Director, Care Delivery Innovation

Under the direction of the Vice President Quality and Patient Safety, the Director of Care Delivery Innovation is responsible for overseeing the resources and portfolio of the Care Delivery Innovation team. This role involves close collaboration with Institute and department leadership, as well as key stakeholders to prioritize, plan, implement, manage, and evaluate initiatives that advance the practice of cancer care through a structured framework for the measurement, operationalization, and dissemination of quality and health services research innovations. The incumbent will lead key innovation changes as part of Dana-Farber’s collaboration with Beth Israel and in the development of the future cancer hospital. The Director is instrumental in building and leveraging both internal and external relationships, which may include partnerships with Strategy Planning, Finance, Philanthropy, Population Health, Population Sciences, Enterprise Data and Analytics, Information Services, and all teams within Quality and Patient Safety, as well as other departments across clinical, research, and support services. This role will also lead external partnerships and collaborations with other cancer centers, vendors, business partners, and industry leaders to support the Cancer Care Delivery Innovation team’s interdisciplinary, multi-department mission to develop, scale, and disseminate successful care delivery solutions across the Institute and beyond.

As the primary contact for all Care Delivery Innovation initiatives, the Director is accountable for the prioritization, staffing, and successful execution of initiatives. This position works in collaboration with the Quality and Patient Safety (QPS) leadership team, including the Chief Quality Officer, Senior Director Business Operations, and the VP of Quality and Patient Safety to develop strategies that align with the Institute’s strategic and operational improvement goals. The team’s work will span all areas of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), including inpatient, ambulatory, ancillary services, Longwood and Chestnut Hill locations, all network facilities, and both adult and pediatric clinical and non-clinical operations, as well as clinical research activities across the Institute.

This position’s work location is hybrid with two or three days per week remote. The selected candidate may only work remote days from a New England state (ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI).

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.
 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Team Leadership and Development: Lead and develop a multidisciplinary Cancer Care Delivery Innovation team (e.g., project/program management, analytics, communications) to design, test, evaluate, and operationalize care delivery innovations. Hire, onboard, coach, and mentor staff; define clear roles, goals, and deliverables aligned to department aims and Institute priorities (quality, safety, experience, equity, efficiency, and value). Establish team operating rhythms (intake, prioritization, project reviews), set performance expectations, provide actionable feedback, and partner with HR/department leadership to support career development and training plans. Foster a collaborative, inclusive culture that enables effective cross-department work and community-engaged innovation.
• Project Portfolio Management and Oversight: Own day-to-day oversight of the project portfolio across the full innovation lifecycle. Manage project intake, prioritization, resourcing, timelines, budgets (as applicable), risk/issue mitigation, and implementation readiness. Coordinate near-term deliverables, including (1) supporting business owners of ongoing innovation projects to assess outcomes and sustainability, and (2) standing up and executing pilot projects with operational teams and external partners when relevant. Maintain a centralized portfolio dashboard and project artifacts (charters, analyses, implementation plans, evaluation plans, dissemination plans) and ensure reliable status reporting for QPS and Institute leadership.
• Stakeholder Collaboration and Communication: Establish key relationships and serve as a primary liaison between investigators, operational leaders, and external collaborators (e.g., peer institutions, vendors, advocacy/foundation partners). Facilitate alignment on problem statements, success metrics, implementation constraints, and sustainment ownership. Prepare high-quality written and verbal communications (briefings, business cases, steering updates, executive presentations) and support leaders in presenting innovation work at internal governance forums and external venues. Coordinate and support the build-out of an external advisor network and planning/execution of the “Innovation in Cancer Care Delivery” meeting/conference.
• Data-Driven Improvement and Innovation: Champion rigorous, data-driven development and evaluation of care delivery innovations, including AI-enabled workflows and digital health tools, ensuring appropriate measurement, validation, and monitoring. Lead or oversee evaluation strategies (e.g., pre/post, pragmatic pilots, cost/value and equity impact analyses), define outcome and process metrics, and translate findings into operational decisions. Ensure projects incorporate implementation science and change management principles to move from pilot success to sustainable practice. Promote community-engaged and equity-centered approaches, incorporating patient/clinician experience and SDoH considerations into design and assessment.
• Training, Knowledge Sharing, and Funding Development: Build and operationalize education and dissemination strategy together with sponsors and key collaborators. Develop and maintain internal programming, engage instructors/SMEs, evaluate participant feedback, and iterate content. Enable dissemination of team’s and partner work through abstracts, manuscripts, posters, toolkits, playbooks, and implementation guides; coordinate with Communications and stakeholders to amplify impact. Establish and manage academic and cross-sector partnerships (e.g., health economics, business, informatics, law/policy, GME/CME/CNE) that strengthen project execution, workforce development, and funding pathways (grants, philanthropy, industry partnerships), in coordination with relevant Institute offices (e.g., Business Strategy and Innovations). Identify, develop, and submit funding proposals for grants and gifts to organizations/foundations for selected innovation projects.
• Performs other duties, as required. Note that responsibilities may change over time to encourage professional growth and meet evolving business needs.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and responsibilities simultaneously, operate effectively in situations of ambiguity, confront uncertainty, resolve conflict, and adapt to change.
• Experience navigating the structures and dynamics within matrixed organizations, as well as multi-institutional relationships.
• Political savvy with the ability to forge productive relationships with providers, staff, and leaders at all organizational levels.
• Ability to build and maintain a network of external relationships to support internal priorities. 
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills and public speaking abilities.
• Strong program and project management skills, with proficiency in formal project management methodologies and tools.
• Ability to synthesize complex data into meaningful reports and presentations for stakeholders.
• Experience integrating new technologies into workflows to improve efficiency and outcomes.
• Exceptional time management, prioritization, and organizational skills. 

Minimum Job Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in health care administration and management, engineering, public health, information technology or business required.   7 years of experience in healthcare quality, performance improvement, health services research, or a related field; prior project and people management experience required, along with a working understanding of inpatient and ambulatory clinical operations.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Yes

Patient Contact:

None

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are committed to having faculty and staff who offer multifaceted experiences. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and compassionate professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.  

EEO Poster

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Pay Transparency Statement

The hiring range is based on market pay structures, with individual salaries determined by factors such as business needs, market conditions, internal equity, and based on the candidate’s relevant experience, skills and qualifications.

For union positions, the pay range is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

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