Summary: The Assistant Director, Strategic Health System Solutions serves as a senior strategic advisor and primary relationship leader for a portfolio of approximately 25-30 of the nation's largest and most complex health systems, while also supporting the development and expansion of strategic international opportunities. The role is responsible for developing a deep understanding of each organization's clinical, operational, and strategic priorities and translating those needs into enterprise-level solutions that leverage the breadth of the ACS surgical quality portfolio.
Leveraging clinical expertise, healthcare industry knowledge, and a strong understanding of complex health systems, this role develops and executes strategic account plans designed to deepen ACS relationships, expand adoption across facilities and programs, and create long-term enterprise partnerships. The position engages senior clinical, quality, and executive leaders to identify opportunities where ACS programs, data, accreditation, verification, and quality improvement resources can advance organizational objectives.
This position plays a leadership role in shaping ACS strategy for large health systems and international markets, actively partnering with ACS leadership to identify market opportunities, inform portfolio strategy, and develop scalable approaches for engaging complex organizations. Insights gained from strategic accounts and international stakeholders are translated into recommendations regarding new offerings, portfolio integration, pricing and contracting approaches, implementation models, and future market opportunities.
Working closely with Quality Programs, Registry Operations, Business Operations, Data, IT, Marketing, Legal, and other internal stakeholders, the role orchestrates enterprise-wide engagement and ensures that ACS presents a coordinated portfolio of solutions rather than individual programs. The position serves as a key connector between external health-system leadership and ACS internal teams, ensuring effective execution, accountability, and long-term partnership value.
This exempt position will report to the Associate Vice President, Business Development in the Executive Services department. It is based in our Chicago office and is a hybrid role: 3 days per week in the office/2 days per week remote.
The anticipated salary range for this position is $155,000 - $185,000 (commensurate with related experience).
Key Responsibilities:Strategic Account Leadership and Enterprise Growth- Own and manage a portfolio of approximately 25-30 of the largest and most strategically important health systems, developing comprehensive account strategies that support long-term growth, retention, and partnership expansion.
- Develop and execute multi-year strategic account plans that identify system priorities, key stakeholders, current ACS participation, whitespace opportunities, competitive considerations, and pathways for expanding ACS solutions across the enterprise.
- Assess health-system clinical priorities, performance data, organizational goals, and market dynamics to recommend participation in ACS surgical quality programs and integrated solutions across the ACS portfolio.
- Identify and advance opportunities to expand ACS relationships from individual facilities or programs to broader system-wide and multi-program partnerships.
- Apply clinical expertise and knowledge of accreditation, verification, registry, and quality resources to guide complex enterprise-level decision-making.
- Establish measurable account objectives and monitor progress related to program expansion, retention, engagement, and overall strategic value.
- Anticipate risks to key relationships and develop strategies to protect and strengthen ACS partnerships with strategically important organizations.
Executive Stakeholder and Relationship Management- Develop and maintain relationships with senior executives, physician leaders, quality executives, and other key decision makers across complex health systems.
- Serve as a trusted advisor by connecting organizational priorities with ACS clinical expertise, data capabilities, quality programs, and improvement resources.
- Navigate complex health-system organizational structures, identifying decision-makers, influencers, champions, and barriers to enterprise adoption.
- Lead executive-level business reviews, strategic planning discussions, presentations, and portfolio conversations with key accounts.
- Represent ACS surgical quality solutions in meetings, presentations, conferences, and other external engagements.
- Build relationships that position ACS as a long-term strategic quality partner rather than solely a provider of individual programs or registries.
International Strategy and Market Development- Support identification, qualification, and development of strategic international opportunities for ACS surgical quality programs and services.
- Assess international health systems and markets for alignment with ACS capabilities, considering clinical infrastructure, regulatory environment, delivery requirements, cultural considerations, and organizational readiness.
- Partner with ACS leadership and internal stakeholders to develop market-entry and engagement strategies for priority international opportunities.
- Cultivate relationships with international health-system executives, clinical leaders, government or healthcare authorities, and other strategic stakeholders, as appropriate.
- Translate international market insights into recommendations regarding portfolio configuration, implementation models, partnership structures, and future offerings.
Portfolio Strategy and Solution Development- Act as a voice of the strategic customer within ACS, translating insights from major health systems and international organizations into actionable recommendations for leadership.
- Actively contributes to strategic discussions with ACS leadership by sharing insights from health-system engagement, clinical trends, competitive activity, and evolving market needs.
- Identify opportunities to bundle, integrate, or reposition ACS programs to address enterprise-level quality priorities.
- Support the development and refinement of surgical quality offerings by providing input on program positioning, integration, scalability, and market relevance.
- Partner with leadership to identify gaps in the existing portfolio and opportunities for new or enhanced solutions based on strategic customer needs.
Enterprise Cross-Functional Leadership- Collaborate with Quality Programs, Registry Operations, Business Operations, Data, Technology, Business Development, Marketing, Finance, and Legal to coordinate enterprise solution development and delivery.
- Serve as the primary internal coordinator for assigned strategic accounts, establishing clear account priorities, responsibilities, and follow-through across ACS teams.
- Translate insights from health-system and international engagement into actionable priorities for internal teams.
- Influence cross-functional teams without direct authority to advance complex strategic opportunities and resolve barriers to customer success.
- Provide subject matter expertise and guidance to internal teams regarding enterprise engagement, solution alignment, and strategic account approaches.
- Lead high-visibility initiatives related to strategic accounts, enterprise partnerships, international expansion, and portfolio integration.
Account Performance and Strategic Insights- Establish and monitor account-level performance measures, including participation, retention, expansion, engagement, pipeline opportunities, and other indicators of partnership health.
- Analyze engagement, performance, and market data to identify opportunities for expansion and inform strategic decision-making.
- Maintain visibility into the strategic opportunity pipeline across assigned accounts and international prospects, ensuring appropriate prioritization and executive awareness.
- Contribute to refinement of engagement and go-to-market strategies based on customer feedback, market intelligence, and performance insights.
- Ensure recommendations and engagement approaches align with clinical standards, accreditation requirements, program expectations, and ACS strategic objectives.
Required Education and/or Experience: - Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is required; master's degree in healthcare administration, business administration, public health, nursing, or related discipline preferred.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in healthcare, clinical quality, strategic account management, healthcare consulting, business development, or a related field, including experience working with large, complex health systems.
- Demonstrated experience developing and managing strategic relationships with senior healthcare executives, physician leaders, and quality leadership.
- Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder business development initiatives across large health systems or enterprise healthcare organizations.
- Demonstrated ability to apply clinical expertise to guide program participation and quality improvement efforts.
- Strong clinical knowledge of surgical care, quality improvement, and healthcare delivery systems.
- Demonstrated ability to translate clinical and organizational needs into enterprise-level strategies and solutions.
- Experience identifying and advancing opportunities for account growth, portfolio expansion, and long-term strategic partnerships.
- Experience developing strategic account plans and using data, market intelligence, and stakeholder insights to prioritize opportunities.
- Experience collaborating across cross-functional teams and influencing outcomes without direct authority.
- Experience with international healthcare organizations, markets, or partnerships strongly preferred.
- Ability to travel both domestically and internationally, potentially 25-35%, based on business needs.
Comprehensive Benefits:We're committed to attracting and retaining top talent via valuable benefits!
- Vacation, personal, and sick hours including 13 paid holidays per year
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Medical-comprehensive coverage through BlueCross BlueShield
- Dental, Vision, and Prescription drug program
- 403(b) Matching Program
- Pension Plan
- Flexible Spending Medical/Dependent Care
- Employee Assistance Program
- Short Term/Long Term Disability
- Life Insurance
- Domestic Partner Coverage
