Innovation Project Manager

Overview

The Innovation Project Manager guides VHA innovation initiatives from discovery through enterprise adoption, helping teams identify, mature, and scale solutions that improve healthcare delivery, operational performance, and Veteran outcomes. In doing so, the role advances the VHA Innovation Ecosystem's mission to spread healthcare innovation, restore hope, and build trust within the Veteran community.

The Innovation Project Manager collaborates with VHA program offices, healthcare facilities, innovation programs, and external partners to move initiatives from discovery and piloting through implementation and enterprise adoption. The role supports employee-driven innovation, the diffusion of promising practices, and strategic partnerships that accelerate healthcare innovation across VHA.

This position is a hybrid role with work performed both remotely and in support of VHA Central Office (VACO) operations in Washington, DC.This role requires an agile approach to managing multiple concurrent initiatives aligned with evolving healthcare priorities, emerging technologies, operational challenges, and Veteran-centered solutions. Much of the work is fast-moving, highly collaborative, and focused on delivering measurable impact for Veterans and caregivers across the nation's largest integrated healthcare system.

Responsibilities:

- Serve as a trusted advisor to innovation leaders, program stakeholders, and healthcare teams supporting innovation initiatives across VHA
- Plan, manage, and execute innovation projects from concept development through pilot execution, evaluation, and scaling
- Lead and contribute to multiple concurrent innovation initiatives, rapidly establishing project structure, governance, timelines, and success measures
- Coordinate across VHA program offices, medical centers, clinicians, operational leaders, researchers, and external partners to align priorities and accelerate outcomes
- Apply project management, change management, design thinking, and human-centered design principles to develop Veteran-centric solutions
- Develop and maintain dashboards, reporting tools, and program trackers that give leadership clear visibility into project health, schedules, risks, resources, performance, and key metrics. Use tools such as Power BI, Smartsheet, Excel, Salesforce, or other reporting and visualization platforms to organize, analyze, and communicate program information.

- Translate innovation goals into project plans, implementation roadmaps, communication strategies, and performance measurement frameworks that clarify ownership, sequencing, adoption activities, and expected results.
- Work with stakeholders to identify meaningful KPIs and reporting requirements and determine how best to visualize and communicate performance.
- Support recurring reporting cadences and maintain accurate, audit-ready documentation.
- Support the identification, testing, replication, and scaling of innovative healthcare practices and technologies
- Develop project plans, implementation roadmaps, communication strategies, and performance measurement frameworks
- Facilitate innovation workshops, stakeholder engagements, and collaborative working sessions
- Track project risks, dependencies, resource requirements, and implementation barriers
- Analyze quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate innovation effectiveness and inform decision-making
- Produce executive-ready briefings, presentations, reports, and recommendations for senior leadership
- Support innovation portfolio management activities, including project prioritization, performance tracking, and strategic planning
- Adapt quickly as priorities evolve while maintaining focus on measurable mission outcomes

Required Qualifications:

- Minimum 6 years of experience in project management, innovation management, healthcare transformation, management consulting, or federal health programs
- Bachelor's degree required
- Advanced proficiency in Power Bi, Smartsheet, Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Teams, with demonstrated experience organizing, analyzing, and presenting program information.
- Demonstrated project management experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives
- Strong facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration skills
- Experience developing executive briefings, strategic communications, and implementation plans
- Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment
- Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving capabilities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Experience gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing information into actionable recommendations
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Customer-focused mindset and commitment to service excellence
- Ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholder groups
Desired Skills and Qualifications:
- Experience supporting Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, or federal healthcare initiatives
- Master's degree preferred in Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field
- PMP, Agile, Prosci, Lean, Human-Centered Design, or related certifications
- Experience supporting innovation programs, incubators, accelerators, or transformation initiatives
- Knowledge of healthcare innovation methodologies and innovation lifecycle management
- Experience applying human-centered design, design thinking, or customer experience methods to improve healthcare services, operational processes, or technology adoption.
- Familiarity with change management and adoption strategies
- Experience evaluating pilots, proof-of-concepts, or emerging technologies
- Knowledge of healthcare operations, clinical workflows, and healthcare delivery systems
- Experience supporting enterprise-scale implementation and diffusion efforts
- Ability to engage effectively with executive leadership and senior government officials
- Experience working within highly matrixed organizations

All candidates must be able to:

- Sit, stand, walk, lift, squat, bend, twist, and reach above shoulders during the work shift

- Lift up to 50 lbs from floor to waist

- Lift up to 20 lbs

- Carry up to 40 lbs a reasonable distance

- Push/pull with 30 lbs of force

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.