Houston Methodist is proud to be named to Forbes’ America’s Best Large Employers 2026 list, a significant national recognition that reflects how our employees experience working here every day. The list, developed by Forbes in partnership with Statista, was announced February 10, 2026.
This honor is based on an extensive, …
Director Safety Quality Well-being
Location:
Houston Methodist Academic Institute
7550 Greenbriar Drive, Houston TX, 77030
7550 Greenbriar Drive, Houston TX, 77030
- Job Ref:
- JR-4887
- Job Shift:
- Day
- Job Type:
- Full Time
At Houston Methodist, the Director Safety, Quality and Well-Being Institute position will define the Houston Methodist Safety, Quality and Well-Being Institute's structure, scope, and long-term sustainability, ensuring that its research and scholarly activities directly support and inform Houston Methodist's systemwide quality and safety goals. This position will collaborate closely with department chairs, chief quality officers, chief nursing officers and other institutional leaders to build a robust research portfolio and best-in-class education and teaching programs in quality, safety and high-value care. The Director Safety, Quality and Well-Being Institute position will foster interdisciplinary scholarship, promote innovation in health care delivery science and support academic inquiry that informs clinical practice across all specialties—from heart and vascular to cancer and neurology. By integrating existing programs in process improvement, process engineering and simulation, this position will ensure the Institute serves as a catalyst for innovation and collaboration across the system. The Director Safety, Quality and Well-Being Institute position will champion high-reliability principles and a just culture, aligning with Houston Methodist's ICARE values and strategic priorities. This position will also play a critical role in mentoring emerging investigators, securing extramural funding and representing Houston Methodist in national and international academic forums. Working in close partnership with the chief quality officer and the office of philanthropy, the Director Safety, Quality and Well-Being Institute position will help position the Institute as a center of excellence and a destination for training the next generation of health care leaders in quality and safety science.
The Director position will have dual reporting to the Chief Physician Executive and CEO of the Houston Methodist Physician Organization (HMPO) and Chief Academic Officer and President of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute (HMAI) and whose responsibilities include overseeing the activities of the department staff, ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence and efficiency to accomplish strategic and operational objectives. In addition, this position is accountable for employee engagement, adequate staffing levels, budget development and compliance, staffing decisions such as hiring and terminating employment, coaching and counseling employees on work-related performance, and developing and implementing policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective work environment. This position also ensures training, monitoring and operations initiatives are implemented, which secure compliance with ethical and legal business practices and accreditation/regulatory/government regulations.
EDUCATION
EXPERIENCE
The Director position will have dual reporting to the Chief Physician Executive and CEO of the Houston Methodist Physician Organization (HMPO) and Chief Academic Officer and President of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute (HMAI) and whose responsibilities include overseeing the activities of the department staff, ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence and efficiency to accomplish strategic and operational objectives. In addition, this position is accountable for employee engagement, adequate staffing levels, budget development and compliance, staffing decisions such as hiring and terminating employment, coaching and counseling employees on work-related performance, and developing and implementing policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective work environment. This position also ensures training, monitoring and operations initiatives are implemented, which secure compliance with ethical and legal business practices and accreditation/regulatory/government regulations.
