Position Summary
Provides strategic leadership for the design, execution, and evaluation of workforce development initiatives that ensure a sustainable, skilled, and future-ready healthcare workforce. This role leads system-wide efforts related to talent pipelines, clinical and non-clinical career pathways, workforce readiness, internal mobility, and partnerships with academic, community, and industry organizations.
Operating at the intersection of talent strategy, education, operations, and workforce analytics, the Director translates workforce demand signals into actionable development strategies that support clinical capacity, access, quality, and long-term organizational growth.
This role partners closely with HR, clinical leadership, academic affiliates, finance, and operations to align workforce development investments with current and future workforce needs.
Key Responsibilities
Workforce Strategy & Planning
- Design and execute a system-wide workforce development strategy aligned with organizational growth, service line expansion, and clinical workforce priorities.
- Partner with internal stakeholders to anticipate future skill, role, and capacity needs and translate them into pipeline and development strategies.
- Align workforce development initiatives with organizational priorities such as access, quality, patient experience, and equity.
Talent Pipelines & Workforce Readiness
- Lead development and oversight of external and internal clinical and non-clinical talent pipelines.
- Build and manage programs such as internships, apprenticeships, residencies, externships, fellowships, and earn-and-learn models.
- Partner with Talent Acquisition to align pipeline programs with hiring demand, time-to-fill, and time-to-productivity outcomes.
Career Pathways & Internal Mobility
- Develop and maintain career pathways and progression frameworks that support retention, engagement, and upward mobility.
- Partner with internal and external learning partners to align training, certifications, and skill development to defined career pathways.
- Support internal mobility strategies that reduce first-year turnover and improve workforce stability.
Academic & Community Partnerships
- Establish and steward partnerships with colleges, universities, technical schools, high schools, workforce boards, and community organizations.
- Negotiate and manage affiliation agreements, clinical placement capacity, and pipeline partnerships.
- Represent the organization in regional and state workforce initiatives and coalitions.
Program Governance & Operations
- Provide governance, oversight, and continuous improvement for workforce development programs.
- Ensure programs are scalable, compliant, and aligned with organizational policies and regulatory requirements.
- Manage budgets, scholarships, grants, and external funding sources where applicable.
Workforce Analytics & Outcomes
- Monitor and report on key workforce development metrics.
- Use data and insights to continuously refine programs and inform executive decision-making.
- Prepare executive-level reports and presentations on workforce development outcomes and trends.
Leadership & Collaboration
- Lead and develop workforce development staff and program leaders.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to executive, clinical, and operational leaders on workforce development strategy.
- Partner closely with HR Business Partner function and HR COEs
Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Master’s degree required
- 8+ years of progressive experience in workforce development, talent strategy, or talent management, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
- Proven experience in workforce development in a large, complex healthcare system (multi-site, 10,000+ employees preferred).
Knowledge & Skills
- Deep understanding of healthcare workforce dynamics, including clinical roles, licensure, and workforce shortages.
- Experience designing and leading pipeline and workforce development programs at scale, with demonstrated success improving workforce outcomes such as retention, vacancy rates, or time-to-fill.
- Strong strategic planning, program management, and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Data-driven mindset with the ability to translate analytics into actionable workforce strategies.
- Executive presence with the ability to influence across clinical, academic, and operational leaders.
- Experience working with academic affiliations and clinical education programs.
- Familiarity with grants, public funding, or workforce incentive programs.