Manager - Office of Decedent Affairs

Stanford Health Care•Palo Alto, CA

6d•$65 - $86

About The Position

The Manager of Decedent Affairs oversees the day-to-day operations of decedent affairs services for Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children’s Health. The manager creates, implements, facilitates, and trains staff on projects, programs, and performance initiatives designed to improve efficiency, quality of care, patient and staff experience, and cost. The role has direct oversight of the Decedent Affairs team and ensures timely and appropriate disposition in accordance with the hospitals’ missions and values. The manager develops staff and interdisciplinary teams, leads operational and strategic improvement work, analyzes performance data, manages department budgeting and staffing, and collaborates across hospital departments. The position also oversees shared-service arrangements with Stanford Children’s Health and the accurate completion of death certificates, releases, and other required documentation. The role ensures and participates in 24/7 coverage according to operational needs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a work-related field from an accredited college or university.
At least 5 years of managerial or supervisory work experience.
Comprehensive knowledge of hospital administration and business, including organizational structure, functions, processes, procedures, objectives, measures, metrics, and self-assessment processes.
Demonstrated successful application of process and performance improvement and problem-solving principles, tools, and methodologies.
Knowledge and skills in change management strategies.
Skill in managing highly stressful situations.
Ability to communicate effectively at all organizational levels, including instruction, persuasion, negotiation, conflict resolution, consultation, advising, and detailed written communication.
Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with diverse groups and gain their cooperation.
Ability to manage changing priorities and work effectively independently or as part of a team.
Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, motivate, mentor, direct, and evaluate the work of others.
Ability to provide leadership and influence others.
Ability to resolve conflicts or negotiate to achieve positive results and maintain effective interpersonal relationships.
Knowledge of program development and management techniques.
Knowledge of technical process improvement methods such as Lean, Kaizen, and Flow techniques.
Knowledge of socio-process improvement methods such as group process consultation, change management, and adaptive leadership.
Knowledge of healthcare and hospital and outpatient operations, and ability to connect industry knowledge to system strategies and work outcomes.
Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Smartsheet, and Outlook.

Nice To Haves

2–5 years of experience in a decedent care-related setting.
Preferred credentials: Registered Nurse (RN) state or compact-state licensure, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), California Funeral Director license (CAFD), or Board Certified Chaplain (BCC).

Responsibilities

Coach, train, and develop Office of Decedent Affairs staff and other interdisciplinary team members.
Contribute to the broader program and Decedent Care community through networking, publications, and other contributions to its knowledge base.
Interview, select, and train staff; review personnel-action recommendations; evaluate staff performance; resolve grievances; and initiate disciplinary action when needed.
Plan, organize, manage, and delegate day-to-day operational activities to ensure timely and appropriate disposition.
Develop and lead strategic programs and projects to improve efficiency, capacity, quality of care, patient and staff experience, and cost.
Guide staff and leaders across Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children’s Health in organizational alignment, improvement methods, group dynamics, data-driven improvement, systems thinking, and organizational learning.
Communicate effectively, manage conflicts, engage employees and interdisciplinary colleagues, and collaborate across departments to improve problem-solving, decision-making, and performance.
Capture and analyze actionable performance data, and develop processes for displaying and communicating results.
Partner with Business Operations to plan and forecast budgets, calculate staffing needs, interpret financial reports, project workload, monitor productivity, perform variance analysis, identify budget needs, and manage scheduling, position controls, and attendance procedures.
Oversee and develop a contract with Stanford Children’s Health for shared decedent affairs services and clinician education.
Oversee timely and accurate completion of death certificates, releases, and required decedent affairs documentation.
Ensure and participate in 24/7 coverage for Office of Decedent Affairs functions according to operational need.
Perform other related duties as needed or assigned.