Chief Business Officer, Business Operations

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

About The Position

Vanderbilt Health - Executive Search Team is conducting a national search for a Chief Business Officer, Business Operations, Office of the COO (Chief Operating Officer). Business Operations serves as the shared services engine of the Office of the COO, enabling departments to focus on their core missions while strengthening the business processes that support them. Through centralized expertise, the team helps ensure that operations are financially sound, efficient, compliant, scalable, and aligned with organizational strategy. Business Operations supports a diverse portfolio of departments reporting to the Office of the COO and the Office of the Chief Digital Information Officer. Through a centralized shared services model, the department provides financial, workforce, procurement, asset management, governance, and operational support that enables these organizations to focus on their core missions while benefiting from standardized processes, stronger controls, improved compliance, and data-driven decision support. The Chief Business Officers (CBOs) of Business Operations work in close partnership with their department heads, who are at the Vice President and higher level (currently across eight departments). As a member of Business Operations, the CBO will work at the intersection of strategy and execution, partnering with leaders to drive operational excellence, strengthen financial stewardship, optimize workforce and resource management, and support informed decision-making. The CBO serves as a member of their department heads’ leadership teams and is accountable for translating institutional strategy into operational execution. This role exercises delegated authority on behalf of the department heads for designated operational, financial, and administrative decisions and serves as the primary escalation point for business matters.

Requirements

Bachelors’ degree
minimum of seven years demonstrated strategic management experience including budgets, financial reports and the ability to navigate and interface with multiple departments in the organization
excellent written and oral communication skills
demonstrated administrative leadership experience
strong interpersonal skills
high-level problem-solving skills

Nice To Haves

Administrative leadership experience in an Academic Medical Center is preferred.

Responsibilities

Partner with leaders to develop and execute business strategies
Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners
Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement
Monitor business risks and develop mitigation strategies
Work strategically with leaders on operating and capital budget development
Provide financial analysis, forecasting, and variance reporting
Provide timely financial insight and recommendations to support decision-making
Ensure compliance with organizational financial policies and procedures
Oversee departmental fiscal and administrative matters
Foster an organizational culture that provides a safe, inclusive, satisfying, and enriching environment for employees
Provide sound guidance on personnel, payroll, and performance matters
Perform workforce planning assessments aligned with strategic priorities
Partner with Human Resources
Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, service quality, and stakeholder experience
Promote and facilitate data-informed decision-making
Ensure appropriate data governance, system access controls, and information security practices for operations
Oversee purchasing and payment workflows
Coordinate vendor relationships and contract administration activities
Support statements of work (SOW) development, review, routing, and monitoring
Ensure procurement activities align with organizational sourcing and compliance requirements