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Vice President for AI Healthcare Innovation

The University of Connecticut Health Center is an affirmative action employer, in addition to an EEO and M/F/V/PWD/PV employer.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Institute Development
  • Establish and operationalize the AI Institute in alignment with UConn Health's mission and strategic priorities.
  • Define and execute a market-oriented strategy focused on identifying, evaluating, and integrating best-in-class external AI solutions rather than primarily incubating internal startups.
  • Position UConn Health as a trusted validation environment for AI solutions leveraging real-world operational and clinical workflows and patient data as appropriate.
  • Build the Institute's national reputation as a leader in healthcare AI innovation.
• Clinical & Operational AI Integration
  • Partner with clinical, operational, and administrative leaders to identify high-priority unmet needs across UConn Health.
  • Define use cases for AI deployment.
  • Oversee structured pilots, validation studies, and enterprise-scale deployment of AI solutions.
  • Ensure measurable improvements in operational efficiency.
• External Partnerships & Ecosystem Development
  • Develop a robust pipeline of AI companies for evaluation and partnership.
  • Serve as a strategic liaison between AI startups and UConn Health departments and stakeholders, UConn Health clinical leadership, and academic units (including the School of Business) as appropriate.
  • Establish UConn Health as a preferred partner for leading healthcare AI innovators.
• Venture Fund & Investment Collaboration
  • Work in close partnership with the AI Institute Investment Committee, chaired by John Kim.
  • Support sourcing, evaluation, and validation of companies for potential investment.
  • Ensure that clinical pilots and operational results inform disciplined investment decisions.
  • Contribute to building a high-performing venture portfolio that delivers long-term financial returns to UConn Health.
• Governance & Institutional Alignment
  • Report to UConn Health CEO within the UConn Health Finance Corporation.
  • Collaborate with the Institute's governing board, including external members and philanthropic partners.
  • Ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment with institutional priorities.
  • Directly responsible for managing the operating budget.
  • Provide strategic and operational support for the venture fund.
  • Drive progress toward a self-sustaining financial model through creating tangible revenue and expense efficiencies for UCONN Health, returns from the venture investments, and licensing and commercialization opportunities.
  • Support ongoing fundraising and donor engagement efforts.
• Team Building & Organizational Leadership
  • Recruit and lead a multidisciplinary team across clinical integration, business development, and operations.
  • Foster a culture of rigor, speed, accountability, and innovation.

Key Qualifications

Required

• Advanced degree (PhD, MBA, MD or equivalent).
• 15+ years of leadership experience in healthcare, technology, or innovation-driven organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in AI, digital health, or healthcare transformation initiatives.
• Experience in healthcare systems, clinical workflows, and data environments.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and complex implementations.

Preferred

• Knowledge of venture capital, private equity, or corporate investment.
• Experience in evaluating and scaling emerging technology companies.
• Experience working in academic medical centers or research institutions.
• Familiarity with regulatory, compliance, and ethical considerations in healthcare AI.

Core Competencies

• Strategic vision with execution discipline.
• Change management leadership of large organizations.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and partnership skills.
• Ability to operate at the intersection of academic medicine, industry, and capital markets.
• Investment and commercial acumen.

Success Metrics (Illustrative)

• Number and quality of AI solutions evaluated and deployed.
• Measurable clinical and operational improvements.
• External partnerships and national reputation of the Institute.
• Progress toward financial sustainability.

Why This Role Matters

This is a foundational leadership role with the opportunity to shape a first-in-kind model: an AI Institute that integrates clinical validation, operational transformation, and venture investment into a unified platform. The Executive Director will play a central role in advancing UConn Health's position as a leader in AI-enabled healthcare innovation.