Quality, Risk & Continuous Improvement Manager - UPMC Kildare

Role Overview

The Quality, Risk & Continuous Improvement Manager at UPMC Kildare Hospital is responsible for leading initiatives that promote quality, patient safety, risk mitigation, and ongoing improvement across the facility. This role fosters compliance with national healthcare standards, advances accreditation readiness, and supports data-driven governance.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with senior leadership including General Manager, Director of Nursing, and Medical Director to devise and execute the hospital's quality management strategy.
• Develop, implement, and oversee the Quality Management System (QMS) ensuring alignment with national frameworks such as HIQA, JCI, ISO, CHKS, JAG, and HSA.
• Conduct quality audits, monitor corrective actions, analyze data, and report findings through dashboards to senior management.
• Lead risk management through risk identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring, including overseeing incident investigations and root cause analysis.
• Champion patient safety initiatives focusing on fall reduction, medication safety, infection prevention, and facilitate multidisciplinary safety committees.
• Apply continuous improvement methodologies like Lean, Six Sigma, PDSA cycles to drive process enhancements and coach teams on quality improvement tools.
• Prepare for internal and external accreditation surveys and ensure hospital-wide compliance with regulatory standards.
• Provide detailed reports on quality, risk, and patient safety for governance meetings, ensuring evidence-based decision-making.
• Deliver education and training on risk, quality improvement, and safety culture to promote accountability and continuous learning among staff.
• Support professional development through staff supervision, performance reviews, and involvement in induction and in-service training programs.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Healthcare Management, Quality, or relevant discipline; a Master’s degree is preferred.
• Certification or training in Lean, Six Sigma (Green or Black Belt preferred) or other quality improvement methodologies.
• Minimum of five years' experience in healthcare administration focused on quality, patient safety, or risk management.
• Proven experience with hospital accreditation processes (CHKS or JCI highly desirable).
• Solid understanding of healthcare quality standards, regulatory requirements, and quality and safety frameworks.
• Proficient with IT skills including MS Office Suite (Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and email communication.

Core Competencies

• Strong leadership and project management capabilities.
• Data analysis expertise and proficiency in report generation.
• Strategic thinker with a focus on continuous improvement and quality-focused decision-making.
• Effective stakeholder engagement and problem-solving skills, including root cause analysis.

Salary & Work Schedule

Annual salary ranges between €65,000 and €80,000 based on a 39-hour work week.

Equal Opportunity & Benefits

UPMC is committed to diversity and inclusion, offering competitive compensation, fully paid parental leave, a company pension plan, death-in-service benefits, critical illness cover up to age 66, performance rewards, flexible working arrangements, enhanced annual leave (up to 27 days), and comprehensive career development opportunities.

About UPMC

UPMC is a leading international academic medical centre focused on innovative, patient-centered healthcare. Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC delivers advanced clinical services worldwide through its global network including several centers in Ireland such as UPMC Kildare Hospital, Whitfield Hospital, and Sports Medicine Clinics.