Description
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Summary:
The Director of Applied AI & Automation is a strategic technology leader responsible for supporting the vision, planning, development and delivery of AI & Automation products developed within the health system. This executive-facing role collaborates with key business stakeholders to identify and prioritize high-value opportunities, then oversee the implementation of these products to deliver measurable operational and financial benefits. This role leads or collaborates on IT operations to meet customer requirements including the support and maintenance of existing products and applications, and the development of new technical solutions.
By championing emerging technologies, the Director of Applied AI & Automation fosters innovation, improves efficiency, and enhances service quality while maintaining compliance with healthcare regulations and policies. Teammate enablement with the use of AI and automation capabilities is also a significant focus of this role. Programs to support enablement will be directed by this leader. This position reports to senior IT leadership and works cross-functionally to embed a culture of continuous improvement and digital innovation in the organization.
Responsibilities:
Communication - Effectively communicates the AI & Automation program's vision, expectations, and value across the organization. Develops comprehensive change management strategies to ensure adoption of new automated workflows, including end-user training and stakeholder engagement - partnering with the ISD Training Team as needed. Actively listens to departmental needs and feedback. Leads adoption effort by preparing staff for process changes and promoting a culture receptive to innovation.
Compliance - Ensures all AI & Automation initiatives comply with the health system policies, data security/privacy standards, and external accrediting agency guidelines and regulations. Establishes governance frameworks, including risk mitigation strategies. Develops and enforces policies and procedures related to automation, ensuring quality control and auditing of deployed solutions. Oversees vendor compliance and contract adherence for third-party automation tools and services.
Collaboration & Customer Focus - Works closely with business leaders to identify and prioritize processes suitable for automation. Builds strong relationships with these internal customers, understanding their operational pain points and objectives. Coordinates cross-functional teams to design solutions that improve workflow efficiency, accuracy, and user experience. Creates exceptional customer relations and maintains those relationships through continuing improvement efforts. Exhibits courtesy, cooperation, and respect towards customers.
Leadership - Directs system-level operations, develops goals and objectives, and administers policies, procedures and processes as needed. Directs the activities of the central Applied AI & Automation team, which includes RPA developers, process engineers, automation analysts, and other specialists. Provides clear vision and direction, setting performance goals and expectations for the team. Coaches and mentors staff to develop their expertise in automation tools and process improvement methodologies. Fosters a collaborative, innovative team culture that encourages continuous learning and creativity in solving business problems with technology. Establishes a shared vision with employees and motivates the team by recognizing achievements and addressing development needs. Ensures the team operates with a customer-centric mindset when delivering solutions.
Strategic Planning & Financial Awareness - Aligns system-level objectives with organizational strategic plans. Develops operating budget and capital requests. Monitors financial performance and adjusts resources to maximize profitability while maintaining exceptional quality and service. Develops the program roadmap, focusing on initiatives that drive significant efficiency, cost savings, revenue enhancement, or quality improvements. Builds business cases for new projects by estimating benefits, costs, and ROI, and monitors financial performance post-implementation to ensure targets are met or exceeded.
Technical Innovation & Delivery: Consults and provides technical support on technical aspects of contracts. Oversees project budgets once established and implements projects in accordance with established project plan. Oversees intake through delivery of AI & Automation projects, from initial process analysis and redesign through development, testing, and deployment of bots or AI solutions.
Other Information
Education Requirements:
? Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems Management or related field (or equivalent combination of education, training and experience).
Licensure/Certification Requirements:
? No licensure or certification required.
Professional Experience Requirements:
? If a Bachelor's degree: Eight (8) years of related experience and five (5) years of progressive management experience.
? If an Associate's degree: Twelve (12) years of related experience and five (5) years of progressive management experience.
? If a High School diploma or GED: Sixteen (16) years of related experience and five (5) years of progressive management experience.
Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:
Understands and applies principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise.
Technical Expertise : Extensive knowledge of process automation technologies and techniques, including RPA tools (such as UiPath) and AI/ML applications, as well as process optimization and redesign methodologies (Lean/Six Sigma, etc.). Able to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions and integrate automation tools with enterprise systems effectively.
Leadership & Experience : Demonstrated success in managing cross-functional teams and delivering AI and/or automation projects that achieve significant operational impact. Proven ability to mentor talent and build high-performing teams in a fast-paced, innovative environment.
Strategic Communication : Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a proven ability to collaborate with executive leadership and influence stakeholders across departments. Capable of articulating complex technical concepts and business value propositions of AI/automation initiatives to diverse audiences. Adept at change management and guiding organizations through process transformations.
Operational & Financial Acumen : Skilled in project portfolio management, vendor management, and contract negotiation, with experience ensuring ROI on technology investments. Data-driven approach to decision-making, with the ability to define and track key performance indicators for program success.
Healthcare domain knowledge a plus.
Job Details
Legal Employer: NCHEALTH
Entity: Shared Services
Organization Unit: ISD Analytics
Work Type: Full Time
Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00
Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity
Work Assignment Type: Hybrid
Work Schedule: Day Job
Location of Job: US:NC:Morrisville
Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: Yes
This position is employed by NC Health (Rex Healthcare, Inc., d/b/a NC Health), a private, fully-owned subsidiary of UNC Health Care System, in a department that provides shared services to operations across UNC Health Care; except that, if you are currently a UNCHCS State employee already working in a designated shared services department, you may remain a UNCHCS State employee if selected for this job.
Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.
UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.
Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
