Director, Product Development and Management

Institute for Healthcare Improvement

Scheduled Hours

Full Time

Salary Range

USA $79,414- $142,946

UK- For candidates based in the UK, compensation will be determined using relevant UK market data.

Location

Remote, USA

Or

Remote, UK

About IHI

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is a leading, globally recognized not-for-profit health care improvement organization that has been applying evidence-based quality improvement methods to meet current and future health care challenges for more than 30 years. IHI provides millions of people in health care with methods, tools, and resources to make care better, safer, and more equitable; convenes experts to enable knowledge sharing and peer-learning; and advises health systems and hospitals of all sizes in improving their systems and outcomes at scale. IHI's mission is to innovate and lead transformational improvement in health and health care worldwide.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Vice President, Improvement, Innovation and Product Development, the Director, Product Development and Management leads the establishment and ongoing operation of IHI’s enterprise product function within the Improvement Science (IS) Hub. This is a new position that will lead change management for adoption of IHI’s product development and management system, replacing fragmented practices with transparent and repeatable enterprise-wide ways of working.

For purposes of this role, IHI products and services are the offerings through which IHI translates its knowledge, intellectual property, improvement methods, and expertise into practical solutions for customers and the field – via educational offerings, networks, consultancy and other services. Products are intentionally designed and packaged for consistent, repeatable, and potentially scalable use, while services apply IHI expertise to specific customer needs and contexts. Offerings may combine both product and service elements.

The Director creates the strategy, governance, processes, tools, and cross-functional ways of working that move customer and field needs, innovation outputs, and IHI content through a consistent product lifecycle from concept and prioritization through design, development, testing, launch, maintenance, refinement, and retirement.

The Director serves as IHI’s senior product management leader and a connector across the IS Hub, Marketing and Communications, business development, delivery teams, regions, finance, technology, and subject matter experts. The role combines strategic product leadership with hands-on function building to enable a coherent portfolio of impactful, scalable, market-relevant, revenue-generating and financially sustainable products and services.

Position Responsibilities

Product Function Strategy and Infrastructure

Define and implement IHI’s product development and management strategy, operating model, governance, decision rights, processes, tools, and measures of success – with support from the Vice President (Improvement, Innovation and Product Development) and the accountable executive (Chief Scientific Officer)

Establish and continuously improve a common product lifecycle and stage-gated pathway from concept and prioritization through design, development, testing, launch, maintenance, refinement, and retirement

Create the standard work, templates, role clarity, portfolio cadences, and organizational capability needed for consistent product management across IHI

Advise senior leaders on product priorities, investment choices, resource needs, portfolio risks, and opportunities to strengthen IHI’s market relevance, impact, and sustainability

Product Strategy and Portfolio Management

Lead development and maintenance of an enterprise product portfolio and product catalogue that provide visibility into IHI’s products and services, development pipeline, ownership, performance, and lifecycle status

Partner with leaders to define product vision, value propositions, target audiences, product requirements, roadmaps, and measurable outcomes aligned with IHI strategy and customer needs – connecting IHI’s strategic priorities to the delivery of products, through innovation cycles, market scanning, customer feedback and then a disciplined product development and management process

Lead structured prioritization and portfolio reviews using evidence related to mission impact, customer value, market opportunity, strategic fit, feasibility, scalability, equity, financial performance, and organizational capacity

Recommend when products should be built, adapted, invested in, scaled, maintained, consolidated, or retired

Product Development, Launch, and Lifecycle Management

Guide cross-functional teams through the product lifecycle from concept and prioritization through design, development, testing, launch, maintenance, refinement, and retirement

Connect Innovation and IS Hub content-development work to practical product pathways, ensuring that promising ideas and evidence can become coherent, usable, and scalable offerings

Partner with Marketing and Communications on market insight, positioning, naming, pricing, customer testing, launch planning, and ongoing market feedback; partner with Finance on revenue models and financial analysis

Define and monitor product performance measures, including adoption, customer experience, impact, quality, financial contribution, scalability, and continued strategic relevance

Ensure customer, delivery, and evaluation learning is incorporated into product refinement and lifecycle decisions

Cross-Functional Leadership and Adoption

Lead and align multidisciplinary product teams and working groups, clarifying accountabilities, dependencies, milestones, decisions, and escalation pathways

Build product management capability across IHI through coaching, consultation, practical guidance, templates, and facilitated decision-making

Create durable partnerships across the Improvement Science Hub, business lines, regions, Marketing and Communications, business development, finance, technology, and other enabling functions

Lead change management for adoption of IHI’s product development and management system, replacing fragmented practices with transparent and repeatable enterprise-wide ways of working

Represent the product function in internal governance forums and with selected external customers, partners, vendors, and experts

Team and Operational Leadership

• Lead, develop, and deploy product management capacity as the function grows, including staff, contractors, faculty, and project-based contributors
• Establish clear goals, performance expectations, work plans, and resource plans for the product function and assigned initiatives
• Manage multiple priorities and evolving scopes while maintaining disciplined execution, sound judgment, and appropriate flexibility for testing and learning
• Apply improvement science and agile practices to evaluate and continuously improve the product function’s effectiveness
• Support work across the IS hub as required, and provide supervision and line management within the department
• Apply robust product management skills to the product development and management system

Other

Other duties as assigned

Position Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Product and Portfolio Leadership
• Expert knowledge of product strategy, portfolio management, product development, and lifecycle management across professional services, education, digital, or knowledge-based offerings
• Demonstrated ability to establish or significantly strengthen a product management function, including governance, stage gates, decision rights, standard work, tools, and performance measures
• Ability to translate customer and market insight, organizational strategy, research, and subject matter expertise into clear product choices, roadmaps, requirements, and minimum viable products
• Strong business and financial acumen, including business case development, pricing and revenue models, investment prioritization, scalability, and product performance analysis
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, make portfolio trade-offs, identify risks and dependencies, and recommend clear decisions to senior leaders
• Leadership and Partnership
• Ability to lead complex, cross-functional work and influence outcomes across teams where authority and accountability are distributed
• Exceptional facilitation, communication, stakeholder management, and change leadership skills, with the ability to create clarity and alignment among diverse perspectives
• Ability to build organizational capability, coach others in product practices, and establish a customer-centered and evidence-informed product culture
• Ability to lead and develop staff, contractors, faculty, and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Understanding of improvement science and how evidence, testing, measurement, learning, and equity inform product design and management
• IHI Values and Culture
• Commitment to IHI Values of courage, love, equity, trust and impact
• Commitment to equity, anti-racism, and the improvement of societal systems
• Ability to support a culture of shared accountability, learning, collaboration, and customer focus

Position Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in product management, business, health care, public health, education, technology, or a related field
• 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience in product management, product development, portfolio management, or a closely related discipline, including experience operating at a strategic or enterprise level
• Experience and familiarity with continuous improvement and innovation processes in any industry setting

Experience

• Establishing, embedding, scaling, or materially improving a product development and management function or system within a complex organization
• Leading and managing cross-functional product portfolios or complex products through the entirety of the lifecycle, from concept and prioritization through design, development, testing, launch, performance management, refinement, and retirement
• Developing business cases and using customer, market, impact, operational, and financial information to guide product and portfolio decisions
• Obtaining, analyzing and utilizing data from multiple sources in support of decision-making and product development

Technology

• Enterprise-level tools for product portfolio management
• Advanced analytics tools (such as PowerBi)
• Enterprise CRM systems (such as Salesforce or Hubspot)

Preferred

Advanced degree or relevant product, innovation, or product management certification, and evidence of applying this with rigor to a product management system

Experience

Leading people or building a new team or center of expertise

With health care improvement, professional services, education, digital products, or global product portfolios

Working Conditions

This is a remote position that requires occasional domestic and international travel. The position works with dispersed teams across multiple time zones.

Physical Attributes

• Ability to Sit for Extended Periods: Capability to work at a desk for long durations
• Manual Dexterity: Proficiency in using a computer, including typing, mouse handling, and other office equipment
• Visual Acuity: Ability to read and view a computer screen for extended periods
• Hearing and Speaking: Clear communication over phone and video calls
• Environment Setup: Access to a quiet, professional home office setup conducive to focused work and virtual meetings
• Lifting: Occasionally requires lifting up to 25 lbs as needed

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list or comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, skills, and qualifications required.

At IHI, we are inspired to do our best work and be our best selves by leaning into our values and uniting in our vision to create a future in which everyone has the best care and health possible. We ensure that people feel valued and supported in meaningful ways, as demonstrated in our total rewards package that features competitive compensation, medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability plans, FSA plans, matching 401k contributions, generous time off including vacation time, sick time, and other special programs to support employee wellbeing.

IHI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, sex or gender, marital status, national origin or ancestry, disability, veteran status, military service, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, crime victim status, political belief, and any other protected class under applicable law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation to complete our application, please let us know. Veterans are encouraged to apply.