Business Applications Director

Essentia Health•Duluth, MN

2d•$152,651 - $228,987•Remote

About The Position

This is a strategic leadership role within Information Services, focused on driving the performance, governance, modernization, and long-term direction of Essentia Health’s business applications and technology platforms. You will lead a team responsible for 25+ business systems, including Workday, that enable core business functions across Finance, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and other operational areas. Reporting to the VP of Business Applications, you will partner closely with leaders across the organization to ensure our platforms deliver reliable, scalable solutions that support day-to-day operations and enable future growth. This role is critical to advancing Essentia’s business systems and platforms from operational support to strategic enablers of organizational performance and business value, while enabling continued innovation.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive IT leadership experience, including oversight of enterprise-scale platforms in complex organizations.
Experience operating at an enterprise level with cross-functional accountability across multiple business domains.
Experience leading large enterprise platforms such as Workday or comparable ERP ecosystems supporting Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain, or related business functions.
Experience with software engineering oversight, integration architecture, or enterprise application delivery in a leadership capacity.
Experience managing vendor relationships, SaaS contracts, and operating and capital budgets.
Demonstrated success building and developing high-performing technical teams.
Strong communication skills with the ability to influence senior business and technology stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience in healthcare or other highly regulated industries.
Master’s degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, or related discipline.
ITIL, PMP, or comparable service management or project leadership certification.
Experience leading enterprise modernization or digital transformation initiatives, particularly transitioning from external consulting to internal capability.
Familiarity with cloud hosting environments and enterprise security frameworks.
Hands-on experience with automation, AI, or platform development tools (e.g., Workday Extend).
Experience working closely with VPs, CIOs, or senior executives in a strategic technology capacity.

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic technology partner to executive and operational leaders, translating business needs into scalable platform capabilities and influencing decisions around systems, platforms, and digital investments.
Own and execute a multi-year enterprise roadmap that advances platform capabilities, strengthens integration architecture, and supports digital transformation, while ensuring strong financial stewardship of operating and capital investments.
Lead the strategy, modernization, and day-to-day performance of enterprise business applications, aligned with organizational priorities and growth objectives.
Establish and lead enterprise governance for business applications, partnering with enterprise architecture, security, and cross-functional teams.
Ensure alignment and delivery across Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain, and other enterprise business domains.
Drive the transition from third-party consulting reliance to internal delivery capability, building the team’s capacity in platform development, automation, and enterprise application management.
Provide oversight of business applications, establishing modern practices in software engineering, integration architecture, and digital platforms, while reinforcing engineering standards, delivery governance, and architectural alignment.
Champion emerging platform capabilities including automation, AI-enabled workflows and agents, Workday Extend, and modern platform development to maximize the value of our technology investments.
Build, mentor, and develop high-performing teams, fostering leadership capability, succession readiness, and a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.