Sr. Director, Artificial Intelligence & Digital Innovation

Central Health•Austin, TX

About The Position

The Senior Director of Artificial Intelligence is responsible for shaping, executing, and managing the enterprisewide strategy to leverage artificial intelligence, automation, and next-generation digital technologies in a highly regulated public healthcare environment. This leader will enhance patient and clinician experience, drive innovation, improve operational efficiency, while ensuring AI initiatives meet strict regulatory, ethical, and datagovernance standards.The Senior Director will collaborate with clinical, operational, compliance, and technology partners to identify opportunities, develop scalable solutions, and oversee the safe and effective deployment of AI across the organization. This individual will lead a matrixed, interdependent, multidisciplinary team and serve as the primary advisor to the SVP & CIO and the EVP & COO on AI initiatives, AI capabilities, AI associated risks, and strategic alignment to the system’s objectives.

Requirements

Strategic thinking and long-term planning
Strong leadership with a heart and mind for Servant Leadership
Strong executive communication and stakeholder influence
Ability to translate technical concepts into practical business language
Ethical leadership and commitment to equity in AI
Change management and organizational transformation skills
Collaborative leadership across clinical, operational, and technical domains
High degree of emotional and cgnitive intelligence
Bachelor's Degree (higher degree accepted) Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, Systems Engineering, or related field
9 years of experience in digital transformation, analytics, AI/ML, IT/IS development, or innovative technology roles. Required
5 years years of leadership experience in healthcare, public sector, regulated industries, or similarly complex environments. Required
Demonstrated success leading cross-functional technology initiatives from concept through implementation. Required
Strong understanding of healthcare operations, population health, public health priorities, and compliance frameworks (HIPAA, data privacy, regulatory audits, etc.). Required
Proven ability to manage vendors, budgets, timelines, and multi-disciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision• Develop and maintain an enterprise AI roadmap aligned with organizational strategy, regulatory requirements, and mission.
Serve as an organization thought leader on AI, automation, and emerging technologies.
Work directly with Network Infrastructure, Application Support, Data Engineering, Analytics, and Data Scientist to ensure all AI initiatives are data-driven, supportable, and provide real transformative innovation.
Champion the adoption of AI innovation while ensuring it is holistically responsibly and ethically developed and deployed.
AI Program Development & Delivery• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize AI use cases that drive measurable improvements in clinical workflows, patient experience, patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and staff experience.
Partner with Principal Data Scientist to the design, implementation, and scaling of AI and automation solutions (e.g., predictive analytics, NLP, clinical decision-support augmentation, intelligent automation, patient engagement tools).
Lead cross-functional teams to translate clinical and operational needs into practical, compliant AI solutions.
Governance, Risk, and Compliance• Ensure appropriate oversight, risk management, and transparent decision-making.
Collaborate closely with Legal, Compliance, Privacy, and Security teams to ensure adherence to federal, state, and local regulatory requirements (HIPAA, CMS, state public health mandates, TDI, etc.).
Define and enforce ethical, safe, and equitable AI practices, including bias mitigation, transparency, human oversight, and model lifecycle management.
Data, Technology & Vendor Management• Partner with data governance, data engineering and analytics teams to ensure high-quality, secure, and wellgoverned data assets for AI development.
Evaluate and manage relationships with AI and digital transformation vendors, including contract reviews, performance monitoring, cost control, and compliance assessments.
Ensure alignment with enterprise architecture, cybersecurity frameworks, and IT operational standards/frameworks.
Change Management & Stakeholder Engagement• Drive organizational change to support adoption of AI-enabled processes and tools.
Educate and influence executives, clinicians, and operational leaders on AI capabilities, value propositions, return on AI investments, outcomes based PI data, and responsible AI use.
Communicate progress, risks, and outcomes to senior leadership, governance committee, and oversight agencies as needed.