Associate Director, Solution Consulting, Analytics

Reporting to the VP of Enterprise Data and Analytics in the Department of Informatics & Analytics, the Associate Director, Solution Consulting, Analytics & Generative AI, designs and leads pioneering operational initiatives in partnership with executive leaders, faculty, and staff from across the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). Partnering directly with a variety of Institutional leadership, the Associate Director will lead complex transformations, leveraging AI, advanced analytics, machine learning, and informatics technologies to achieve business outcomes. As a dynamic and experienced thought leader, this role drives strategic initiatives, fosters innovation and the art-of-the-possible, while ensuring the successful delivery of high-impact solutions to the Institute.

The Associate Director, Solutions Consulting, Analytics & Generative AI, also serves as an educational leader, building capabilities through the establishment of a community of practice for solution consulting within the Enterprise Analytics and Business Intelligence organization. This includes the development of a training curriculum, proactive coaching and mentorship, and consistently leading by example to establish and inspire the use of innovative best practices.

It is an exciting time to be a part of the Informatics and Analytics (I&A) department at Dana-Farber. I&A is a core component of the Institute, using data, AI, and software to drive operational innovation that is accelerating DFCI’s mission to defy cancer and improve the lives of our patients, caregivers, and staff. Critical to achieving this mission are the high-impact initiatives the Associate Director, Solution Consulting, designs and leads.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life-changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Solution Consulting for High-Impact Use Cases:

1. Independently partners with senior leaders, including vice presidents and executives, to provide strategic advisory services, developing, refining, and pressure-testing large-scale novel use cases for AI, Analytics, Software Engineering, and Data that fundamentally improve how cancer care is delivered, bringing $1-10 million of financial impact per solution.
2. Conducts thorough needs, feasibility, and impact assessments by assembling cross-functional teams, ensuring stakeholder alignment, managing expectations, and prioritizing the right initiatives.
3. Embeds directly with internal clients most impacted by novel solutions, throughout the development lifecycle, to develop an integrated solution design, rearchitect processes and workflows, and incorporate ground-level user feedback, ensuring a high-quality and adoptable product that works in the real-world.
4. Leads components of the solutions development and implementation process from prototype to production in partnership with technical and vertical leads, including backlog and feature prioritization, task management, risk mitigation, user testing, operational design, and stakeholder management.
5. Partners closely with technical teams who will develop and maintain novel solutions, translating stakeholder goals into technical requirements and a solution roadmap.
6. Stays current on important Healthcare regulatory and compliance considerations and brings this knowledge into conversations with senior leaders, technical developers, and peers.

Solution Consulting Practice Development:

1. Develops a solution consulting practice to upskill the broader Enterprise Analytics organization, including curriculum development, establishment of a mentorship and coaching program, creation of toolkits and quick-start guides, and building a community to serve as an internal forum and mechanism to establish and evolve best practices.
2. Actively coaches and develops colleagues and their teams to achieve mature solution consulting capabilities, with accountability for measurably increasing the impact of services teams provide to the Institute over time.
3. Embeds continuous improvement processes in solution designs, ways of working, and the solution consulting practice, ensuring durable products that provide long-term value.
4. Responsible for overseeing resources and budget related to solution initiatives; this includes a combination of: 1) matrixed FTEs across I&A groups, including enterprise analytics, artificial intelligence operations and services, computational solutions, and enterprise data services, and 2) capital and operating budget funds from within Informatics & Analytics and DFCI stakeholder departments.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Over time, this role may develop a team of 2-5 direct reports who provide solution consulting capabilities across the Institute for key strategic projects.
2. Guide and support career development and performance management, including for employees who may have an indirect reporting relationship.

PATIENT CONTACT:

1. None.

MINIMUM JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Information Systems, Analytics, Business, Engineering) required. Master's degree is preferred.
2. 10 years of experience in data, analytics, AI, data science, software engineering, or related roles.
3. 3 years of experience required in a biomedical, healthcare, health-tech, or life sciences field. Experience working for a consulting firm is a plus.
4. Proficiency in consulting with leaders on data, AI, and informatics use cases from ideation to delivery; this includes understanding needs, mapping needs to a practical solution design with technical teams, managing through challenges, and ensuring adoption with successful implementation.
5. 3 years of direct people management and/or program and project leadership experience, with a track record of building engaged project teams of user-centric business partners, impact-focused solution engineers, and high-skill technical experts.
6. Proven experience leading and developing high performing indirect project and solution delivery teams with a user-centric and impact-first mindset.
7. Demonstrated understanding of best practices for solution design for data, AI, informatics, and/or software development use cases including technical architecture, and the interactions between systems; this includes working knowledge of data platforms, the AI tech stack, and the software development lifecycle.
8. Demonstrated proficiency with the concepts and processes of designing and leading compelling education and training programs for a diverse workforce with varying levels of skillsets.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

Client Services, Collaboration, Communication

1. Experience engaging with clients across organizations and departments to open eyes to what’s possible and then drive ideas through to solution.
2. Experience fostering stakeholder teams to reach their full potential through change management, risk mitigation, and strategic planning.
3. Curious and eager to learn about others’ work and perspectives and to develop deep knowledge of areas served.
4. Excellent at identifying and validating the business value of initiatives.
5. Strong service orientation with an unwavering commitment to our patients, employees, partners, customers, collaborators, and users.
6. Ability to routinely establish new projects and collaborations independently.
7. Expert at presenting results clearly, persuasively and accurately, both verbally and in writing, and delivering challenging news effectively.
8. Able to realistically manage stakeholder expectations; for example, saying no appropriately when required.
9. Excellent interpersonal skills; able to interact effectively with all levels of staff and external contacts.
10. Able to skillfully educate the business on the importance of leveraging data & analysis for decision-making and enable a data-driven culture.
11. Ability to routinely create, cultivate, and leverage cross-group, cross-departmental, and cross-institutional relationships with a strategic, institutional mindset.

Project and Portfolio Management

1. Outstanding project, program, and portfolio management, with excellent analytical, organizational, and time-management skills.
2. Superb attention to detail, accuracy, quality, and compliance.
3. Experience in managing and/or owning capital and operating budgets of up to $1M.
4. Ability to assess budgetary needs for project proposals.

Mindset

1. Possesses a high-level of empathy, kindness, and a mindset of inclusive, diverse thinking.
2. Demonstrates self-awareness, professionalism, agility and flexibility, a strong work ethic, appropriate humility, and the ability to lead through challenging situations.
3. Thinks and acts consistently with a broader "we" mentality, i.e., what’s best for the group as a whole vs. self and "my team".

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are equally committed to diversifying our faculty and staff. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and diverse professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.