Sr. Program Manager, AI Initiatives

Central Health•Austin, TX

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sr. Program Manager, AI Initiatives helps shape how the Central Health System responsibly governs, operationalizes, and scales AI-enabled solutions tied to meaningful health and care system use cases and aligned with the System’s mission, vision, and values. Working with the AI dyad leadership team, this highly visible senior individual contributor translates AI strategy into scalable program structures, disciplined portfolio management, governance routines, and measurable outcomes that support responsible innovation, operational improvement, and better service to patients, members, and communities. This role combines program architecture and program leadership. The individual will help build governance, infrastructure, tools, reporting, and an operating model for an emerging AI program, while leading projects and stakeholder relationships that move AI use cases from idea to responsible implementation. The role calls for a senior program leader energized by building in an evolving space, with creativity, ownership, and a change-agent mindset to embed responsible AI across health and care system workflows and priorities. The successful candidate will bring strong program and project management expertise, health and care system operations experience, process design discipline, Lean thinking, stakeholder engagement, vendor coordination, and change management capabilities. Practical AI literacy is needed to coordinate, document, and communicate AI initiatives, with the expectation that this expertise will deepen as the program matures. Over time, the role may help shape future team structure and provide guidance to project management resources or direct reports supporting the AI portfolio. This is a hybrid position. Individuals may work both at an approved off-site location and onsite at a primary location or multiple locations based on business needs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Information Systems, Public Health, or a related field; a higher degree is accepted.
Six years of seasoned program or project management experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives in matrixed health and care system, technology, or similarly regulated environments, including clear communication, trusted stakeholder relationships, influence across teams, and follow-through.
Four years of experience supporting technology, digital, AI-enabled, or transformation initiatives, including stakeholder readiness, adoption, and change management.
Two years of experience working across health and care system settings, such as health systems, FQHCs/clinics, health plan operations, public healthcare, government-run health systems, or healthcare IT/digital health environments.
Three years of experience building program infrastructure, such as intake processes, tracking systems, documentation standards, governance routines, reporting structures, or PMO frameworks in a greenfield or early-stage environment.
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification issued by PMI, required upon hire.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree such as an MBA, MHA, MPH, or MS in a related field.
Foundational AI literacy, including familiarity with AI concepts, use case categories, AI lifecycle considerations, responsible AI principles, AI governance frameworks, or regulated-environment risk domains.
Experience with ServiceNow or comparable enterprise portfolio/project management platforms.
Agile, Scrum, or SAFe certification.
AI foundational, AI Project Management, AI Governance, or Responsible AI certification from a reputable organization, preferred within one year.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or above.

Responsibilities

Build and mature the AI program operating model, including governance pathways, workflows, tools, standards, documentation practices, and reporting structures that enable responsible, scalable AI adoption tied to meaningful health and care system use cases.
Serve as a central connector within the AI dyad leadership model, aligning priorities, communications, decision support, escalations, and execution across leaders, project teams, and cross-functional stakeholders.
Drive disciplined AI governance and program routines by facilitating meetings, preparing decision-ready materials, documenting outcomes, tracking action items, and ensuring timely follow-through across governance, portfolio, implementation, and operational workstreams.
Manage the AI portfolio lifecycle from intake through prioritization, sequencing, implementation tracking, risk management, benefits realization, and executive reporting to ensure initiatives remain mission-aligned, value-focused, and connected to clear health and care system impact.
Lead assigned AI initiatives from concept through adoption, using program and project management practices to deliver clear scope, stakeholder alignment, implementation readiness, measurable outcomes, and sustained change across care delivery, health plan operations, clinical and administrative workflows, member experience, or system support functions.
Translate responsible AI principles into practical operating practices supporting privacy, security, compliance, bias mitigation, intellectual property protection, approved tool use, architecture alignment, implementation readiness, and responsible adoption.
Develop executive-ready program and governance materials, including project charters, status reports, policy briefs, vendor summaries, board materials, and decision records.
Engage and align business, clinical, operational, technical, legal, compliance, health plan, and external partner stakeholders across the Central Health System to build trust, shared ownership, and effective implementation of AI-enabled solutions.
Coordinate vendor and external partner engagement by supporting demonstrations, evaluation materials, performance tracking, communications, and follow-up with delegated external partners, vendors, and peer organizations.
Champion AI adoption and change enablement, helping teams understand, prepare for, and confidently adopt emerging AI capabilities in ways that strengthen mission delivery, responsible use, meaningful health and care system application, and long-term organizational capability.