Executive Director, Transformation Operations

JOB SUMMARY

The Executive Director, Transformation Operations is responsible for leading the execution and operationalization of strategic transformation initiatives across Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, patient journey transformation goals, and sustainable growth strategies.

The role provides strategic and operational leadership across Facilitated Access, Premier Services, and International Services, driving improvements in patient access, service excellence, operational efficiency, and organizational performance. The Executive Director oversees the development and optimization of programs supporting Protocol, VIP, and International patients while advancing business development opportunities and strategic partnerships that contribute to organizational growth.

Working closely with clinical and administrative leadership, the Executive Director leads the design and implementation of innovative care models, service pathways, and transformation initiatives that enhance patient experience, strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration, and deliver measurable outcomes across the organization.

•Primary Scope of Responsibility:

o Premier and International Service Center (PIC)

o Executive Health and Concierge Medicine

o Corporate Health Services

o International Patient Support Services

o Offsite Services

o VIP, Royal, Signature Services and Dignitary Health

PRIMARY JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Transformation Strategy Execution

• Translate enterprise transformation priorities into operational plans, measurable outcomes, and sustainable improvements across Facilitated Access, Premier Services, and International Services.
• Lead the implementation of patient journey transformation initiatives to enhance patient access, care coordination, service excellence, and operational performance.
• Align transformation programs with organizational growth objectives, business development priorities, and patient-centered care strategies.

2. Operational Leadership and Service Integration

• Provide strategic and operational oversight for Premier Services, VIP and Royal Protocol Services, Executive Health, Concierge Medicine, Corporate Health, International Patient Services, and Offsite Services.
• Ensure seamless integration of care delivery models, patient access pathways, and concierge services across inpatient, ambulatory, and offsite settings.
• Drive standardization of operational processes, service delivery models, and service excellence frameworks to improve efficiency and patient outcomes.

3. Growth, Business Development, and Strategic Partnerships

• Lead the development and implementation of strategies to grow facilitated access programs, including Protocol, VIP, Royal, and International patient services.
• Partner with Strategic Alliances, Physician Business Development, Institute and Department leadership, Marketing and Communications, and Finance to identify opportunities for patient volume growth and service expansion.
• Establish and strengthen strategic partnerships and referral relationships locally, regionally, and internationally to support organizational growth and market positioning.
• Identify and implement new programs, products, and services that enhance CCAD's facilitated access portfolio and competitive differentiation.

4. Patient Experience and Service Excellence

• Champion high-touch, concierge-level service models that support exceptional patient experiences and align with organizational values.
• Enhance patient access, patient flow, care coordination, and support services for Royal, VIP, Protocol, and International patients and their families.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders across Clinical Operations, Patient Experience, Patient Access, Pricing, and Patient Support Services to continuously improve patient satisfaction and service quality.
• Ensure service excellence principles are embedded across all patient-facing programs and services.

5. Financial Clearance, Pricing, and Sponsorship Acceptances

• Own end-to-end financial clearance for Royal, Protocol, VIP, International, and self-pay populations — including eligibility verification, pre-authorization, deposit and guarantee-of-payment management, and coordination with Revenue Cycle on clearance cycle time, denials, and collections.
• Approve treatment package pricing, quotations, and case-by-case pricing exceptions within defined authority thresholds; escalate pricing decisions above threshold or those carrying material margin, reputational, or precedent risk to CFO and CTO.
• Hold decision authority to accept, defer, or decline sponsorship undertakings and guarantee-of-payment letters from embassies, government bodies, and corporate sponsors, balancing access commitments against financial and credit risk, and refer contested or high-exposure cases to Finance leadership

6. External Stakeholder and Regulatory Ownership

• Serve as the senior relationship owner for external partners critical to facilitated access — including the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH), payers (Daman, Thiqa, and national and private insurers), government and military sponsorship bodies, embassies, and international referral sources.
• Ensure full regulatory compliance across licensing, insurance eligibility, and sponsored-patient requirements, acting as the accountable point for DOH and payer audits, inquiries, and reporting within the facilitated access remit.
• Negotiate and steward referral agreements, sponsorship arrangements, and partnership terms, with authority to commit the organization within delegated limits and to escalate agreements carrying enterprise-level commercial, legal, or regulatory implications

7. Multidisciplinary Collaboration and Governances

• Lead cross-functional collaboration across physicians, nursing, operational, and administrative teams to ensure seamless care delivery and patient experiences.

• Strengthen governance, accountability, and stakeholder engagement across transformation initiatives and operational programs.

• Foster effective coordination across care pathways and patient touchpoints to support integrated service delivery.

• 8. Performance, Quality, and Continuous Improvements

• Drive operational excellence through data-driven decision making, benchmarking, performance management, and continuous improvement methodologies.

• Monitor and evaluate key performance indicators related to patient access, patient experience, growth, quality, productivity, operational efficiency, and financial performance.

• Utilize objective performance measures, patient feedback, operational metrics, and quality indicators to identify opportunities and implement improvement initiatives.

• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, quality standards, and regulatory requirements while maintaining a safe environment for patients and caregivers.

9. Confidentiality, Information Security, and Risk (Royal, Protocol, and VIP)

• Establish and enforce a heightened confidentiality and need-to-know regime for Royal, Protocol, and VIP patients, including restricted-access medical records, controlled information flows, and discretion protocols for all caregivers and staff in contact with these populations.
• Own the identification and mitigation of reputational, privacy, and security risks specific to high-sensitivity patients, ensuring alignment with data privacy regulation, organizational information-security policy, and applicable security and protocol requirements.
• Hold authority to define access restrictions and escalation pathways for sensitive cases, and serve as the accountable lead for managing confidentiality breaches or security incidents involving these populations.

10. Technology and Analytics Ownership

• Own the technology and analytics stack enabling facilitated access — including the CRM and contact-center platform, scheduling and access systems, demand-forecasting tools, and the access performance dashboard suite — and define functional requirements, enhancements, and prioritization in partnership with IT and Digital.
• Ensure effective integration between access platforms and the electronic medical record (Epic), safeguarding data integrity, continuity of the patient journey, and a single view of the patient across touchpoints.
• Drive data-driven decision-making through robust performance analytics, demand forecasting, and reporting, with accountability for the accuracy, availability, and executive-level usability of facilitated access performance data

7. Financial and Resource Management

• Participate in the development and management of departmental operating budgets and monitor financial performance against established targets.
• Optimize resource utilization and operational efficiency to support strategic and financial objectives.

8. Leadership and Culture

• Build, lead, and develop high-performing teams across diverse service and operational functions.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, flexibility, and service excellence.
• