Director Infection Control Jobs in Minnesota (NOW HIRING)

This position provides vision and leadership to direct clinical quality and safety at Gillette Children’s. Oversight responsibility includes quality improvement, infection control surveillance and prevention, accreditation and regulatory responsibility, and staff and patient safety at Gillette. The incumbent will drive operational excellence and quality improvement while fostering a culture of safety across the organization in collaboration with clinical leaders and the EVP of Operations. This position will work collaboratively with the leaders in Performance Management, Clinical Transformation and Outcomes to drive a broader definition of quality represented by the six domains model of quality and safety.

This is a hybrid position with a minimum expectation of working onsite 50% of the time. The primary work location is our main campus in downtown St. Paul.

Compensation & Benefits

The annual salary range for this opportunity is $128,377 to $192,524, with a median salary of $160,451/annually. Pay is dependent on several factors including relevant work experience and internal equity. Salary is just one component of the compensation package for employees. Gillette supports career progression and offers a competitive benefits package, including a retirement saving match, tuition and certification reimbursement, paid time off, and health and wellness benefits for .5 FTE and above.  

Primary Job Responsibilities 

Designs, leads, and maintains a clinical quality and safety program.

• Directs, oversees, plans, coordinates, and evaluates a comprehensive program to improve clinical outcomes, enhance value, and drive to zero patient harm.
• Works collaboratively with colleagues in Performance and Integration to oversee the quality program, including quality measurement, external reporting, quality improvement, and high reliability.
• Leads initiatives to create an exceptional culture of safety where all caregivers and providers are empowered to identify quality and safety improvement opportunities as well as the ability to “stop the line” when clinically appropriate.
• Creates and maintains a strong partnership with hospital, clinic, and patient care operational leaders to ensure system-wide quality and safety goals and objectives are successfully achieved.
• Oversees the infection control program and the patient safety program, including incident reporting, root cause analyses, sentinel event reporting, failure mode analyses, systems design, failure modes and effects analysis, and proactive staff training and education.
• Drives the organization to improve value, prevent unnecessary readmissions, overuse of testing or procedures, and reduce costs.
• Monitors and translates new and revised best practices related to patient safety and serves as a knowledge leader within the industry.

Leads and maintains the accreditation program.

• Has organizational responsibility for the coordination for all aspects of regulatory readiness related to licensure and accreditation system wide.
• Continuously scans for new verifications, certifications, and accreditations that benefit Gillette’s strategy.
• Embraces quality improvement thinking and fosters relationships with staff and medical staff to inspire, lead and implement a culture of improvement methodologies within the organization.
• Builds relationships with relevant stakeholders to manage effective processes and programs to improve safety and ensure compliance.

Advances the mission, vision, and strategic goals of Gillette.

• Works with senior leadership, managers, and others as appropriate to identify areas of risk, knowledge gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Develops action plans to address risks and gaps in policy or process.
• Contributes to the scientific body of knowledge through quality improvement activities in line with the areas of interest to Gillette.

Directs the Quality & Safety Department

• Sets vision and provides leadership for departments; manages, coaches, and develops staff; demonstrates influential thinking and guidance.
• Oversees the goals and plans for the department and team, develops tactical strategies to achieve desired vision.
• Select, develop, manage, and train staff to ensure a high-quality, effective team, and productive workforce. Develops talent within the team, including acquiring, engaging, and retaining talent.
• Establishes performance measures, monitor results, evaluates effectiveness, and provides feedback to staff to promote staff development. Establish an approach for engaging with staff that includes recognition, involvement, and fairness.
• Promotes cross-departmental collaboration and teamwork across Gillette.
• Works collaboratively, delegates, encourages innovation, sets high standards and makes tough decisions while being open to feedback.
• In collaboration with the EVP of Operations, provides vision and leadership for the quality and safety governance structure. 

Qualifications 

Required 

• Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, public health, nursing, business, or related field. A master's degree is strongly preferred.
• Previous management experience or other leadership experience 
• Five or more years of progressive experience in quality, patient safety, or accreditation in an acute care or specialty hospital setting. 
• Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) or commitment to obtain certification within one year of hire. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• Knowledge of hospital quality systems, patient safety science, evidence-based practice standards (including NIH-aligned frameworks), CMS Conditions of Participation, state regulations, and accreditation requirements, with demonstrated experience leading accreditation surveys and maintaining ongoing readiness.
• Proven ability to use data to drive decision-making, including experience with performance dashboards, outcome metrics, quality reporting tools, and translating complex data into compelling narratives that motivate action at all organizational levels.
• Expertise in quality improvement and patient safety methodologies, including root cause analysis, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), systems thinking, and the design and implementation of sustainable organization-wide improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams, building strong partnerships with clinical and administrative stakeholders, and coaching others in quality improvement principles and practices.
• Strong leadership, change management, and facilitation skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, engage teams, and drive results in complex environments.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.
• Experience managing budgets, leading direct reports, and overseeing departmental operations.
• Proficiency with electronic health record (EHR) platforms, quality management systems, and data visualization and reporting tools.
• Commitment to health equity and an understanding of how bias and social determinants of health influence patient safety, quality outcomes, and care delivery.
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail.

Preferred 

• Experience in a pediatric, rehabilitation, or complex care specialty setting. 
• Lean, Six Sigma, Evidence-Based Practice, or other structured performance improvement certification or training. 
• Familiarity with high-reliability organization (HRO) principles and implementation. 
• Experience presenting at regional or national quality and safety conferences. 
•  Knowledge of emerging technologies in quality management, including predictive analytics and AI-enabled safety tools. 

At Gillette Children’s, we foster a culture where every team member feels a sense of belonging and purpose. We are dedicated to building an environment where all feel welcomed, respected, and supported. Our values are embedded at the heart of our culture. We act first from love, embrace the bigger picture, and work side-by-side with our patients, families, and colleagues to help every child create their own story. Together, we work to ensure patients of all backgrounds and abilities reach their full potential.

Gillette Children's is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of an individual's race, color, creed, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation or gender identity, military status or any other class protected by federal, state or local laws.

Gillette Children’s is a global beacon of care for patients with brain, bone and movement conditions that start in childhood. Our research, treatment and supportive technologies enable every child to lead a full life defined by their dreams, not their diagnoses.

To learn more about working at Gillette Children's, please visit https://www.gillettechildrens.org/careers.

Gillette Children's participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) E-Verify program which is an internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Gillette will give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact DHS or the Social Security Administration (SSA) to resolve the issue before Gillette takes any further action. Please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/ for further details regarding e-verify.