Quality Improvement Specialist

Union or Non-Union: Non-Union
New or Replacement: Replacement
Site: Toronto General Hospital
Department: Sprott Centre for Quality & Safety, Sprott Surgery
Reports to: Senior Manager, Surgical Transformation
Wage Range: $45.74 - $68.62 per hour.
Hours: 37.5 Hours per Week
Status: Temporary Full-Time
Closing Date: April 30, 2026

Job Summary: 

Together, the Sprott Surgery Program and the Department of Anesthesia & Pain Management make up the largest, comprehensive surgical program in Canada across 13 divisions, tackling some of the world’s most complex surgeries and toughest medical problems.  With our vision as “World Leaders in Surgery”, quality and patient safety is essential.  The Sprott Centre of Quality and Safety leads a range of quality and safety initiatives across the three surgical campuses (Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre) to drive safety, experience and continuous improvements.  The Centre plays a key role in supporting UHN in achieving the highest levels of safety and quality care, and in making meaningful and measurable progress towards zero preventable harm for patients and staff.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Transformation and Quality, the Quality Improvement Specialist will work collaboratively with program and teams to identify and plan for quality improvement opportunities, catalyze and spread quality improvement and best practices, build capacity for continuous quality improvement, across the peri-operative journey.

Duties:

As a pivotal member of the Sprott Centre for Quality and Safety, the Quality Improvement Specialist will be a clinical champion and ambassador for quality improvement safety, leading through the following accountabilities:

• Utilizes improvement science, quality improvement methodology/tools, and change management expertise to identify and plan for quality improvement opportunities and catalyze and spread quality improvement and best practices
• Works with stakeholders to ensure that all quality improvement efforts include:
• A clear, measurable aim
• A measurement framework in support of reaching the aim
• A clear description of the ideas (content) and how these ideas are expected to impact the results (the causal pathway from changes to desired outcomes)
• A clear description of the execution strategy (what will be done to ensure reliable adoption of the content?)
• Dedication to rapid testing (PDSA cycles), prediction, and learning from tests
• Participate in incident debriefs and root cause analysis, and when appropriate lead/participate in implementation of system action recommendations derived from these reviews
• Identify clinical best practice (critical pathways, evidence-based protocols, algorithms, order sets, care maps) strategies to improve care in target populations; Supports adoption and spread of improvements aimed at reducing variation and inequities across programs/services/departments
• Leads the Surgical Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) analysis, action plans and reporting in collaboration with non-clinical and clinical program leads.
• Aid in the preparation of an Annual Quality and Safety Report for the department/program
• Communicates regularly with stakeholders regarding initiative status/emerging challenges and works collectively to ensure improvement project success.
• Works closely with UHN Quality and Patient Safety team in collaborative improvement initiatives.
• Responsible for developing and maintaining quality scorecards and ensuring analysis is shared with appropriate departments, leaders and committees
• Leads capacity building and education in quality improvement methodology across the organization to advance quality and build a culture of sustainable improvement
• Assists in the selection and analysis of quality related performance indicators to monitor organizational, program, and/or unit level performance
• Analyzes, reviews, forecasts, trends and presents information for quality planning and management needs
• Represents the organization and participates in the healthcare community through research, evaluation, conference abstract submissions, publication and presentations
• Provide leadership, guidance, and planning for quality and patient safety initiatives through advocating for clinical standardization through quality improvement initiatives and document preparation

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree
• A Master’s degree in Health/Business Administration, Quality and Patient Safety or a related field preferred
• Being a member of a regulated healthcare professional is preferred
• Minimum of 3-5 years practical and related experience in the healthcare field
• Previous experience in quality and performance improvement methods is required
• Experience leading Patient Safety & Quality Improvement initiatives within healthcare is required to allow the individual to immediately facilitate events based on their process improvement knowledge and experience
• Experience working with physician and other clinicians is required
• Project management experience preferred
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating a major change initiative in a healthcare environment
• Demonstrated change management skills (consulting, negotiating, influencing)
• Knowledge of hospital organizational structure and processes preferred
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders is required
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple competing priorities in a deadline-driven environment
• Analytical ability with excellent attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal skills as well as the ability to work in a team environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as presentation skill.
• A demonstrated commitment to achieving results through collaboration, in keeping with the vision, mission and values of the organization

Why join UHN?
In addition to working alongside some of the most talented and inspiring healthcare professionals in the world, UHN offers a wide range of benefits, programs and perks. It is the comprehensiveness of these offerings that makes it a differentiating factor, allowing you to find value where it matters most to you, now and throughout your career at UHN.

• Competitive offer packages
• Government organization and a member of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP https://hoopp.com/)
• Close access to Transit and UHN shuttle service
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for development and promotions within a large organization
• Additional perks (multiple corporate discounts including: travel, restaurants, parking, phone plans, auto insurance discounts, on-site gyms, etc.)

Current UHN employees must have successfully completed their probationary period, have a good employee record along with satisfactory attendance in accordance with UHN's attendance management program, to be eligible for consideration.

All applications must be submitted before the posting close date.

UHN uses email to communicate with selected candidates.  Please ensure you check your email regularly.

Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. Should it be determined that any information provided by a candidate be misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, UHN reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of their application.

UHN is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive recruitment process and workplace. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants need to make their requirements known.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.