Senior Director, Implementation
Alignment Healthcare · United States · $149,882–$224,823 (stated in the posting)
Alignment Health is breaking the mold in conventional health care, committed to serving seniors and those who need it most: the chronically ill and frail. It takes an entire team of passionate and caring people, united in our mission to put the senior first. We have built a team of talented and experienced people who are passionate about transforming the lives of the seniors we serve. In this fast-growing company, you will find ample room for growth and innovation alongside the Alignment Health community. Working at Alignment Health provides an opportunity to do work that really matters, not only changing lives but saving them. Together.
The Sr. Director, Implementation serves as a strategic and operational leader of the implementation function. The role helps shape and translate implementation strategy, priorities, operating-model requirements, and governance standards into coordinated portfolio execution across regulatory, technology, vendor, and operational workstreams. The Sr. Director directly leads the Implementation Manager, Technology & Vendor Integrations and the Sr. Regulatory Implementation Manager and is accountable for team performance, development, capacity, portfolio delivery, reporting accuracy, readiness validation, risk escalation, and post-launch stabilization. The role influences portfolio priorities and leads the assigned portfolio within approved scope, schedule, quality, budget, regulatory, and operational-readiness expectations. Participates in development of enterprise strategy, final operating-model design, preparation of investment approval for final launch decisions to be approved by the Vice President and executive governance bodies.Job Duties/Responsibilities:
Portfolio Execution Leadership
- Partner to shape and influence enterprise priorities, then translate them into integrated portfolio plans, delivery commitments, resource assignments, milestones, dependencies, and measurable outcomes
- Own execution performance for the assigned portfolio, including scope, schedule, quality, budget adherence, regulatory readiness, operational readiness, adoption, stabilization, and transition to operations
People Leadership & Development
- Directly lead the Implementation Manager, Technology & Vendor Integrations and the Sr. Regulatory Implementation Manager
- Establish goals, priorities, decision rights, workloads, performance measures, development plans, succession plans, and continuity coverage; coach, evaluate, recognize, and hold team members accountable for results
Integrated Implementation Management
- Integrate regulatory, technology, vendor, operational, and cross-functional activities into coordinated plans with clear ownership, dependencies, decision points, and handoffs
- Ensure both manager functions operate under common planning, governance, reporting, readiness, and escalation standards
Governance, Controls & Decision Support
- Establish, evolve, and oversee implementation governance standards and methodologies in alignment with enterprise direction, including intake, portfolio reviews, stage gates, change control, risk and issue management, readiness reviews, launch preparation, stabilization, and transition-to-operations requirements
- Consolidate readiness assessments, validate evidence, and provide documented go-live recommendations
Regulatory Implementation Oversight
- Hold the Sr. Regulatory Implementation Manager accountable for timely impact assessments, requirements traceability, implementation planning, evidence management, cross-functional coordination, and readiness by required effective dates
- Ensure material compliance gaps, audit findings, corrective actions, delegated-entity obligations, and regulatory risks are documented, monitored, and escalated
Technology & Vendor Implementation Oversight
- Hold the Implementation Manager, Technology & Vendor Integrations accountable for vendor onboarding, integration planning, requirements coordination, testing, defect remediation, operational readiness, deployment, stabilization, and transition to accountable operational owners
- Ensure implementations meet approved contractual, technical, privacy, security, data, operational, and regulatory requirements
Operational Readiness & Change Management
- Ensure business owners develop and execute readiness plans addressing workflows, procedures, staffing, training, communications, controls, testing, contingencies, adoption, and performance measures
- Oversee stabilization and formal transition to operations, including documented ownership and closure plans for residual items
Portfolio Governance & Executive Reporting
- Provide the Vice President and senior stakeholders with accurate, timely, and decision-ready reporting covering milestones, dependencies, capacity, budget status, regulatory readiness, risks, decisions, adoption, stabilization, and expected outcomes
- Escalate material risks with clear impact analysis, corrective options, and recommended action
Resource & Financial Management
- Develop team capacity and staffing plans, allocate approved resources across the portfolio, and manage assigned work within approved budget and resource parameters
- Anticipate capacity gaps, evaluate conflicting priorities, vendor support needs, and investment requirements, and influence portfolio and investment decisions through evidence-based recommendations to the Vice President
Continuous Improvement
- Establish and evolve implementation tools, methodologies, procedures, controls, competencies, and quality standards that advance the enterprise framework and portfolio strategy
- Use performance results, quality reviews, stakeholder feedback, and lessons learned to improve execution effectiveness and organizational maturity
Stakeholder Engagement
- Build effective relationships across Operations, Information Technology, Regulatory Affairs, Compliance, Product, Finance, Clinical Services, Network Management, Sales, Legal, Procurement, Information Security, business leadership, executive sponsors, vendors, and delegated entities
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- This role directly manages the Implementation Manager, Technology & Vendor Integrations and the Sr. Regulatory Implementation Manager, as well as other implementation professionals assigned to the function, typically 2–6 direct reports
- Fulfill supervisory responsibilities in accordance with organization policies and applicable laws
- The Sr. Director retains accountability for team performance, reporting accuracy, risk escalation, portfolio delivery, and implementation outcomes when execution is delegated to direct reports. The role partners with functional and vendor leaders through matrixed relationships but does not exercise direct supervisory authority unless formally assigned
Decision-Making Authority:
- Recommend resource priorities and allocate approved resources, enforce delivery standards, direct recovery actions, and manage execution within approved scope and budget.
