Ambulatory Operations Strategist — Front Desk & Workflows

The Ambulatory Operations Specialist supports system-level coordination, implementation, and continuous improvement of operational initiatives across ambulatory clinics to ensure efficient operations and quality patient care. This role assists with project planning, workflow optimization, and cross-site activities to help meet organizational goals. The Specialist collaborates with internal teams and external partners to streamline front-end processes, support system implementations, and facilitate staff training. They also contribute to helping maintain standard operating procedures, monitoring operational performance, and providing frontline guidance to ensure adherence to best practices. Essential Duties Program & Project Management Support the development and maintenance of project plans for ambulatory initiatives, including timelines, scope, and deliverables, and resource allocation. Coordinate program activities and support implementation of ambulatory initiatives to help ensure timelines are met. Track progress and provide updates to leadership, identifying risks and escalating issues to help maintain alignment with strategic objectives. Support cross-site program rollouts by coordinating operational readiness, stakeholder buy-in, and continuous improvement feedback loops. Support front-end operational readiness efforts for clinic growth, expansion, and new site openings. Partner with Facilities, IT, Revenue Cycle, and Ambulatory Operations to ensure seamless onboarding of front-desk workflows, systems access, and training. Provides “go‑live” onsite support to clinic staff during expansions to ensure front-end operations meet standard performance and revenue requirements. Serves as beta tester and early adopter for enterprise-wide system upgrades and launches (e.g., new scheduling tools, EHR modules, access workflows). Provides critical feedback to IT and operational design teams on system functionality and user impact. Assist in the development of training rollout plans and troubleshooting resources for front-end users. Operations & Process Improvement Collaborate with the Director of Ambulatory Business Operations to optimize front-end workflows, including scheduling, registration, and patient access. Analyze operational performance metrics and use data to identify areas for improvement in clinic efficiency and patient experience. Support the implementation of standardized processes across ambulatory sites to promote consistency and quality in service delivery. Support change management activities related to ambulatory growth and service line development. Support the rollout and ongoing maintenance of SOPs governing front-desk and access workflows across ambulatory clinics. Provides documentation and guidance for clinic Managers, Directors, Access Center leadership, and admitting teams to support SOP adherence. Ensures frontline staff across all locations are trained on the most current front-end procedures for registration, insurance verification, and scheduling workflows. Conducts regular site visits to ambulatory clinics for direct support to assess workflow adherence, identify gaps in front-end execution, and provide targeted training or coaching. Provide guidance to clinic teams on updated SOPs, identify workflow improvement opportunities, and operational trends to leadership. Team Leadership & Communication Provide day-to-day guidance and coordination for administrative support staff, training leads, or clinic-based coordinators during rollout and implementation periods. Facilitate team meetings, huddles, and project workgroups to align tasks and maintain accountability. Serve as a liaison between administrative, clinical, and external partners to promote coordinated, system-level decision-making. Foster a positive, collaborative team culture that emphasizes service excellence, accountability, and university values. Training, Compliance & Stakeholder Engagement Support the development and delivery of training for internal and external staff related to new processes, tools, and workflows. Ensure compliance with organizational policies, ambulatory standards, and applicable regulatory guidelines (e.g., HIPAA, OSHA). Maintain productive relationships with internal stakeholders and external vendors to ensure program success. Promote patient- and staff-centered improvements through active engagement and feedback integration. Support the development and facilitation of New Hire Orientation (NHO), Revenue-Cycle front end training for staff in Ambulatory Clinics, the Access Center, and Admitting. Coordinate and deliver the Annual Revenue Front-End Refresher Training across departments (Ambulatory Clinics, the Access Center, Pre-Arrival Financial Clearance, and Admitting) to ensure regulatory and process compliance. Maintain and update training materials, job aids, and eLearning content to reflect evolving front-end protocols. Perform other related duties as assigned. Required Qualifications High School or equivalent. Proven record of dealing with the public in a customer service role. Familiarity with word processing, Microsoft Outlook, Athena IDX, Cerner, scheduling systems, and navigating the intranet and interpreting online queries. Strong working knowledge of ambulatory clinic operations, including scheduling, registration, and insurance workflows. Preferred Qualifications Bachelor’s Degree in a related field. In lieu of a bachelor’s degree, 5+ years of progressively responsible healthcare experience with demonstrated knowledge of ambulatory workflows, project coordination, and SOP implementation may be considered. 3-5 years of experience supporting cross-functional initiatives, clinic expansion, or workflow optimization across multiple ambulatory settings (e.g., primary care, specialty). Demonstrated experience leading or facilitating training programs and SOP implementation. Strong working knowledge of ambulatory clinic operations, including scheduling, registration, and insurance workflows. Comfortable navigating matrixed organizations and engaging with stakeholders at all levels. Required Licenses/Certifications Fire Life Safety Training (LA City). If no card upon hire, one must be obtained within 30 days of hire and maintained by renewal before expiration date (required within LA City only). The annual base salary range for this position is $68,640.00 – $112,370.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as, but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, and external market and organizational considerations. #J-18808-Ljbffr Keck Medicine of USC