Assistant Director, Health AI Strategy & Operations (Hybrid Opportunity)
Stanford University · Stanford, California, United States · hybrid
Stanford University's Division of Computational Medicine is seeking an accomplished strategic and operational leader to advance innovative health AI initiatives across research, clinical operations, and industry partnerships. This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of academic medicine, healthcare delivery, and artificial intelligence, helping translate emerging technologies and research into responsible, real-world clinical applications.
The Assistant Director, Health AI Strategy & Operations will serve as a trusted strategic and operational partner to senior leadership, providing oversight across a diverse portfolio of research, implementation, and partnership initiatives spanning the Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care, and external organizations.
This is a highly visible role requiring exceptional judgment, initiative, and the ability to operate independently in a complex, fast-paced environment. The successful candidate will anticipate challenges, identify opportunities, navigate competing priorities, and drive initiatives forward with minimal oversight. They will engage confidently with senior academic, clinical, technical, and industry leaders, exercise sound judgment within delegated authority, and elevate matters requiring executive, clinical, legal, or institutional approval.
The portfolio may include AI-Care, GUIDE-AI, Stanford Health Care's Technology and Data Science initiatives, and collaborations with frontier AI laboratories and organizations such as the Coalition for Health AI and PacificAI.
We are seeking a proactive, resourceful leader who combines strategic thinking with strong operational execution, thrives in ambiguity, and can translate complex challenges into actionable solutions.
Core Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Program Execution
- Independently lead complex, cross-functional initiatives, translating strategic priorities into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
- Anticipate operational challenges, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop practical solutions that advance organizational priorities.
- Manage competing priorities, dependencies, and deliverables across multiple programs while ensuring accountability and timely execution.
- Exercise independent judgment to resolve issues, challenge assumptions, and escalate matters
Executive Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement
- Serve as a trusted strategic and operational partner to senior leadership, representing programs and leadership in internal and external engagements within delegated authority.
- Build and maintain productive relationships with senior faculty, healthcare executives, technical leaders, and external industry partners.
- Navigate complex organizational structures, reconcile competing priorities, and facilitate collaboration across institutional boundaries.
- Prepare concise executive briefings, strategic recommendations, and decision-oriented communications.
Research, Operations, and Partnership Management
- Coordinate research and operational initiatives involving regulatory requirements, data governance, institutional approvals, and clinical implementation.
- Support strategic partnerships with industry and technology organizations, facilitating negotiations, managing commitments, and coordinating with appropriate institutional stakeholders.
- Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve collaboration, and strengthen program effectiveness.
- Partner with research administration and finance teams to monitor resources, budgets, funding commitments, and operational risks.
Portfolio Oversight and Organizational Effectiveness
- Establish effective governance, reporting, and accountability structures across multiple initiatives.
- Proactively identify gaps, overlapping activities, and potential risks, taking appropriate action to resolve issues before they escalate.
- Convene and facilitate cross-functional discussions, clarify ownership and decision-making responsibilities, and ensure follow-through.
- Support strategic planning, high-impact engagements, and emerging institutional priorities related to responsible health AI.
What You Will Bring
The ideal candidate is an experienced strategic and operational leader with a demonstrated ability to independently manage complex initiatives, influence senior stakeholders, and deliver results across organizational boundaries.
You will bring:
- Strategic judgment and critical thinking: The ability to assess complex situations, challenge assumptions, anticipate challenges, and develop thoughtful, practical solutions.
- Executive presence and communication: Confidence engaging senior leaders, communicating difficult decisions diplomatically, and presenting complex information clearly and concisely.
- Independent leadership and accountability: A proactive approach to problem-solving, strong ownership of outcomes, and the ability to operate effectively with minimal supervision.
- Programmatic excellence: A proven record of leading complex, cross-functional programs, managing competing priorities, and driving execution.
- Organizational agility and influence: The ability to build trust, navigate institutional complexity, and influence outcomes without relying on formal authority.
- Technical and research literacy: Familiarity with healthcare, academic research, AI, data science, or related technology environments, with the ability to engage effectively with technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
- Professional judgment and diplomacy: The ability to establish appropriate boundaries, manage sensitive situations, and determine when issues require escalation.
Experience in academic medicine, healthcare delivery, artificial intelligence, data science, sponsored research, consulting, strategic operations, or other complex, regulated environments is highly desirable.
Advanced technical expertise in AI or machine learning is welcome but not required. We particularly value candidates who demonstrate exceptional strategic judgment, operational leadership, and the ability to learn and navigate complex technical environments.
Work Arrangement
This position is offered as a hybrid role (onsite 3-4 days per week), subject to operational needs.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Stanford University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position, either now or in the future.
Application Requirements
Please submit a resume and cover letter with your application.
In your cover letter, please describe an example of a complex, cross-functional initiative you independently led. Highlight how you navigated competing priorities, exercised sound judgment, influenced stakeholders, and drove the initiative toward a successful outcome.
We are particularly interested in understanding your individual contributions, approach to problem-solving, and ability to lead initiatives with a high degree of autonomy.
Core Duties:
- Lead the planning and operations for programs or functions that have significant business, regulatory and/or technical challenges requiring subject matter expertise.
- Evaluate programs or functions, policies and procedures. Identify issues, and develop alternative solutions which may include changes to programs, policies and procedures.
- Review and analyze trends to advise and develop recommendations to achieve or modify the goals of the program or function.
- Represent the program or function within the department, unit or school. Commit resources and provide information and/or training. Represent the program or function at the university level and/or to external/internal stakeholders and constituencies.
- Manage and contribute to the development of outreach strategy that may include relationship development, communications and compliance.
- May develop and/or oversee budgets; manage finances including monitoring, analyzing, forecasting, and reporting.
- Assess traini