Asst Director, Project Mgmt, Digital Health

University of Rochester•Town of Brighton, NY

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Director, Project Management, Digital Health role at the University of Rochester provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for enterprise-wide projects and activities within the Office of Digital Health Innovation. This position leads a centralized project function, ensuring the successful delivery of complex, cross-functional initiatives. The role involves overseeing a team of project managers and collaborating closely with executive, clinical, and operational leaders to align projects with strategic goals, ensure consistent execution, and achieve measurable outcomes that benefit the entire enterprise. The University of Rochester is committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming culture, guided by values of equity, leadership, integrity, openness, respect, and accountability, all in pursuit of Meliora - Ever Better.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 7 years of progressive project/program management experience, 5 years of which are in a leadership capacity managing teams required.
Demonstrated success implementing Lean / Kaizen or process improvement initiatives required.
Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives in a matrixed environment required.
Strong execution mindset with the ability to translate strategy into sustained operational outcomes required.
Ability to lead and manage stakeholders; ability to influence without direct authority required.
Ability to develop executive-level communications, including Steering Committee materials required.
Understanding of system-enabled workflows (e.g., EHR platforms, HRIS, identity/access systems) and their operational impact required.
Ability to lead, coach, and develop team members required.
Project Management Professional upon hire required.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (MBA, MHA, or related field) preferred.
Experience with project or program management methodologies (ex. Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid) preferred.
Experience leading enterprise-level digital, clinical, or operational transformation initiatives preferred.
Expertise in change management, adoption, and sustainment strategies preferred.
Strong financial and analytical acumen, including knowledge of business cases and ROI tracking preferred.
PgMP, Lean, Six Sigma, Change Management or Agile certification upon hire preferred.

Responsibilities

Provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for enterprise-wide projects and activities.
Leads a centralized project function.
Has responsibility for the successful delivery of complex, cross-functional initiatives across key portfolios.
Oversees a team of project managers and partners closely with executive, clinical, and operational leaders across the organization to ensure projects are strategically aligned, consistently executed, and deliver measurable outcomes that impact the entire enterprise.
Sets strategic direction and provides leadership for a centralized project function in partnership with departmental Senior Directors and executive leadership.
Establishes and drives consistent methodologies, governance, and execution standards for all enterprise-wide initiatives.
Prioritizes projects based on strategic alignment and organizational impact, advising on best practices for project management.
Oversees the creation and continuous improvement of a robust project governance framework, encompassing intake, prioritization, end-to-end planning, resource allocation, risk management, and comprehensive executive reporting.
Provides ongoing supervision, coaching, and mentoring to a team of project managers, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Develops and implements comprehensive professional development plans, including training programs and career pathways, to enhance the skills and capabilities of project management staff.
Addresses personnel issues, conducts performance reviews, and actively engages in performance management to ensure the team has the necessary expertise and resources to deliver high-impact solutions across all supported portfolios.
Partners with key leaders to align project portfolios with strategic priorities and ensure successful delivery.
Fosters cross-functional collaboration to enable integrated delivery of solutions.
Drives enterprise-wide visibility into initiatives through standardized reporting, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and comprehensive executive-level communications.
Identifies opportunities for change management in collaboration with internal and external departmental stakeholders.
Develops and implements comprehensive change management plans to ensure smooth transitions, successful adoption, and sustained utilization of solutions across the enterprise.
Leads proactive change management and stakeholder engagement efforts, collaborating closely with internal and external departmental stakeholders to foster buy-in and minimize disruption.
Proactively identifies, assesses, and mitigates potential enterprise-level operational and strategic risks associated with initiatives, developing robust contingency plans and risk response strategies to ensure project success, business continuity, and safeguard organizational objectives.
Identifies potential operational risks and develops strategies to mitigate them, ensuring business continuity.
Provides financial oversight across project portfolios, including budget development, forecasting, and variance management.
Ensures projects are delivered on time and within budget through proactive monitoring, risk identification, and corrective action.
Establishes and standardizes budget tracking tools, processes, and reporting to drive transparency and accountability.
Aligns project spend with approved business cases and organizational priorities, ensuring effective resource allocation.
Partners with departmental leadership and finance to assess return on investment (ROI), cost-benefit outcomes, and overall financial performance of initiatives.
Other duties as assigned.