VP, Innovation and AI

At Memorial Hermann, we pursue a common goal of delivering high quality, efficient care while creating exceptional experiences for every member of our community. When we say every member of our community, that includes our employees. We know that when our employees feel cared for, heard and valued, they are inspired to create moments that exceed expectations, while prioritizing safety, compassion, personalization and efficiency. If you want to advance your career and contribute to our vision of creating healthier communities, now and for generations to come, we want you to be a part of our team.

Job Summary

The Vice President of Innovation and AI is a dual-mandate executive role responsible for building and leading the organization's innovation capability while simultaneously establishing and governing its enterprise approach to artificial intelligence. This leader will build a high-performing team of technologists and human-centered designers who identify market opportunities, rapidly test new solutions, and determine what is ready to scale — while also standing up the governance, strategy, and responsible-use framework that ensures AI is deployed safely, ethically, and effectively across the organization.
This is a highly visible role requiring a leader who is equally comfortable driving fast, disciplined experimentation and building durable enterprise governance structures — someone who can move between “test and learn” and “policy and oversight” without losing rigor in either.
## Job Description

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:  Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree (MBA, MHA, MS in relevant technical/design field) preferred.

Licenses/Certifications:  (None)

Experience / Knowledge / Skills:

- Minimum ten (10) years of progressive leadership experience, including experience in healthcare, health tech, or a related regulated industry required.

- Demonstrated experience building and leading innovation functions, including experience with human-centered design, design thinking, or lean/agile innovation methodologies required.

- Direct experience developing AI strategy and/or AI governance frameworks, ideally within a regulated or clinical environment required.

- Strong understanding of responsible AI principles: bias/fairness, transparency, explainability, data privacy, and safety required.

- Experience leading technical and design teams, including technologists, engineers, and designers required.

- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate technical/AI concepts for non-technical clinical and business audiences required.

- Experience in healthcare payer, provider, or health system environments preferred.

- Familiarity with healthcare-specific AI regulatory considerations (FDA SaMD, state AI healthcare laws, CMS guidance) preferred.

- Experience establishing an AI governance committee or center of excellence from the ground up preferred.

- Track record of scaling proof-of-concept solutions into enterprise production preferred.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Innovation Leadership

- Build and lead a lean, versatile team of technologists and human-centered design practitioners — individuals who can flex across multiple roles rather than a large, siloed organization — focused on solving complex healthcare problems with forward-thinking, innovative solutions.
- Champion human-centered design as the team's starting point: leading with a deep understanding of the problem and the people affected by it before moving to a technology solution, rather than jumping straight to a tech-first answer.
- Scan the external marketplace (startups, emerging technology, competitor moves, adjacent industries) to identify white-space opportunities relevant to the organization's strategic priorities.
- Design and implement a lightweight, repeatable innovation process (e.g., discovery sprints, design thinking, rapid proof-of-concept methodology) that prioritizes speed-to-learning over long, resource-intensive pilots.
- Establish clear criteria and metrics for evaluating proof-of-concept outcomes — defining what “success” looks like and building a disciplined go/no-go/scale decision framework.
- Drive a culture of fast, disciplined experimentation and evidence-based decision-making; ensure experiments that don't pan out still generate usable learning rather than being treated as failures.
- Partner with the Innovation Hub — comprised of business unit and clinical leaders — to determine which validated solutions should be scaled, operationalized, and transitioned into business-as-usual delivery.
- Build and manage a portfolio view of innovation initiatives, ensuring resources are focused on the highest-value opportunities.

Artificial Intelligence Strategy & Governance

- Develop and lead the organization's enterprise AI strategy, aligning AI investments and initiatives with broader organizational and clinical priorities.
- Design, implement, and oversee an AI governance process — including intake, risk assessment, model validation, monitoring, and retirement of AI/ML solutions across the organization.
- Build a Responsible AI program establishing standards, policies, and practices for the ethical, safe, and equitable use of AI, with particular attention to healthcare-specific risks (clinical safety, bias/health equity, patient privacy, regulatory compliance, transparency/explainability).
- Partner with Legal, Compliance, Information Security, Clinical leadership, and IT/Data teams to ensure AI initiatives meet regulatory (e.g., HIPAA, FDA, state AI regulations) and organizational risk requirements.
- Stay current on the evolving regulatory and technology landscape for AI in healthcare and proactively adjust governance and strategy accordingly.
- Partner with HR to educate and build AI literacy across the organization, from front-line staff to senior leadership and the Board.

Leadership & Organizational Impact

- Build, lead, and develop a team combining technical, design, and governance/policy talent.
- Represent the organization in select external forums (e.g., industry groups, conferences) as a voice on healthcare innovation and responsible AI.
- Manage budget and resource allocation for the innovation and AI portfolios
- Ensures safe care to patients, staff and visitors; adheres to all Memorial Hermann policies, procedures, and standards within budgetary specifications including time management, supply management, productivity and quality of service.
- Promotes individual professional growth and development by meeting requirements for mandatory/continuing education and skills competency; supports department-based goals which contribute to the success of the organization; serves as preceptor, mentor and resource to less experienced staff.
- Demonstrates commitment to caring for every member of our community by creating compassionate and personalized experiences. Models Memorial Hermann’s service standards of providing safe, caring, personalized and efficient experiences to patients and our workforce.
- Other duties as assigned.