FLSA STATUS
Exempt
QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION
EXPERIENCE
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
QUALIFICATIONSExempt
QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION
- Doctor of Medicine (MD) from an accredited medical school or other Terminal degree (e.g., PhD, DrPH) in a related field such as healthcare quality, patient safety, well-being, health services research, public health or implementation science
EXPERIENCE
- Full-time faculty appointment in the rank of professor or application for full-time professor in process
- Five years of progressively responsible experience in applicable field, two years must have been in a people management role
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES
- Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
- Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially about activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
- Demonstrates the ability to interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization
- Ability to use appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans; modifying one’s own behavior to accommodate tasks, situations and individuals involved
- Demonstrates leadership qualities and critical thinking through self-direction initiative and effective interpersonal skills and oral/written communication skills
- Ability to identify and understand issues, problems and opportunities, comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints and probable consequences
- Extensive knowledge of regulatory and accreditation agency requirements that impact department; stays abreast of industry changes
- Demonstrates highly effective communication skills—strong written communications and platform presentation abilities
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment
- Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in the workplace
- Capable of leading teams/facilitating groups, building consensus and garnering highest confidence in professionalism and work product by senior leadership
- Ability to work under pressure and balance many competing priorities; highly responsive and solution/action oriented
- Proficiency in spreadsheet, word processing, and presentation software
- Maintains a positive and supportive attitude and demeanor
- Professional handling of exposure to confidential/sensitive information
- Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles Advanced skills in change management, planning, execution and business intelligence
- Hands-on, high-energy, people-oriented leadership style that has strong analytical, communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to evaluate and develop effective process improvements to enhance efficiency of operations
- Ability to build collaborative research partnerships across disciplines and institutions
- Knowledge of health services research, quality improvement science, and implementation science methodologies
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Directs, develops and implements strategic and operational/high-level projects and processes either through independent/highly autonomous work or through the facilitation of work teams to enable the effective and efficient completion of objectives.
- Oversees management of and ensures development for staff to meet overall objectives in terms of quality, service and cost-effectiveness. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas needed to accomplish a task or solve a problem. Directs management responsibilities of selection, scheduling, supervision, retention, and evaluation of employees. Partners with leadership to recruit independent faculty, trainees and staff.
- Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department turnover and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators.
- Provides leadership and communication to maintain a competent and engaged employee group by conducting regular department meetings to review policies and procedures and operational matters, rounding on all employees, completing performance appraisals, conducting new hire feedback sessions, coaching/corrective counseling, and providing recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes.
- Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, and units to achieve business goals. Drives the promotion of teamwork within and between departments; participates and/or leads and facilitates department process improvements as needed. Builds trusted relationships and engages clinician-researchers and quality leaders across the system to foster participation in research and scholarly inquiry in quality, safety, and high-value care.
- Leads the strategic development and operational launch of the Houston Methodist Safety, Quality, and Well-Being Institute, including defining its structure, scope, partnerships and long-term sustainability.
- Obtains input and participation of senior faculty towards the generation of fundamental insights and transformative developments for health and patient care, along with effectively mentoring junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows.
- Advocates for and supports faculty in promotion and academic advancement, ensuring clear expectations and access to opportunities in alignment with institutional criteria. Identifies, mentors and supports emerging investigators by connecting them with institutional resources and creating a pathway to meaningful academic contributions in quality and safety research.
SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Oversees department operations, designated projects, schedules and activities as needed to ensure that goals or objectives are accomplished within the prescribed time frame. Sets priorities and functional standards, giving direction to staff as necessary to ensure the best possible delivery of service and high customer/patient satisfaction.
- Drives department service standards and activities to impact department and/or system score for patient/customer-based satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering accountability. Serves and actively participates on various entity committees as a voice for the department.
- Supports dissemination of quality, safety and well-being research findings and best practices across the system to improve patient outcomes and service delivery. Ensures that the Institute’s research and scholarly activities support and inform Houston Methodist’s system-wide quality, safety, and well-being goals and are translated into practice across hospitals, clinics and departments.
- Collaborates with clinical and administrative leaders across entities to align research efforts with system service priorities and support implementation of evidence-based practices.
QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Ensures a safe and effective working environment; monitors and/or revises the department safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines. Responsible for staff maintenance of credentials and competencies, per accrediting/licensing agency and/or department guidelines as applicable.
- Employs a proactive approach in the optimization of safe outcomes and information systems by monitoring and improving the department workflow and enhancing operations, using peer-to-peer accountability and identifying solutions via collaboration. Implements process improvements utilizing tools such as lean principles. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety.
- Responsible for employee compliance to policies and procedures and performs associated actions upon non-compliance (i.e., licensure/certification compliance, focal point review requirements, disaster plan, in-services, influenza immunization, wage and hour, standard hours, timely termination submission, timely timecard approval, etc.).
- Submits Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR) and updates for HMAI Central Administration review and approval.
