Innovation Strategist, Design & Innovation

Sutter Health•San Francisco, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Sutter Health Innovation advances the future of healthcare by designing, testing, and scaling new products, services, and technologies across one of the nation’s largest integrated health systems. The Innovation Strategist plays a pivotal role in determining which opportunities Sutter pursues and how they evolve into viable, scalable solutions. Serving as the business and viability anchor for innovation initiatives, this role integrates market intelligence, emerging technology insights, and rigorous business design to guide early‑stage opportunities from concept through real‑world implementation. The Innovation Strategist synthesizes market trends, competitive dynamics, and consumer behavior into actionable insights that inform both innovation strategy and portfolio direction. They identify and translate emerging technologies—such as AI, automation, and digital platforms—into new models of care, operational improvements, and enhanced patient experiences. This role leads core business design activities, including financial modeling, opportunity sizing, pricing strategy, and the development of scalable business models. It requires conducting data‑driven analyses across financial, clinical, and operational domains to assess opportunity areas, define success metrics, and support decision‑making. The strategist develops compelling business cases and strategic narratives that articulate the value, risks, and long‑term viability of new concepts, while partnering closely with cross‑functional teams to shape ideas, guide pilots, and support implementation within Sutter Health’s operational environment. Through strong collaboration and influence, the Innovation Strategist helps build stakeholder alignment and fosters a culture of rigor, curiosity, and innovation across teams.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Technology, Economics, Finance, Engineering, Healthcare, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
8 years recent relevant experience.
Strong understanding of healthcare operations, reimbursement models, and care delivery environments, with experience designing business models within complex health system contexts.
Familiarity with healthcare technology ecosystems (e.g., EHR platforms such as Epic, digital health platforms, clinical data systems) and how new products integrate into clinical and operational workflows.
Proven ability to conduct market, competitive, and landscape analysis, translating complex information into clear strategic insight and recommendations.
Working knowledge of emerging technologies (e.g., AI/ML, automation, digital platforms) and their implications for healthcare business models, cost structures, and operating models.
Experience evaluating the financial viability and scaling implications of technology-enabled products and services in healthcare or regulated industries.
Excellence in complex business model development, scenario planning, and forecasting, with a depth of experience using Excel as a baseline.
Ability to use a variety of digital tools to perform analyses and produce content.
Capability using project management software, Microsoft office (specifically: Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
Consulting mindset with the ability to act independently, provide informed guidance, and influence without authority.
Intellectual curiosity and a bias toward evidence-based, responsible innovation in complex, regulated environments.

Nice To Haves

While this position is listed as hybrid, regular in-office attendance is required. Candidates should be prepared to commute to the San Francisco office on a consistent basis to support team collaboration and business needs.

Responsibilities

Synthesizes market trends, competitive dynamics, and consumer behavior into actionable insights that inform both innovation strategy and portfolio direction.
Identifies and translates emerging technologies—such as AI, automation, and digital platforms—into new models of care, operational improvements, and enhanced patient experiences.
Leads core business design activities, including financial modeling, opportunity sizing, pricing strategy, and the development of scalable business models.
Conducts data‑driven analyses across financial, clinical, and operational domains to assess opportunity areas, define success metrics, and support decision‑making.
Develops compelling business cases and strategic narratives that articulate the value, risks, and long‑term viability of new concepts.
Partners closely with cross‑functional teams to shape ideas, guide pilots, and support implementation within Sutter Health’s operational environment.
Helps build stakeholder alignment and fosters a culture of rigor, curiosity, and innovation across teams.
Coaches and teaches designers about business.
Translates business concepts into design-friendly language and tools.
Manages complex workstreams and stakeholders across concept development and implementation planning.
Leads meetings with senior administrative leaders and builds personal relationships to advance partnerships.