Chief Project Officer

Hospital for Special Care•New Britain, CT

25d

About The Position

We are dedicated to creating an environment of care and engagement that makes us one of the most desirable places to work, providing exceptional care to each patient each and every day! Chief Project Officer (CPO) Job Summary The Chief Project Officer (CPO) is the executive leader of the Project Management Office (PMO) and is accountable for the disciplined execution of the organization’s strategic and operational initiatives. Reporting directly to the CEO, the CPO ensures that approved strategies and priorities are translated into well-governed, executable projects that deliver measurable outcomes aligned with the organization’s mission, regulatory requirements, and patient-centered goals. The CPO works in close partnership with the VP of Strategy, Planning, and Business Development, serving as the primary execution counterpart to strategy development. While strategic priorities and business cases are defined and sponsored by the Strategy function, the CPO is accountable for project governance, prioritization, sequencing, and delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Project Management, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred).
Minimum of 5 years of experience leading complex, cross-functional projects.
Demonstrated ability to lead multiple concurrent initiatives and manage competing priorities.
Strong knowledge of project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid).
Exceptional communication, leadership, organizational, and time management skills.
Proven ability to influence at the executive level and partner effectively with strategy, clinical, and operational leaders.

Nice To Haves

Project Management Professional (PMP) certification strongly preferred.
Experience establishing or leading a PMO.
Healthcare industry experience, including clinical, operational, and regulatory environments.
Experience managing enterprise portfolios and governance structures.
Change management experience or certification (e.g., Prosci, ADKAR).
Strong financial acumen, including budget oversight and ROI tracking.
Experience presenting to Boards or executive committees.
Proficiency with project management and reporting tools (e.g., Smartsheet, MS Project, Jira, or similar).

Responsibilities

Strategy Execution & Governance Lead and continuously mature the PMO, establishing standardized project governance, methodologies, tools, and performance metrics.
Partner with the CEO and executive leadership to operationalize approved strategic priorities through disciplined project execution.
Serve as the organization’s senior authority on project delivery, execution risk, and enterprise capacity.
Ensure projects align with strategic intent, operational readiness, regulatory requirements, and quality and patient safety standards.
Strategic Partnership with Strategy & Business Development Collaborate closely with the VP of Strategy, Planning, and Business Development to transition approved initiatives from strategic concept to execution.
Participate in initiative intake, evaluation, and prioritization to ensure alignment between strategic value and organizational capacity.
Provide execution-focused input on feasibility, timing, dependencies, and risk during strategic planning and initiative development.
Support strategy sponsors by translating business cases into executable project plans with defined scope, milestones, and success metrics.
The VP of Strategy is accountable for defining and sponsoring what initiatives the organization pursues; the Chief Project Officer is accountable for how and when those initiatives are delivered.
Portfolio & Program Management Oversee a portfolio of approximately nine concurrent initiatives through direct leadership of two Project Leads.
Ensure appropriate project prioritization, sequencing, and resourcing across the organization.
Monitor timelines, budgets, risks, interdependencies, and outcomes; proactively address issues and escalate as needed.
Maintain enterprise-level dashboards and reporting to provide transparency to the CEO and executive leadership.
People Leadership & PMO Development Lead, mentor, and develop Project Leads to ensure consistent, high-quality project management practices.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the PMO.
Serve as a trusted advisor to executive sponsors, clinical leaders, and operational stakeholders.
Communication & Stakeholder Engagement Provide clear, concise, and actionable communication to executive leadership, physicians, clinical teams, and operational partners.
Present project status, risks, and outcomes to senior leadership and governing bodies.
Facilitate alignment across departments and resolve competing priorities and resource constraints.
Operational Excellence & Change Management Drive standardization and optimization of project intake, governance, and execution processes.
Support organizational change management to ensure adoption and sustainability of project outcomes.
Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and execution effectiveness across the enterprise.