Sr. Program Development Manager, Health Science, Stroke

American Heart Association • Dallas, TX

1d • Remote

About The Position

The American Heart Association is seeking a Sr. Program Development Manager, Stroke, to join their team. This role is crucial for advancing the organization's mission to reduce cardiovascular disease deaths. The position is home-based and offers resources for work-life harmonization, including access to Heart U, the corporate university, and additional training. The successful candidate will lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Association’s inpatient quality improvement initiatives, specifically leveraging the Get With The Guidelines® (GWTG) – Stroke registry. This involves collaborating with cross-functional leadership, managing volunteer subject-matter expert workgroups, and driving data-informed change management across various multi-disciplinary inpatient environments such as ICU/CCU, cardiology, emergency medicine, neurology, and case management. Key responsibilities include educating teams on measure adoption, data interpretation, process redesign, and sustaining performance improvement, while also contributing to a national quality improvement (QI) framework to enhance guideline-directed medical therapy adoption.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work-related experience required, preferably in a healthcare related field.
• 5 years experience in: Inpatient clinical care or clinical quality improvement.
• 5 years experience in: Hospital operations, QI nursing, registry operations, or systems of care.
• 5 years experience in: Implementing evidence-based guidelines or performance improvement programs.
• Experience collaborating cross‑functionally with diverse clinical teams (hospitalists, ED, ICU/CCU, neurology, cardiology, pharmacy, case management).
• Strong understanding of inpatient quality measures and clinical workflows, especially as it relates to stroke systems of care.
• Ability to analyze and interpret performance data.
• Exceptional relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong communication and facilitation abilities.
• Experience designing and implementing quality improvement registries.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred (MPH, MHA, MSN, or related clinical field).
• RN License highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary leader for the Association’s GWTG-Stroke program ensuring program outcomes align with association‑wide goals, mission impact metrics, and national strategic priorities.
• Act as SME for all clinical guidelines and process improvement methodologies across the Quality, Outcomes, Research, Analytics (QORA) business unit.
• Design and implement inpatient-based recognition and award programs.
• Guide and direct QI staff through adoption and sustained execution of evidence‑based inpatient guidelines for stroke and other Association programs.
• Establish program frameworks, improvement plans, and models of practice tailored to clinical workflows.
• Advise Association QI Staff on care process transformation—triage, treatment timelines, transitions of care, and adherence to guideline‑based measures.
• Guide Association QI staff in data interpretation, trend analysis, and performance benchmarking to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Provide consultation across the Association departments (research, HIT, certification, QI) to integrate hospital system feedback into program evolution.
• Collaborate with external societies and leaders (ASA, AANN, etc.) for strategic alignment and program development.
• Develop and deliver external-facing educational materials, webinars, toolkits, and workflow guidance aligned to Association inpatient programs.
• Support certification teams in developing and maintaining Association certifications by: Interpreting standards, Advising on required documentation, Coordinating assessments and audits, Aligning with Joint Commission and Association certification requirements.
• Prepare internal and external reports summarizing progress, barriers, outcomes, and measurable improvements.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Annual salary planning and incentive programs
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Robust retirement program that includes an employer match and automatic contribution
• Employee assistance program
• Employee wellness program
• Telemedicine
• Medical consultation
• Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
• Professional mentoring program
• Heart U (national online university with more than 100,000 resources)
• Paid Time Off (PTO) at a minimum of 16 days per year for new employees (increases based on seniority level)
• 12 paid holidays off each year, including several days off at the end of the year
• Tuition Assistance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees