Associate Manager System Integration
athenahealth · Chennai
Join us as we work to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.
Role Summary
The Associate Manager is responsible for leading a team of Project Managers who manage data migration and import projects supporting the transition of patient and clinical data from source Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems into athenaOne.
The Associate Manager provides people, product, process, operational, and portfolio leadership to ensure the team consistently delivers high-quality outcomes, meets project and business commitments, and provides an exceptional client experience. This role is accountable for team performance, project portfolio health, risk and escalation management, operational metrics, and continuous improvement.
The Associate Manager serves as a key escalation point for complex or high-risk projects and partners closely with Product, Engineering, Client Services, and other cross-functional teams to resolve issues, improve processes, and develop scalable solutions for the Data Imports organization.
The role requires a strong combination of people leadership, project management, analytical thinking, client management, and operational expertise, along with the ability to work effectively with geographically distributed teams across India and the US.
Team Summary
The Data Imports organization supports the transition of patient and clinical data from source EHR systems into athenaOne. The team works on data migration and import projects that require strong project execution, data quality focus, client coordination, and cross-functional collaboration.
Team members partner with Product, Engineering, Client Services, and other stakeholders to manage complex implementations, resolve issues, and ensure successful project delivery. The environment values accountability, continuous improvement, operational discipline, and the ability to balance business priorities with client needs.
Essential Job Responsibilities
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of Project Managers, establishing clear performance expectations and accountability for productivity, quality, project delivery, and client experience.
- Conduct regular 1:1s, provide meaningful feedback, recognize strong performance, address performance gaps, and support career development, training, badging, and succession planning.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, continuous learning, and continuous improvement, while participating in hiring and other personnel-related activities.
- Provide oversight of the team’s portfolio of data import and migration projects, ensuring appropriate management of project health, risks, dependencies, go-live readiness, and delivery outcomes.
- Monitor portfolio performance, operational metrics, capacity, and emerging risks; proactively intervene and prioritize resources to address high-risk projects, competing priorities, and business needs.
- Serve as the escalation point for complex, high-risk, or high-visibility projects and client concerns, providing direction and driving issues to timely resolution.
- Ensure Project Managers effectively manage client relationships, project communications, expectations, and escalations while maintaining a high standard of professionalism and service.
- Partner with Client Services, Product, Engineering, and other cross-functional teams across India and the US to resolve complex project and client-impacting issues and drive successful outcomes.
- Ensure the team maintains high standards for data accuracy, quality, and import readiness, providing guidance on complex data mapping, validation, reconciliation, transformation, and troubleshooting scenarios as needed.
- Use project and operational data, including information from tools such as Microsoft Excel, Salesforce, SQL, and reporting platforms, to evaluate team performance, identify trends and risks, and support data-driven decision-making.
- Identify systemic issues, operational inefficiencies, and recurring challenges within Data Imports and lead initiatives to improve efficiency, quality, scalability, and consistency.
- Partner with Product and Engineering to identify and implement opportunities for automation, tooling enhancements, and workflow improvements.
- Develop and standardize processes, operating mechanisms, and best practices, ensuring effective adoption across the team and incorporating lessons learned into training, documentation, and knowledge management.
- Work with Data Imports leadership in India and the US to translate organizational priorities into clear team objectives, measurable outcomes, and actionable plans.
- Provide leadership with visibility into team performance, portfolio health, emerging risks, capacity requirements, and opportunities for improvement through regular operational reviews and data-driven recommendations.
- Contribute to the long-term vision, strategy, and operating model for Data Imports and lead initiatives that support the growth and scalability of the organization.
- Serve as a subject matter expert for data import and implementation processes, maintaining strong knowledge of athenahealth’s data models, import tools, EHR workflows, and data migration practices.
- Promote data import best practices and provide guidance to Project Managers on complex project execution, data quality, risk management, troubleshooting, and client management.
Additional Job Responsibilities
- Support knowledge sharing, training, and capability building across the Data Imports team.
- Contribute to operational reviews, portfolio planning, and leadership discussions.
- Help maintain consistency in documentation, reporting, and process adherence across projects.
- Participate in initiatives that improve scalability, standardization, and team effectiveness.
- Leverage AI-enabled tools and emerging technologies to support analysis, process improvement, documentation, and operational efficiency while applying human judgment to validate outcomes.
- Perform other duties as assigned in support of team and organizational objectives.
Expected Education & Experience
- Active PMP certification.
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Science, Statistics, Management, Healthcare Administration, or another related field.
- 6+ years of relevant experience in US healthcare, Health IT, EHR implementations, data migration, project management, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, or managing teams, preferably in a project management, implementation, technical operations, or healthcare environment.
- Strong project and portfolio management experience, including managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
- Strong understanding of EHR implementation, healthcare workflows, data migration, and data quality processes.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively engage geographically distributed teams across India and the US.
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex client relationships and resolve escalated customer issues.
- Excellent analytical, logical, and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
- Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including advanced functions, pivot tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, data analysis, and transformation techniques.
- Working knowledge of SQL for querying, validating, reconciling, and analyzing large datasets.
- Experience with Salesforce or equivalent CRM/project management tools is preferred.
- Demonstrated experience identifying operational inefficiencies and leading process improvement initiatives.
- Strong understanding of project risk management, escalation management, dependency management, and portfolio oversight.
- Demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and develop employees while maintaining accountability for performance and results.
- Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and drive initiatives without direct authority.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Proven ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-volume environment and manage competing priorities.
- Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and make decisions with appropriate consideration of business and client impact.
- Passion for continuous learning, operational excellence, and people development.
- Flexibility to adapt to changing business priorities and organizational needs.
- Willingness to work shifts aligned with US business hours, including IST night shifts.
- Familiarity with healthcare data standards such as HL7, CCDA, CCD, or FHIR is preferred.
About athenahealth
Our vision: In an industry that becomes more complex by the day, we stand for simplicity. We offer IT solutions and expert services that eliminate the daily hurdles preventing healthcare providers from focusing entirely on their patients — powered by our vision to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.
Our company culture: Our talented employees — or athenistas, as we call ourselves — spark the innovation and passion needed to accomplish our vision. We are a diverse group of dreamers and do-ers with unique knowledge, expertise, backgrounds, and perspectives. We unite as mission-driven problem-solvers with a deep desire to achieve our vision and make our time here count. Our award-winning culture is built around shared values of inclusiveness, accountability, and support.
Our DEI commitment: Our vision of accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all requires addressing the inequities that stand in the way. That's one reason we prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in every aspect of our business, from attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce to maintaining an inclusive environment for athenistas, our partners, customers and the communities where we work and serve.
What we can do for you:
Along with health and financial benefits, athenistas enjoy perks specific to each location, including commuter support, employee assistance programs, tuition assistance, employee resource groups, and collaborative workspaces — some offices even welcome dogs.
We also encourage a better work-life balance for athenistas with our flexibility. While we know in-office collaboration is critical to our vision, we recognize that not all work needs to be done within an office environment, full-time. With consistent communication and digital collaboration tools, athenahealth enables employees to find a balance that feels fulfilling and productive for each individual situation.
In addition to our traditional benefits and perks, we sponsor events throughout the year, including book clubs, external speakers, and hackathons. We provide athenistas with a company culture based on learning, the support of an engaged team, and an inclusive environment where all employees are valued.
Learn more about our culture and benefits here: athenahealth.com/careers