- Supports the grant process in various functions (as a consultant, mentor, supervisor, etc.), providing guidance and advice as appropriate. Ensures grant applications are focused on National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines for rigor and reproducibility in applications to include scientific premise of the proposed research, rigorous experimental design for robust and unbiased results, consideration of relevant biological variables and authentication of key biological and/or chemical resources.
- Champions the development and use of metrics to assess quality, safety, value, and well-being. Supports transparent reporting and feedback loops to drive continuous learning and improvement and performance against institutional quality priorities.
- Facilitates the application of quality, safety and well-being research findings into clinical operations by partnering with institutional leaders and frontline teams to inform, evaluate, and refine care delivery practices, in alignment with Houston Methodist’s systemwide goals and external benchmarks such as Leapfrog, Vizient and CMS Star Ratings.
FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Develops and manages department operational and capital budgets, approvals, and ongoing maintenance of the department(s), ensuring operation in a cost-effective manner. Proactively identifies and plans for capital needs related to current equipment and future department projects. Ensures staffing plans and schedules meet department needs that reflect understanding of the importance of cost-effectiveness.
- Creates department strategies to achieve financial target and staffing needs, through optimizing productivity, supply/resource efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime and overtime percentage, and other areas according to department specifications.
- Develops and maintains a sustainable financial portfolio of funding to include institutional funding, extramural funding, clinical trials and philanthropic gifts.
- Ensures sound financial management of research programs, including compliance with sponsor requirements, accurate financial reporting and alignment with institutional policies related to grant funding and effort reporting.
- Collaborates with institutional finance, research administration and development teams to forecast needs, pursue funding opportunities and steward philanthropic gifts in alignment with institute priorities.
GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Identifies and implements innovative solutions for practice or workflow changes to improve department, entity or system operations by leading unit projects and/or other department/ system-directed activities. Proactively leads task forces and committees. May represent HM at assigned community or professional organization meetings. Serves on various institutional committees.
- Drives change initiatives, maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures. Partners effectively with stakeholders as appropriate.
- Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates My Development Plan (MDP) on an ongoing basis. Conducts conversations with staff on their development.
- Creates an environment that facilitates innovation and productivity as measured by intellectual property generation, inclusion in high-impact publications and recognition by the scientific and medical community: citations, awards, participation in peer review or scientific advisory boards, named lectureships, election to honorary societies or leadership of professional organizations, etc.
- Proactively seeks and cultivates interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research collaborations to expand the center’s reach, visibility and impact in the fields of quality, safety and high-value care.
- Identifies opportunities to use advanced analytics, digital health tools or health IT platforms to support novel research approaches and translational implementation in clinical settings.
SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
- WORK ATTIRE
- Uniform: No
- Scrubs: No
- Business professional: Yes
- Other (department approved): No
- On Call* No
- May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
- May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area Yes
ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.
TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**
EDUCATION
- Doctor of Medicine (MD) from an accredited medical school or other Terminal degree (e.g., PhD, DrPH) in a related field such as healthcare quality, patient safety, well-being, health services research, public health or implementation science
EXPERIENCE
- Full-time faculty appointment in the rank of professor or application for full-time professor in process
- Five years of progressively responsible experience in applicable field, two years must have been in a people management role
Company Profile:
Houston Methodist Academic Institute oversees the Education Institute and Research Institute. The Academic Institute aligns our research and education initiatives in service to the clinical mission, providing solutions that answer the call for new technologies and skills our clinicians need for patient care. Houston Methodist Education Institute coordinates our primary academic affiliation with Weill Cornell Medicine and other joint programs, including the Engineering Medicine Program at Texas A&M University Intercollegiate School of Engineering Medicine. The Education Institute also oversees continuing medical education and graduate medical education, and supports trainees in residence for medical, nursing, allied health and research education programs. Houston Methodist Research Institute supports research programs and infrastructure that enable faculty across the system to bring new scientific discoveries to patients as rapidly as possible through the full cycle of a cure from conceptual bench research, to prototyping and development, to clinical trials and FDA approval. The Research Institute supports clinical research protocols and extramurally funded translational research programs.
Houston Methodist is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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