Special Projects Manager

Location: 3636 E Melby St, Lake Hallie, Wisconsin, 54729-8392, United States

About the role

At DaVita, we find that our best leaders are those who create an inspiring vision for the future and empower their team to achieve success. They enjoy tackling difficult problems, believe the best solutions come from collaborative team efforts, take ownership of results, and instill accountability. They are driven, strong communicators, relationship builders, and find fulfillment in challenging work. The Manager, Special Projects, is responsible for leading, managing, and executing assigned strategic and operational initiatives with high ownership and accountability. The role focuses on identifying operational and business improvement opportunities, conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses, designing business models and workflows, and driving cross‑functional implementation.

Key responsibilities

• Own and manage end‑to‑end lifecycle for strategic, operational, and process improvement projects, establishing objectives, milestones, work plans, timelines, and resource allocation.
• Track and report project KPIs, identify operational bottlenecks, and implement mitigation plans.
• Drive PR, referral volume, and transfers; facilitate admit readiness via capacity planning, clinical amenities, DGS & ROPS relationships.
• Identify opportunities and strategies for sustainable impact (e.g., FA Accountability, Schedule Hub, DTM, Centralized RN, Discharge Packet, Patient Transition Survey, Hep B Pending, Two Track, etc.) and assist with acquisitions and de‑novos.
• Manage upstream education program driving %NSE and maintaining a consistent educator team; oversee pilots and long‑term projects across clinics, regions, or divisions (e.g., Lung Ultrasonography, CritLine, PerfectServe, ToT).
• Develop, document, and refine standard operating procedures, program policies, and process workflows; partner with corporate, Legal, and Compliance to ensure regulatory adherence.
• Perform data and root‑cause analyses on key operational metrics; translate findings into actionable insights, dashboards, and recommendations.
• Act as a central partner connecting Operations, Strategy, IT, People Services, and Clinical Leadership; prepare and present executive updates and presentations.
• Engage upstream with providers, DP/CM teams, ED Diversion/DoDD/Dialysis in the ED programs; partner with Directors, ROPS/DTM/DGS to drive referral volume and elevate Day 0‑Day 1 experience.
• Provide mentorship, day‑to‑day guidance, and project leadership to analysts and contributors; facilitate roundtable discussions, SSC discussions, and talent calibration.
• Support integration of the IKC team within the DKC workflow and collaborate on new opportunities to elevate patient care and clinical outcomes (e.g., New Beginnings, EPIC/Falcon integration, alternative language patient education materials, TM Growth Programs).

Minimum qualifications

• Education: Associate’s degree preferred; Bachelor’s degree in a related area strongly preferred (unless required by state or local laws).
• Experience: 3–5+ years of relevant experience in project management, consulting, strategy, or operational leadership. Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is a plus.

Required skills

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, prioritize concurrent workstreams, and manage tight deadlines.
• Strong communication, stakeholder influence, and executive presentation capabilities.
• Intermediate computer skills and proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Travel requirements

Up to 25–40% travel, depending on assignment and group need.

Compensation

Compensation will depend on a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience.

Benefits

DaVita offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401(k) match, healthcare coverage, and a broad range of other benefits. The company also provides learning and development programs to support career growth from clinical and operations to corporate roles.