Houston Methodist · 17 hours ago
Vice President, Academic Strategy
Houston, TX
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
10+ years expHouston Methodist is a leading academic medical institution, and they are seeking a Vice President of Academic Strategy to oversee the institute-wide academic and research strategic planning process. This role involves providing scientific and strategic leadership to enhance research and education excellence while collaborating with senior leaders and external partners.
Health CareMedical
Responsibilities
Provides direction to management team to enable the effective and efficient completion of objectives
Gives timely guidance and feedback to direct report management to strengthen their specific knowledge/skill areas needed for progression
Holds direct reporting management team accountable for the development of staff to meet overall objectives in terms of quality, service, and cost effectiveness
Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other departments to achieve business goals
Works collaboratively with stakeholders to foster a climate of open communication and mutual problem-solving
Develops efficient organizational structures within scope of assignment
Provides leadership for management team to maintain a competent and engaged employee group and provides recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes
Drives initiatives to meet or exceed threshold goal for department turnover and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators
Works cross-functionally with internal stakeholders and across Houston Methodist to formulate and track progress of high-quality education and research strategic initiatives
Supports and strengthens the development of internal and external collaborations and relationships that support high quality and financially sustainable academic programs
Partners with the Chief Education Officer to enhance the quality, visibility, and national reputation of residency, fellowship, and CME programs
Develops strategies to attract top trainees and elevates Houston Methodist’s standing among leading academic medical centers
Promotes a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence among investigators, educators, and trainees
Serves as a visible and accessible leader across the Institute
Works effectively with all members of the senior administrative leadership team
Collaborates closely with hospital and system leaders to align research strategy with clinical, operational, and educational missions of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute
Develops and implements strategic and operational/high level projects and processes
Sets clear goals, priorities, and objectives for the direct report management team
Oversees multiple departments’ operations and designated projects to ensure that goals or objectives are accomplished within the prescribed time frame, providing guidance to management team to ensure the best possible delivery of service and high customer/patient satisfaction
Drives HM service standards and activities to impact system score for patient/customer-based satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering accountability
Responsible for the overall successful operation of the direct report management team
Drives collaboration across the organization to identify needs and develop scalable solutions
Prioritizes objectives and implements strategies to achieve organization initiatives as part of the executive leadership team
Delegates responsibilities to direct report management, providing guidance and direction, as appropriate
Serves as principal subject matter expert on Houston Methodist academic strategic initiative plans, progress, academic productivity, and collaborations
Leads the development and execution of institutional strategic priorities in concert with departmental and Center leadership that accelerate the translation of novel scientific discoveries into patient-centered therapies
Designs and implements strategies interdisciplinary programs in areas such as regenerative medicine, cellular and gene therapy, immuno-oncology, neuroscience, and data-driven precision medicine
Reviews levels of service and significant trends that impact the effectiveness of delivering patient care, critical operational objectives, or other key components within the organization
Ensures that management teams are conducting root cause analyses, as appropriate
Proactively guides management to identify prevention/risk avoidance opportunities and implements continuous improvement plans
Monitors and ensures organizational compliance with federal, state, and local safety and environmental regulations and standards as well as accreditation requirements
Ensures direct report management monitors and/or revises the departments’ safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines
Proactively approaches the optimization of safe outcomes and information systems by monitoring, improving, and enhancing operations, identifying solutions via collaboration
Oversees the implementation of process improvements, utilizing tools such as lean and change management principles
Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety
Assists in the design and participates in review of new academic program effectiveness and sustainability, i.e., program outcomes, financial models and forecasting, benchmarks, quality/performance, research integrity, strategic value, and operational effectiveness, to shape academic program development, restructuring, or discontinuation
Encourages and supports high-impact research, grant-writing, publishing, and other scholarly activities of the faculty
Establishes key performance indicators to monitor scientific, translational, and educational outcomes; ensures data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement
Ensures departments’ operational and capital budgets align with organization’s strategic plan
Uses benchmark data to support performance, costs and return on investment
Drives the maximization of efficiency and productivity
Leverages relationships with vendors and partners to obtain contracts that support cost-efficient operations and maintenance
Develops, in partnership with the HMAI CFO, HMAI CBO, and Foundation CEO, and implements a comprehensive, multi-year financial model to guide academic strategic planning with detailed projections of recruiting, space, equipment, and expense and revenue targets that align with academic strategy and ensure sustainability
Stays abreast of funding trends and develops relationships and programs to position faculty for success in procuring extramural funding including strategic, multi-institutional, and program project grants
Develops long-range goals and strategic plans
Deploys data and research to drive cross-business organization prioritization
Maintains acute awareness of market and industry trends
Implements innovative solutions for practice or workflow changes to improve system operations
Represents HM at community or professional organization meetings
Drives change initiatives, maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures
Initiates and executes succession plans
Conducts conversations with direct report management on their My Development Plan (MDP)
Develops a strategic plan for long-term academic program innovation and growth, and prioritizes initiatives based on an understanding of the Institute’s mission, finances, capacities, values, needs, priorities, risk appetite, values, and competitiveness
Identifies and improves the Institute’s competitiveness for strategic alliances and interdisciplinary research opportunities
Evaluates and prioritizes HMRI’s scientific programs to ensure strategic alignment with institutional strengths, emerging opportunities, and long-term impact
Fosters strategic collaborations with academia, government, and industry to expand translational research capacity, diversify funding sources, and increase reputation
Qualification
Required
Postgraduate degree in health, science, or business-related field, i.e., MHA, MPH, MBA, JD, PhD, etc
Ten years of work experience in academic medicine, biomedical research or scientific strategy to include leading high-performing teams; seven years in a people management role
Demonstrated success in developing and implementing strategic research and academic initiatives within complex organizations
Proven record of success in developing major strategic initiatives within a leading institution
Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially about activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
Strategic vision with the ability to execute
Demonstrated leadership presence and maturity
Impeccable judgment and ability to make sound decisions in a fast-paced, dynamic setting
Executive-level presentation skills and ability to interface successfully with high-level clients
Demonstrates the ability to interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one's intentions and those of the organization
Ability to use appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans; modifying one's own behavior to accommodate tasks, situations and individuals involved
Demonstrates leadership qualities and critical thinking through self-direction initiative and effective interpersonal skills and oral/written communication skills
Ability to identify and understand issues, problems, and opportunities, comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; takes action that is consistent with available facts, constraints and probable consequences
Extensive knowledge of regulatory and accreditation agency requirements that impact department; stays abreast of industry changes
Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in the workplace
Capable of leading teams/facilitating groups, building consensus and garnering highest confidence in professionalism and work product by senior leadership
Ability to work under pressure and balance many competing priorities; highly responsive and solution/action oriented
Proficiency in spreadsheet, word processing, and presentation software
Maintains a positive and supportive attitude and demeanor
Professional handling of exposure to confidential/sensitive information
Skill in leading and developing organizational strategic plans, working collaboratively with internal stakeholders to develop multi-year objectives, specific annual goals and related milestones and metrics needed to track and communicate progress
Proven ability to cultivate multidisciplinary collaboration and establish productive partnerships with clinical and academic leaders
Strong understanding of graduate medical education, faculty development, and academic program growth
Exceptional leadership, communication, and organizational skills
Company
Houston Methodist
Houston Methodist is one of the nation’s leading health systems and academic medical centers.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Brooke Graham
CEO Project Director
David P. Bernard
Chief Executive Officer & Senior Vice President
Recent News
2025-12-07
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