<p>At Merrimack Health, we are committed to pay transparency and equity. The base salary range is $73.41 (Min) - $110.12 hourly (Max), excluding fringe benefits and potential bonuses.</p> <p>Your final base salary will be determined based on your education, experience, licensure, and internal equity considerations. Offers are typically made below the top of the range to support future salary growth.</p> <p>Merrimack Health is the regional health care provider of the Eastern Merrimack Valley, serving communities across Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. Our integrated system includes hospitals in Lawrence, Haverhill, and Methuen, as well as a network of community-based physician practices. We are a recognized leader in heart and stroke care, maternal and child health, orthopedics, surgical services, trauma and emergency care, and outpatient programs. Committed to delivering trusted, compassionate care close to home, Merrimack Health is advancing a unified and patient-centered approach to health care for the region.</p> <p>The Director of Enterprise Applications provides strategic and operational leadership for the portfolio of clinical, business, and digital applications that support safe, high-quality, and efficient care across the health system. This role is responsible for: aligning the applications roadmap with organizational strategy and clinical priorities; enabling data-driven decision-making and seamless digital experiences for patients, clinicians, and staff; and ensuring applications are secure, reliable, cost-effective, and optimized for end-user experience. The Director collaborates closely with executive, clinical, and operational leaders and leads a multidisciplinary team of analysts, builders, and application specialists.</p> <p>DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:</p> <p>Strategy, Governance, and Road Mapping</p> <ul> <li>Translate organizational strategy into a multi-year applications roadmap covering clinical, revenue cycle, business, and digital health solutions. </li><li>Co-lead application governance structures (e.g., Clinical Informatics governance, Physician Advisory Committee) to prioritize demand and manage the project portfolio. </li><li>Define and track key performance indicators (e.g., uptime, incident trends, adoption, user satisfaction, value realized). </li><li>Collaborate with clinical and operational leaders to ensure application priorities support quality, safety, patient experience, and financial performance. </li></ul> <p>Application Portfolio & Lifecycle Management</p> <ul> <li>Own the enterprise application portfolio, including selection, implementation, optimization, and retirement. </li><li>Establish and enforce standards for configuration, change control, testing, and release management. </li><li>Drive consolidation and rationalization of redundant or low-value systems to reduce complexity, risk, and cost. </li><li>Ensure appropriate documentation, run books, and knowledge transfer for all supported applications. </li></ul> <p>Clinical & Digital Transformation</p> <ul> <li>Partner with clinical and operational leaders to design and optimize workflows within the EHR and other systems (CPOE, documentation, clinical decision support, orders, results, etc.). </li><li>Oversee patient-facing digital tools-such as patient portals, telehealth platforms, and online scheduling-in collaboration with Clinical, Operations, and Marketing. </li><li>Ensure that projects include robust change management, communication, and training plans to support adoption and minimize disruption. </li><li>Promote a culture of continuous optimization, regularly reviewing enhancement requests and user feedback. </li></ul> <p>Data, Integration, and Analytics</p> <ul> <li>Partner with data/analytics teams to ensure applications support the organization's data strategy and reporting needs. </li><li>Partner with the Director of Technology to plan and assist with the implementation of system integration approaches (interfaces, APIs, and other data exchange mechanisms) that support safe, timely, and accurate flow of information between systems and devices. </li><li>Embed data quality, data definitions, and appropriate data stewardship into application design and workflows. </li><li>Support access to reliable data for quality, regulatory reporting, operational improvement, and strategic decision-making. </li></ul> <p>Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Compliance</p> <ul> <li>Collaborate with Information Security and Privacy leaders to embed security-by-design practices across the application lifecycle. </li><li>Ensure applications comply with regulatory and accreditation requirements (e.g., HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, Massachusetts privacy and data security laws (including 201 CMR 17.00 and related statutes), CMS/Joint Commission requirements). </li><li>Participate in risk assessments, vendor risk reviews, and incident response activities involving applications. </li><li>Promote secure use of applications through appropriate access controls, auditing, and user education. </li></ul> <p>Vendor and Contract Management</p> <ul> <li>Serve as the operational sponsor for major application vendors, especially MEDITECH and core clinical and business systems. </li><li>Oversee product roadmaps, upgrades, service levels, and issue escalation with vendors; hold them accountable to contractual commitments and performance expectations. </li><li>Lead or support formal evaluation processes (RFI/RFP) for new or replacement solutions, ensuring alignment with architecture, security, and organizational standards. </li><li>Partner with Supply Chain, Finance, and Legal on contract negotiations, renewals, and licensing optimization. </li></ul> <p>Team Leadership and Culture</p> <ul> <li>Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing applications team, including managers, product owners, and analysts. </li><li>Foster a culture of collaboration, customer service, accountability, and psychological safety. </li><li>Provide clear role definitions, expectations, and performance goals; support professional development and succession planning. </li><li>Encourage cross-training and knowledge sharing to build resiliency and depth within the team. </li></ul> <p>Financial Stewardship</p> <ul> <li>Develop, manage, and monitor operating and capital budgets related to applications and associated services. </li><li>Identify opportunities for cost optimization (e.g., license right-sizing, vendor consolidation, application retirement, improved support models). </li><li>Provide transparent financial reporting and forecasting to the CIO and other leaders, including anticipated investments and savings opportunities. </li><li>Support business cases for strategic initiatives by defining expected benefits and tracking value realization. </li></ul> <p>Continuous Improvement and Innovation</p> <ul> <li>Establish ongoing optimization cycles for major applications (e.g., quarterly review of enhancements, adoption, and pain points). </li><li>Monitor industry trends and regulatory changes affecting clinical and business applications, digital health, and user experience. </li><li>Sponsor pilots and proofs of concept with clear objectives, success criteria, and plans for scaling or sunsetting. </li><li>Promote feedback loops with end-users and leaders to inform future investments and improvements. </li></ul> <p>EDUCATION AND RELATED EXPERIENCE:</p> <p>Required:</p> <ul> <li>Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Healthcare Administration, or a related field required. </li><li>7-10+ years of progressive experience in healthcare IT or digital health, including significant responsibility for clinical and/or enterprise applications. </li><li>At least 5 years of direct leadership experience managing application, informatics, or product teams, preferably in a multi-site or health-system environment. </li><li>Hands-on experience with a major EHR (e.g., MEDITECH, Epic, Cerner) and key clinical systems (lab, imaging, pharmacy, cardiology, ED, perioperative, etc.). </li><li>Demonstrated success in implementing and optimizing applications to improve quality, safety, efficiency, and user experience. </li><li>Experience with application portfolio management, vendor management, and complex project delivery. </li><li>Strong project and/or product management skills, with familiarity with both traditional and agile/hybrid delivery methods. </li><li>Solid understanding of healthcare operations, clinical workflows, and the regulatory environment. </li><li>Working knowledge of cybersecurity principles, data governance concepts, and best practices for application security and privacy. </li><li>Excellent communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage effectively with clinicians, executives, and front-line staff. </li><li>Demonstrated ability to lead through change, manage competing priorities, and drive results in a complex, fast-moving environment. </li></ul> <p>Preferred:</p> <ul> <li>Master's degree in a related field (e.g., MBA, MHA, MS in Health Informatics or Information Systems) preferred. </li></ul>