Senior Associate Dean for AI and Health Data Science

The Senior Associate Dean for AI and Health Data Science provides strategic leadership for artificial intelligence, data governance, and health data science across the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Reporting to the Dean, this role leads the development and execution of the School’s AI and data strategy; advances AI-enabled innovation across research, clinical care, education, and operations; and aligns institutional efforts with health system and university partners. The Senior Associate Dean oversees a portfolio of data, informatics, and information units; builds shared services and capabilities that support faculty, learners, and leaders; and promotes the responsible, equitable, and effective use of AI. This role will shape how AI and health data science strengthen academic medicine, improve care and learning, and expand the School’s institutional impact.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Vision

• Develop and execute the School’s long-term enterprise AI roadmap across research, clinical care, education, and business operations.

• In partnership with the respective School leaders, integrate data science, machine learning, and generative AI literacy into undergraduate and graduate medical education, ensuring physicians understand both the promise and limitations of AI.

• Guide the School’s transition from dashboard-based reporting to AI-enabled and agentic decision support for departmental and school leadership.

• Drive AI-enabled transformation of administrative, academic, and operational workflows across all mission areas.

• Establish data and AI readiness standards for data quality, interoperability, and documentation to support trustworthy institutional use.

• Define and report metrics that demonstrate the value and impact of the School’s AI and data investments.

• Partner with advancement leadership to shape AI- and data-focused philanthropic priorities, donor engagement strategies, and major-gift proposals.

Portfolio Leadership and Operations

• Under the direction of the Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs, provide oversight of Health Data Compass, the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine, and School of Medicine Information Services, ensuring operational excellence, sustainability, and service quality.

• Align data engineering, AI/ML, informatics, and analytics capabilities as an integrated portfolio of shared services for the School and its departments.

• Oversee the development, technical validation, and pilot deployment of machine learning and deep learning tools within Electronic Health Record environments and clinical workflows, including predictive clinical decision support.

• Working with key leaders in various School units, enable AI-ready access to School business data, including finance, human resources, grants, space, and operations, to support faster and better-informed decisions.

• Steward the biobank, enterprise data warehouse, and related data assets as a coordinated portfolio that advances research, innovation, and commercial partnerships.

• Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing teams and technical talent across the School’s AI and data portfolio.

• Support departments in recruiting AI- and data-intensive faculty by bringing technical expertise to candidate evaluation and strategic hiring decisions.

• Establish governance structures, compliance frameworks, and operational guardrails that support secure, ethical, balanced, and responsible AI use, with attention to data privacy, bias mitigation, and evolving regulatory requirements.

Partnerships, Enablement, and Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with the Dean/Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, Executive Vice Deans and School leaders to advance the application of AI in clinical care, quality, and health system performance.

• Partner with education leadership to build AI and data literacy and strengthen capability among faculty, staff, trainees, and students.

• Lead workshops, training programs, and communities of practice that build faculty capability in the use of generative AI for teaching, assessment, and administrative efficiency.

• Under the designated Executive Vice Deans, serve as a key liaison between the School of Medicine, UCHealth, Children’s Hospital Colorado, university computing and data science partners, and external technology leaders to align priorities, strengthen alliances, and advance shared AI goals.

• Engage department chairs, center directors, and institute leaders to align priorities, accelerate shared initiatives, and expand institutional impact.

• Develop strategic partnerships and resource opportunities that advance the School’s AI agenda, including federal grants, philanthropy, and industry collaborations.

Key Relationships

Reports to

• John Sampson, MD, PhD, MBA - Dean, School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs and President, University of Colorado Medicine

Direct Reports

• Director of School of Medicine Information Services

Other Key Relationships

• Executive Vice Dean – Clinical / Research/ Quality

• Executive Vice Dean – Education

• Executive Vice Dean – Finance and Administration

• Senior Associate Dean – Clinical Affairs

• Senior Associate Dean – Biomedical Research

• Senior Associate Dean – Basic Science

• Associate Dean – Centers and Institute

• Vice Chancellor & CIO, Information Strategy and Services

• Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Biotechnology

• Director, Health Data Compass

• Director, Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine

• UCHealth Senior Leadership

• Children’s Hospital Colorado Senior Leadership

• VA Eastern Colorado Health System Senior Leadership

• Denver Health Senior Leadership

• National Jewish Health Senior Leadership

• CU Anschutz Medical Campus Senior Leadership

• CU Medicine Board of Directors

• University of Colorado Board of Regents

• Department Chairs and Department Administrators

• Community leaders

Onsite – this role is expected to work onsite and is located in Aurora, Colorado.

The CU Anschutz School of Medicine offers comprehensive, lifelong, interdisciplinary learning for health care professionals. With state-of-the art laboratories for discovery and innovation, a commitment to decreasing health disparities and increasing health equity, and faculty who provide world-class clinical care, the CU Anschutz School of Medicine is transforming the health care landscape.

Why work for the University?

We have AMAZING benefits and offer exceptional amounts of holiday, vacation and sick leave! The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:

• Medical: Multiple plan options
• Dental: Multiple plan options
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year (based on percentage of time)
• Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)
• Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)
• Holiday Days: 11/year
• Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses
• ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service

Minimum Qualifications:

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

• Doctoral degree (PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent) in a relevant field from an accredited institution.

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive leadership experience in academic medicine, biomedical informatics, health data science, or health system technology.

• Demonstrated expertise in AI/ML, biomedical informatics, healthcare data infrastructure, or related fields.

• Eligibility for appointment as a faculty member at the rank of Professor.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated success leading a research, informatics, AI, or data science organization at the scale of a department, center, or comparable enterprise within an academic medical center.

• Substantive track record in the application of AI/ML to biomedicine, healthcare, or health system operations.

• Experience setting strategy, managing resources, and operating across multiple units with distinct missions.

• Demonstrated success leading interdisciplinary initiatives in large, matrixed organizations.

• Familiarity with the privacy, security, ethical, and regulatory landscape governing health data and AI.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• 
  Strategic vision for the application of AI and data science in academic medicine and health systems.

• Ability to translate between technical teams and institutional leadership and to build consensus across diverse stakeholders.

• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Ability to build and sustain effective working relationships across all levels of the institution.

• Strong financial and operational management skills, including familiarity with academic medical center budgeting.

• Demonstrated ability to plan, prioritize, and execute complex initiatives while meeting deadlines.

For full consideration, please submit the following document(s):

1. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position

2. Curriculum vitae / Resume

3. Five professional references including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address

Applications are accepted electronically ONLY at www.cu.edu/cu-careers.

Questions should be directed to: Mark Couch, Mark.couch@cuaanschutz.edu

Applications will be accepted until finalists are identified, but preference will be given to complete applications received by June 16, 2026. Those who do not apply by this date may or may not be considered.

The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established as HIRING RANGE: $750,000 to $1,000,000

The effort/FTE of the role will be 0.5 FTE

The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. This position is not eligible for overtime compensation unless it is non-exempt.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Total Compensation Calculator:

The University of Colorado (CU) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at hr.adacoordinator@ucdenver.edu.

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees.