excellence. The position will also collaborate with teams across the Forward Pediatric Alliance to advance quality improvement efforts and achieve strategic goals. Location: Hybrid , must be local to Milwaukee to come in for meetings. Job Summary Provides global customer/business support across the system in the following areas: operational analysis, performance improvement, work process design/redesign, clinical care optimization, patient safety and other organizational improvement activities. Maintains a portfolio of system level improvement projects as well as other related local operational improvement activities. Essential Functions - Dedicated to providing system wide common systems, seeks to reduce variation in organizational processes. Directly involved in improving methodology, tools and curriculum used in process improvement projects throughout the system. - Analyzes existing flow of people, activities, materials, etc and will perform studies as needed to determine capacities, workloads, and staffing needs. - Participates in development of tactical plans and goals to support innovation - Mentors Performance Improvement Specialists. - Functions as an organizational change consultant and provides strategies to successfully impact overall effectiveness of improvement initiatives. - Leads micro and meso system level projects and teams. Participates on meso/macro system level projects and teams. - Conducts needs analysis, determines areas for improvement, and identifies key sources of data to support change proposals and monitor the effectiveness of processes in place. - Provides facilitation, data and/or root cause analysis to improve clinical outcomes, patient safety or process efficiencies - Uses quality improvement tools and understands systems thinking, statistical process control, and project management - Insures establishment of metrics, provides analysis of current state and recommends enhancements for workflows. Legacy Essential Functions - Prepares reports synthesizing analytical results using appropriate visualization tools (i.e. histograms, run charts, statistical control charts as appropriate). - Maintains knowledge of organizational change methodology and ability to provide direction on change. - Partners and collaborates on projects with other members of the Quality staff and performs other duties as assigned. Education: - Bachelor's Degree in a related field Required Experience: - 2+ years experience in leading or primary resource for Quality/Process Improvement projects Required - Previous healthcare and/or clinical/cardiac experience Preferred - Demonstrated experience and leadership in quality improvement principles and/or projects Required - Training in large scale change, coaching, and internal consulting Preferred - Leadership experience and interpersonal skills managing and collaborating with cross functional work teams Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities - Knowledge and demonstration of improvement methodologies such as Model for Improvement, PDSA, FMEA. - Ability to improve work processes through the use of statistical/analytical metrics. - Strong communication, presentation, facilitation, and meeting management skills. - Independent judgment, analytic ability to problem solve, formulate reports, perform statistical analysis, and interpret data. - Demonstrated ability to be a change agent. - Demonstrated ability to deliver projects on time and with approved outcome - Demonstrated knowledge in use of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint i.e. pivot tables, macros etc. - Lean, Six Sigma, or Advanced IHI Model for Improvement within one year of hire/promotion Licenses and Certifications: - PMP-Project Management Professional - Project Management Institute preferred or - CPHQ-Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality - Healthcare Quality Certification Commission preferred Children's Wisconsin is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees. We treat everyone with dignity, respect, and fairness. We do not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status or condition protected by the law. Certifications/Licenses: CPHQ-Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality - Healthcare Quality Certification Commission, PMP-Project Management Professional - Project Management Institute

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