Director, IT Clinical Systems Integration

Hackensack Meridian Health•Iselin, NJ

20h

About The Position

The Director of IT Clinical Systems Integration provides strategic leadership for Hackensack Meridian Health's (HMH) clinical systems. This role is responsible for System Optimization, Lifecycle Management, Epic Change Management, and Integrations to ensure portfolio stability, scalability, and interoperability. By fostering strong collaborative partnerships across clinical, operations, and IT teams, the Director champions innovation within a well-governed technology environment. Guiding both technical and business resources, the Director takes full ownership of outcomes, proactively mitigates risks, and drives strategic decisions to successful completion.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or other related field; or equivalent (4 years) relevant experience may be accepted in place of a bachelor's degree.
Minimum of 12 years of experience (16 years of experience if no degree) of progressive IT leadership experience, with 7 or more years in healthcare IT.
Minimum of 5 years of leadership experience managing multiple, large, cross-functional technical teams, and influencing senior-level management and key stakeholders.
Advanced technical and business knowledge in the software development life cycle, quality assurance, project management, and other related disciplines/processes.
Deep expertise in integration platforms (i.e., HL7, FHIR, API, integration engines such as Bridges, Rhapsody, Mirth, Cloverleaf), environment management, and release/change management methodologies.
Extensive experience with Epic applications, including a proven track record of leading large-scale Epic upgrades, Special Updates (SUs), version migrations, and optimization programs.
Understanding of the following technologies and processes: Applications, Client and Server Hardware, Databases, System Integrations, IT Operations, User Presentation Tier, Virtualization, and Service-Oriented/Enterprise Application frameworks.
Strong knowledge of healthcare regulatory requirements, including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH).
Ability to foster teamwork while leading and directing the work of others, manage problems, build collaborative relationships, and drive strategic direction.
Exceptional leadership presence with the ability to manage large technical teams and complex stakeholder environments.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey complex technical materials to senior executives.
Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Proficient computer skills that include but are not limited to Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office platforms.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundations, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Expert, or other equivalent certification is strongly preferred.
Epic Certification with Bridges, Client Systems, and/or other technical certifications are highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Direct cross-functional managers and technical teams, including integration and release teams, to deliver short- and long-term system solutions.
Oversee the full systems development life cycle for projects, managing system integration, data conversions, standards development, and quality from inception to acceptance.
Provide strategic direction for application integration, overseeing the reliable design, build, testing, and maintenance of interfaces between Epic and third-party systems.
Establish enterprise integration standards, governance, and engine strategy to ensure 24/7 reliability and alignment with broader architecture roadmaps.
Direct the management of all Epic environments and oversee release management processes for orderly code and configuration deployments.
Govern Epic change management operations and implement Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) -aligned processes for environments, releases, complex cutovers, and downtimes.
Direct the strategic planning and execution of Epic quarterly upgrades, special updates, and version migrations to minimize operational disruption.
Lead application optimization initiatives and establish a continuous improvement framework to boost efficiency, end-user satisfaction, and clinical outcomes.
Manage the enterprise application lifecycle, focusing on technical debt reduction, system modernization, and the coordination of upgrades and consulting resources.
Partner with operational and clinical leaders to prioritize optimization backlogs and demand pipelines in alignment with strategic organizational goals.
Serve as the senior-level escalation point for complex application and integration problems, coordinating across IT, vendors, and end-users to drive swift resolution.
Stay current with industry trends to recommend and implement technology enhancements in integration, virtualization, and enterprise application frameworks.
Mentor team members, facilitate knowledge transfer to analysts, and contribute to departmental hiring, performance, and training plans to build a culture of accountability.
Provide operating and capital budgetary input for systems, integration, environment, and change management functions.
Collaborate with IT leadership to review projects, manage cross-functional dependencies, coordinate release schedules, and prepare comprehensive activity reports.
Ensure all project and system documentation, including functional diagrams, roadmaps, and reference materials, is complete, current, and appropriately stored.
Perform other duties and execute additional projects as assigned.
Adhere to HMH organizational competencies and standards of behavior.