Senior Director, Agile Operations (Hybrid) - Center for Health AI
Washington University in St. Louis
Scheduled Hours
40Position Summary
The Senior Director of Agile Operations is part of the leadership team and a key contributor to the new WashU Medicine and BJC Health System joint Center for Health AI (CHAI). The center will harness the power of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and fundamentally change the way healthcare is provided. The center will focus on making care more personalized and effective for patients and more efficient and manageable for physicians, nurses and all those striving to ensure patients receive the very best care.The Senior Director of Agile Operations is accountable for the success or failure of key projects and products within the new Center for Health AI. This role encompasses enterprise-scale Agile leadership beyond the scope of traditional Scrum Master and/or project management responsibilities. The ideal candidate will own outcomes, thrive in ambiguity, bring clarity to chaos, and connect technical execution with executive vision.
The Senior Director of Agile Operations will serve as the connective tissue across cross-functional teams (WashU Medicine to BJC; CHAI to industry partners), ensuring that delivery efforts are tightly aligned with stakeholder goals, team health is nurtured, and barriers to success are identified and removed-before they derail momentum.
This role will have both internal and external impact and visibility, influencing system wide digital and AI innovation, patient care transformation, and national prominence, consistent with CHAI’s mission and vision.
The center is led by Dr. Philip Payne, who serves as the inaugural Chief Health AI Officer (CHAIO), and works in partnership with Deborah O’Dell, Chief Data Officer at BJC Health System, with the shared goal of driving AI innovation across both organizations.
The Senior Director of Agile Operations will report to the Chief Research Information Officer and Assistant Dean, Dr. Albert Lai, aligning with both research and operational digital and AI transformation, and the dual affiliation with WashU and BJC. In addition, the Senior Director of Agile Operations will be responsible to the CHAIO, Dr. Philip Payne.
Job Description
Primary Duties & Responsibilities:
Delivery Leadership and Execution
- Serve as the ultimate owner of delivery-responsible for project and product outcomes, value realization, and executive satisfaction.
- Manage leading-edge digital strategy, stakeholder engagement, and communication to support AI-enabled health systems and digital transformation.
- Translate strategic goals and executive intent into concrete delivery plans, managing dependencies and removing roadblocks at all levels.
- Drive and continuously evolve Agile ceremonies to ensure alignment, momentum, and transparency across teams and stakeholders.
- Manage evolving timelines, shifting priorities, and complex scope with composure, always keeping ROI in focus.
Agile Delivery
- Act as the voice of the key stakeholders and executive sponsors, ensuring business context and expectations are embedded in all delivery efforts.
- Proactively communicate progress, issues, and wins to both technical teams and executive stakeholders.
- Present recommendations and outcomes clearly, with tailored messaging for different audiences-technical, operational, and strategic.
Team Stewardship and Culture
- Foster a delivery culture built on integrity, ownership, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure team health, clear roles, and shared understanding of goals.
- Support onboarding, mentoring, and the upskilling of delivery team members.
Working Conditions:
Job Location/Working Conditions
Normal office environment
Physical Effort
Typically sitting at desk or table
Repetitive wrist, hand, or finger movement
Ability to move to on and off-campus locations
Equipment
Office equipment
Required Qualifications
Education:
Bachelor's degree
Certifications:
Work Experience:
Skills:
Driver's License:
More About This Job
This position is a hybrid role, with three dedicated days on-site (medical school campus).
Preferred Qualifications
Education:
Master's degree
Certifications:
Work Experience:
Skills:
Academic Collaboration, Agile Delivery, AI Systems, Big Data Technologies, Cloud Data Architecture, Cross Functional Projects, Digital Transformation, Executive Communications, Executive Project Management, Executive Relationship Management, External Stakeholder Engagement, Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR), Healthcare Analytics, Healthcare Environments, Healthcare Informatics, Health Data Analytics, Higher Education Research, HL7 Standards, Internal Stakeholder Engagement, Key Stakeholder Relationships, Leadership Essentials, Portfolio Strategic Planning, Program Delivery Management, SAFe 4.0 (Software)Grade
G18Salary Range
$129,800.00 - $228,400.00 / AnnuallyThe salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including one's qualifications and performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade and department budget.Questions
For frequently asked questions about the application process, please refer to our External Applicant FAQ.
Accommodation
If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email CandidateQuestions@wustl.edu or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request.
All qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.Pre-Employment Screening
All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.Benefits Statement
Personal
Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time.
Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance.
Take advantage of our free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees.
WashU provides eligible employees with a defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%.
Wellness
Wellness challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs and courses, employee assistance program (EAP), financial resources, access to dietitians, and more!
Family
We offer 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child. Family care resources are also available for your continued childcare needs. Need adult care? We’ve got you covered.
WashU covers the cost of tuition for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years with us.
For policies, detailed benefits, and eligibility, please visit: https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/