- Establish, evolve, and oversee governance, stage gates, reporting, and controls and recommend process improvements.
- Validate readiness evidence, require remediation, and recommend go-live, delay, scope adjustment, or additional controls to the Vice President.
- Resolve execution risks within delegated authority and influence enterprise priority, investment, capacity, and risk-tolerance decisions through recommendations and escalate final launch approval to the Vice President or designated executive governance body.
- Manage direct-report selection, development, performance, and accountability within organization policy and delegated authority.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
Experience:
Required:
- 8–10 years of progressively responsible experience in implementation, program management, healthcare operations, regulatory implementation, technology delivery, vendor integration, or a related discipline.
- 4–5 years of people leadership experience, including direct leadership of managers, senior professionals, or complex matrixed teams.
- Demonstrated experience translating executive strategy and governance requirements into coordinated, measurable portfolio execution.
- Demonstrated success managing a complex cross-functional portfolio with regulatory, technology, vendor, operational, budget, and organizational-change dependencies.
- Experience providing executive-level portfolio reporting, readiness recommendations, risk assessments, and recovery plans.
- Experience managing resources, capacity, approved budgets, vendor relationships, and performance accountability in a regulated environment.
- Healthcare, managed care, health plan, or healthcare technology experience; Medicare Advantage or a comparably regulated environment strongly preferred.
Preferred:
- Experience with new-market, enterprise technology, regulatory, or delegated-entity implementations in a health plan.
- Experience supporting CMS audit readiness, corrective action plans, NCQA accreditation, state regulatory readiness, or delegated oversight.
- Experience leading managers with distinct regulatory and technology/vendor implementation accountabilities.
Education:
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Information Systems, Project Management, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience consistent with company policy.
Preferred:
- Master’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Information Systems, or a related field.
- PMP, PgMP, or equivalent program/project management certification.
Training:
Required:
- Advanced working knowledge of portfolio, program, and project management methods, including Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid approaches.
- Working knowledge of operational readiness, change adoption, governance, risk and issue management, testing, stabilization, and transition-to-operations practices.
- Working knowledge of healthcare compliance.
Preferred:
- Formal change-management training or certification, such as Prosci or equivalent.
- Training in healthcare compliance, regulatory implementation, audit readiness, or quality systems.
Specialized Skills:
- Leadership of Leaders - Sets direction and clear accountability for managers and senior professionals; coaches, develops, and addresses performance effectively.
- Portfolio Execution - Integrates multiple initiatives and workstreams, balances competing demands, and delivers within approved commitments.
- Judgment & Escalation - Distinguishes execution issues from enterprise decisions and escalates material risks with practical recommendations.
- Regulatory & Operational Readiness - Understands how regulatory, operational, technology, vendor, data, and control requirements affect implementation readiness.
- Executive Communication - Synthesizes complex information into concise, accurate, decision-ready reporting and recommendations.
- Cross-Functional Influence - Builds alignment and accountability across functions and external partners without relying solely on direct authority.
- Financial & Resource Stewardship - Manages approved budgets, forecasts, capacity, and resource tradeoffs with sound business judgment.
- Data & Reporting Discipline - Ensures portfolio information is complete, current, validated, and suitable for executive decision-making.
- Change Leadership - Promotes adoption, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement through complex organizational change.
- Problem Solving - Anticipates dependencies, identifies root causes, directs recovery, and drives issues to documented resolution.
Pay range may be based on a number of factors including market location, education, responsibilities, experience, etc.
Alignment Health is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
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