Innovation Program Manager Jobs in Atlanta, GA (NOW HIRING)

Emory University is a leading research university that fosters excellence and attracts world-class talent to innovate today and prepare leaders for the future. We welcome candidates who can contribute to the excellence of our academic community.

JOB DESCRIPTION: 

• Senior Manager of Enterprise Innovation & Transformation sits at the intersection of strategy and execution, owning complex, enterprise-wide change initiatives that deliver measurable value across affordability, experience, and quality. 
• Architects change at scale, mobilizes cross-functional teams, translates organizational OKRs into operational reality, and drive value realization from inception through sustained adoption.
• You will serve as a critical bridge between senior leaders, clinical operations, IT, analytics, and external partners, holding the connective tissue of the Plan's $900M+ transformation agenda.
• Designs and leads comprehensive change management strategies for large-scale, enterprise-wide transformation programs, spanning stakeholder alignment, communications architecture, readiness assessments, and resistance mitigation.
• Owns change impact analyses across people, process, and technology dimensions; develop and execute enablement plans that drive adoption at scale.
• Serves as the organizational change authority for 8 to 12 concurrent strategic initiatives, ensuring structured delivery from discovery through value realization.
• Leads change champion networks across clinical, operational, and administrative functions; build change capability throughout the organization.
• Applies recognized change frameworks (Prosci/ADKAR, Kotter, McKinsey Influence Model) and tailor them to the health plan context.
• Leads end-to-end value-stream mapping exercises across member, provider, and operational domains identifying waste, handoff failures, and latent value opportunities.
• Translates VSM findings into redesigned future-state workflows, operational models, and implementation roadmaps with quantified efficiency and cost impact.
• Applies Lean, Six Sigma, and systems engineering methodologies to eliminate non-value-added activity and improve throughput across care delivery and administrative processes.
• Establishes process governance mechanisms and control plans to sustain improvements post-implementation.
• Owns program delivery for flagship transformation initiatives: developing integrated project plans, governance structures, risk registers, and decision frameworks.
• Leads cross-functional working teams and steer committees; facilitate executive-level milestone reviews and escalation management.
• Develops robust business cases, ROI models, and cost/benefit analyses aligned to enterprise strategic priorities.
• Drives alignment between initiative roadmaps and enterprise capacity planning to ensure sequencing and resource sustainability.
• Partners with senior leadership to cascade organizational objectives and key results into initiative-level metrics, ensuring every transformation effort connects to enterprise strategic outcomes.
• Designs and operationalize value realization framework: defining success metrics, tracking realized vs. planned benefits, and reporting value capture to executive and board audiences.
• Establishes benefit dependency maps and accountability structures to ensure initiative owners maintain ownership of realized outcomes beyond go-live.
• Leads quarterly OKR reviews for the transformation portfolio, synthesizing data into actionable strategic recommendations.
• Sponsors and guides the design of future-state member and provider journeys, integrating digital tools, automation, and human-centered design principles to reduce friction and improve outcomes.
• Directs current-state assessments including journey mapping, ethnographic research, and service blueprinting across clinical and administrative touchpoints.
• Translates journey insights into investment recommendations, technology requirements, and operational redesign mandates.
• Leads evaluation of next-generation benefit design innovations: supplemental programs, value-based arrangements, digital health interventions, and equity-centered offerings.
• Commissions and oversees financial modeling of benefit design scenarios, utilization analyses, and actuarial impact assessments.
• Structures and governs pilot programs (mental health, digital health, condition management) with defined hypothesis, measurement frameworks, and decision gates.
• Leads the strategic and operational integration of AI, machine learning, and analytics capabilities into transformation programs: spanning predictive risk stratification, care gap identification, and operational intelligence.
• Co-leads responsible AI governance: evaluate vendor solutions, establish guardrails, and build monitoring frameworks aligned with clinical and regulatory standards.
• Oversees digital platform evolution: member and provider portals, CRM, analytics infrastructure, ensuring programs are grounded in adoption metrics and user-centered design.
• Partners with IT and enterprise architecture to align digital investments with business transformation priorities.
• Provides senior oversight for large-scale platform migrations, system implementations, and vendor partnerships, managing delivery risk, dependency mapping, and cross-functional coordination.
• Owns vendor performance management including SLA tracking, issue escalation, and contract alignment for strategic implementation partners.
• Drives readiness, cutover planning, and hyper care strategies that minimize operational disruption during major technology transitions. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering, Business Administration, Healthcare Management, or related field and 8+ years of progressive experience in healthcare transformation, strategy execution, management consulting, or health plan operations.
• Preferred Qualifications: Master's degree (MBA, MHA, MPH, MS-ISE, or equivalent) from an accredited program.
• Certifications valued: PMP, Prosci ADKAR, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, CPHQ, FACHE, or equivalent.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint; strong working knowledge of Python or R, SQL, and data visualization platforms (Tableau, Power BI).
• Demonstrated track record of leading enterprise-wide change management programs, including stakeholder engagement, communications strategy, and adoption measurement for initiatives affecting 500+ employees.
• Expert-level process mapping and systems design tools: Lucidchart, Miro, Visio, or equivalent.
• Fluency in Agile, Lean, Design Thinking, Systems Engineering, and Program Management frameworks and the judgment to apply the right lens to the right problem.
• Familiarity with healthcare data environments: claims, eligibility, clinical, and pharmacy data; experience with interoperability standards (HL7, FHIR) a plus.
• Working knowledge of AI/ML application in health plan contexts (risk stratification, care gap identification, NLP for claims) and responsible AI principles.

NOTE: Position tasks are generally required to be performed in-person at an Emory University location.  Remote work from home day options may be granted at department discretion. Emory reserves the right to change remote work status with notice to employee.

Emory is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law. Emory University does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotions, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training. Students, faculty, and staff are assured of participation in university programs and in the use of facilities without such discrimination. Emory University complies with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act, and applicable executive orders, federal and state regulations regarding nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and affirmative action (for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities). Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to the Emory University Department of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance, 201 Dowman Drive, Administration Building, Atlanta, GA 30322. Telephone: 404-727-9867 (V) | 404-712-2049 (TDD).
Emory University is committed to ensuring equal access and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to seek a reasonable accommodation, please contact the Department of Accessibility Services at accessibility@emory.edu or call 404-727-9877 (Voice) | 404-712-2049 (TDD). We kindly ask that requests be made at least seven business days in advance to allow adequate time for coordination.