Director of Real Estate Transition & Activation

VCU Health•Richmond, VA

About The Position

The Director of Transitional & Activation Planning provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the planning, activation, and stabilization of new and renovated healthcare facilities across the health system. This role ensures that clinical, operational, regulatory, and building readiness activities are fully integrated with design and construction delivery to support safe, compliant, and effective patient care on day one. Operating at a system level, the Director leads multidisciplinary teams through complex transition and activation efforts in an academic medical center environment, aligning stakeholders across Real Estate Services, clinical operations, facilities, IT, compliance, and executive leadership. Essential Job Statement Directs enterprise-wide transition and activation planning for new facilities, expansions, renovations, and relocations to ensure operational readiness, regulatory compliance, and safe patient care activation. Develops standardized frameworks, policies, tools, and methodologies for Operational Readiness, Activation Readiness, and Building Readiness across the health system. Leads activation governance structures, including steering committees and multidisciplinary work groups, establishing clear decision authority, accountability, and escalation pathways. Oversees development and execution of the integrated Project Master Activation Schedule, coordinating construction turnover, equipment installation, IT readiness, training, regulatory approvals, and departmental go-live milestones. Provides strategic coordination between Design & Construction Project Management and clinical/operational stakeholders to align building completion with operational and clinical readiness. Establishes and maintains standardized activation tools, including activation checklists, RACI matrices, milestone plans, assumptions logs, and operational readiness issue tracking systems. Oversees department-level occupancy planning, workflow validation, staffing readiness, and dual-operations planning to support uninterrupted patient care during transitions. Directs regulatory and accreditation readiness activities in collaboration with compliance, safety, and clinical leadership, supporting licensure, permitting, life-safety readiness, and survey preparedness. Documents post-activation stabilization outcomes through final transition reports capturing lessons learned, unresolved operational items, budget considerations, and system improvement recommendations. Ensure responsibility and visible commitment of diversity equity and inclusion programs/initiatives through collaboration and implementation of initiatives across the health. Patient Population: N/A

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Healthcare Administration, Nursing, Construction Management, Architecture, Public Administration, Biomedical Engineering, Project Management or related field
5+ years of experience in healthcare facility transition and activation, medical equipment planning, or clinical background, architecture, or construction project management
Communicates clearly and consistently across diverse audiences.
Thinks and acts beyond individual projects to advance system-wide readiness capabilities.
Mentors emerging leaders in transition, activation, and operational readiness disciplines.
Models collaborative behaviors consistent with academic medical center values.
Communicates complex issues with clarity, confidence, and credibility.
Builds internal capability and reduces reliance on external activation consultants over time.
Integrates clinical, operational, and facility planning into cohesive activation strategies.
Demonstrates deep understanding of healthcare operations, clinical workflows, and regulatory environments.
Proactively identifies schedule conflicts, risks, and resource constraints.
Drives accountability for milestone achievement across multidisciplinary teams.
Facilitates complex decision-making in high-pressure, time-sensitive environments.
Leads without direct authority, influencing clinical, operational, and technical leaders.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in Business, Healthcare Administration, Nursing, Construction Management, Architecture, Public Administration, Biomedical Engineering, Project Management or related field
PMP, CAPM
Proficient in working in Excel, Power point, MS Project.
Proficient in reading drawings, specifications and equipment data sheets

Responsibilities

Directs enterprise-wide transition and activation planning for new facilities, expansions, renovations, and relocations to ensure operational readiness, regulatory compliance, and safe patient care activation.
Develops standardized frameworks, policies, tools, and methodologies for Operational Readiness, Activation Readiness, and Building Readiness across the health system.
Leads activation governance structures, including steering committees and multidisciplinary work groups, establishing clear decision authority, accountability, and escalation pathways.
Oversees development and execution of the integrated Project Master Activation Schedule, coordinating construction turnover, equipment installation, IT readiness, training, regulatory approvals, and departmental go-live milestones.
Provides strategic coordination between Design & Construction Project Management and clinical/operational stakeholders to align building completion with operational and clinical readiness.
Establishes and maintains standardized activation tools, including activation checklists, RACI matrices, milestone plans, assumptions logs, and operational readiness issue tracking systems.
Oversees department-level occupancy planning, workflow validation, staffing readiness, and dual-operations planning to support uninterrupted patient care during transitions.
Directs regulatory and accreditation readiness activities in collaboration with compliance, safety, and clinical leadership, supporting licensure, permitting, life-safety readiness, and survey preparedness.
Documents post-activation stabilization outcomes through final transition reports capturing lessons learned, unresolved operational items, budget considerations, and system improvement recommendations.
Ensure responsibility and visible commitment of diversity equity and inclusion programs/initiatives through collaboration and implementation of initiatives across the health.