Innovation Program Director

Job Title: Innovation Program Director

Department: Emerging Technology

Location: Riedman Campus,100 Kings Highway South, Rochester, New York 14617.Hybrid (Onsite & Remote)

Hours Per Week: 40
Schedule: M-F (9 am - 5 pm), On-call may be required as team grows and portfolio of applications scale.

POSITION SUMMARY:
Lead the design, execution, and scaling of enterprise innovation programs that advance care quality, operational efficiency, and patient experience. Programs include start-up collaborations, a strategic partnership portfolio, and an AI Center of Excellence. Partner with clinical, operational, IT, finance, and external partners to source, evaluate, and pilot solutions, ensuring measurable impact aligned to strategic priorities of Rochester Regional Health. Support innovation governance, foster a culture of creativity and continuous improvement, and build capabilities that enable teams to adopt emerging technologies responsibly and effectively.

KEY RESPONSIBILITES:

• Program strategy & governance: Establish multi‑year innovation roadmap, intake and prioritization criteria, governance cadence, and KPIs; prepare executive updates and board‑ready materials.

• Portfolio management: Build and manage a balanced pipeline of ventures, pilots, and process innovations; track stage gates, risk, budget, and outcomes.

• External partnerships: Source and manage partnerships (startups, universities, accelerators, venture studios); negotiate pilot scopes and commercialization options.

• Operationalization & scale: Lead cross‑functional teams to run pilots, validate ROI, develop implementation plans, and transition successful solutions to operations.

• Compliance & ethics: Coordinate privacy, security, intellectual property, and open‑source considerations with Legal/Compliance; align with clinical governance and safety reviews.

• Reporting & outcomes: Maintain dashboards; publish case studies and quarterly impact reports; drive continuous improvement across the innovation lifecycle.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree (e.g., MBA, MHA, or MS).

• Certifications: e.g., Lean/Six Sigma, PMP, Prosci or equivalent change management.

• Experience with open innovation models and start-up contracting; exposure to IP, revenue sharing, and equity frameworks in health systems.

• Familiarity with health IT/AI tools (EHR ecosystems, analytics platforms) to assess feasibility and readiness.

• Demonstrated success running multi‑stakeholder pilots and scaling solutions with quantifiable outcomes (cost, quality, access, experience).

• Strong portfolio management and program budgeting skills; familiarity with stage‑gate or agile frameworks.

• Excellent communication skills with executive presence; ability to influence clinical and operational leaders.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering, Health Administration, or related field.

• 5+ years leading innovation, product, transformation, or related programs in healthcare or complex regulated environments.

EDUCATION:

LICENSES / CERTIFICATIONS:

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

L - Light Work - Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly; requires occasional walking, standing or squatting.

For disease specific care programs refer to the program specific requirements of the department for further specifications on experience and educational expectations, including continuing education requirements.

Any physical requirements reported by a prospective employee and/or employee’s physician or delegate will be considered for accommodations.

PAY RANGE:

$125,000.00 - $145,000.00

Rochester

14617

The listed base pay range is a good faith representation of current potential base pay for a successful full time applicant. It may be modified in the future and eligible for additional pay components. Pay is determined by factors including experience, relevant qualifications, specialty, internal equity, location, and contracts.

Rochester Regional Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital or familial status, military or veteran status, citizenship or immigration status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.