VP of Enterprise Systems/Deputy CIO

Boston Children’s Hospital has retained Kirby Partners to support its search for a VP of Enterprise Systems/Deputy CIO.

Boston Children’s Hospital is a comprehensive center for pediatric health care and one of the largest pediatric medical centers in the world. The hospital offers a complete range of health care services for children from birth through 21 years of age, and in some cases, fetal interventions and treatments for adults. Boston Children’s Hospital is dedicated to improving and advancing the health and well-being of children around the world through its life-changing work in clinical care, biomedical research, medical education, and community engagement. Their globally renowned team of physicians and nurses cares for patients from over 100 different countries.

Boston Children’s Hospital is ranked the #1 pediatric hospital in the world by Newsweek, among the best in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, and consistently is ranked in the Boston Globe’s top places to work.

Boston Children’s Hospital is the leading recipient of pediatric research funding from the National Institutes of Health. It is the primary pediatric teaching hospital for Harvard Medical School and treats more children with rare diseases and complex conditions than any other hospital.

There are more than 750 affiliated Boston Children’s Hospital physicians across Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and New York.

With occupancy rates operating at near capacity and a steadily growing number of complex patients, Boston Children’s Hospital is undertaking essential expansion and renewal projects to modernize its facilities and enhance their ability to provide high-quality care.

Position Overview

Reporting to the SVP & CIO, Heather Nelson, the VP of Enterprise Systems/Deputy CIO will provide leadership and oversight for all enterprise applications including clinical, administrative/business, revenue cycle, decision support, custom development, virtual & digital health, research, data & analytics, and productivity tools (M365), and will be an integral part of the IT and Boston Children’s Hospital senior leadership team.

The Deputy CIO will oversee a well-established team of four Executive Directors over Enterprise Business Applications, Lab, and Research; Enterprise Applications; IT Digital Solutions; Enterprise Architecture and Core Services and a total team of 172. The Deputy CIO will have a strong service orientation and focus and will strive to mentor and develop a service-oriented team and support their individual and collective growth and development.

The Deputy CIO will ensure that application systems support the vision and strategies of Boston Children’s Hospital including the ongoing optimization of Epic. The Deputy CIO will play a key transformational role in establishing and executing a vision and strategy for the optimized use of IT solutions to enable operational excellence and performance, business intelligence and transactional efficiencies.

Working closely with the SVP & CIO, they will play a key leadership role in the selection of new applications and technical capabilities that support the goals of Boston Children’s Hospital. The Deputy CIO will work to educate and build consensus regarding applications initiatives by frequent, open and easily understood communications throughout the organization and help lead governance across the enterprise.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

1. Develops and contributes to the achievement of established department goals and objectives and adheres to department policies, procedures, quality standards and safety standards. Ensures compliance with hospital/facility policies and procedures and governmental/accreditation regulations.
2. Establishes credibility throughout the organization including the senior management team, directors, managers, physicians, researchers/research administration, and clinicians regarding information systems applications by providing informed leadership and service. This includes having a strong role in the work intake/prioritization process as part of IT Governance.
3. Collaborates with the CIO, CTO, CRIO, CMIO and CISO, sets an IT strategy and road map that supports the overall enterprise vision/direction/strategy and the IT Strategic Plan.
4. Ensures that mechanisms are in place to support budgeting and planning for tactical and strategic lifecycle planning.
5. Champions opportunities to engage operational partners for the most effective use of technology investments, both in design/implementation as well as ongoing use. Embraces Agile methodologies to harness partnerships between IT and operational partners to engage collaboratively and collectively. This includes a tight relationship with the Innovation Team, including the Chief Innovation Officer, to support the innovation strategies of Boston Children’s Hospital.
6. Serves as liaison with strategic industry vendor partners for all implemented systems and applications.
7. Works closely with key physicians and clinicians to positively impact and improve patient care via clinical systems. Examples would include supporting and optimizing the Clinical Communications roadmap with our executive clinical operation leaders within BCH.
8. Works closely with administrative and financial staff to positively impact productivity and financial reporting via administrative and financial application systems.
9. Develops the IT structure and discipline required to effectively manage large scale system implementations.
10. Participates in multidisciplinary quality and service improvement teams as appropriate. Participates in meetings, serves on committees and represents the department and hospital/facility in community outreach efforts as appropriate.

Upcoming Projects

• ERP Replacement Initiative – 2 year project
• Project Unify (Microsoft replatforming)
• Technology enablement for new state of the art Ambulatory Surgical and Clinical Facility (Opening January 2026)
• Continued deployment and optimization of Boston Children’s Clinical Mobility platforms
• Optimization of BCH’s Contact Center technologies and processes

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM-related field is required.
• Master’s degree is preferred.

Work Experience

• A minimum of 15 years of experience in IT, with 7 years in a management capacity in a large, complex healthcare organization or vendor is required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong management and customer service skills, well-developed written and oral communication skills/presentation skills, and the ability to work effectively in a matrix organization.
• Knowledge and ability to work on large-scale complex projects that includes multiple strategic goals and multiple tactical tasks.
• Knowledge of process management and organizational analysis and methodologies with a focus on implementing information system services in a healthcare environment.
• Knowledgeable of network operations, computer operations, production control and quality assurance and systems management disciplines.
• Knowledge and understanding of IT / Informatics including technical components of clinical information systems.
• Knowledge and ability to integrate information systems with specific organizational business needs and plans.
• Knowledge and the ability to align the needs and the goals of the department with information system’s capabilities.
• Ability to research and interpret relevant regulations, guidelines, and standards.
• Ability to apply judgment and make informed decisions.
• Ability to foster effective relationships and build consensus.

Location

Relocation or residency within a commutable distance from Boston, MA is highly preferred. The Deputy CIO will be expected to be on-site a minimum of four days a week.

About Boston, Massachusetts

Vibrant cultural city

Boston is the state capital and a scenic waterfront city, located along the Charles River. The city is rich in history and culture and is known for its art and history museums, prestigious universities, sports venues, and delicious seafood restaurants.

Walkable and bikeable

The city ties Washington, D.C. for the highest number of commuters who bike or walk to work and offers a bike-share program. The renowned Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile walking trail that connects 16 nationally significant historic sites.

Convenient location

Boston offers easy access to several beaches, popular vacation destinations, and is approximately 200 miles away from New York City and 300 miles away from Philadelphia. The airport provides easy access to domestic and international flights.

Procedure for Candidacy

Final candidates should expect two interviews with Kirby Partners recruiters (including a video conference interview). You may be asked to complete our “Executive Profile” and submit references to be considered for presentation to the search committee.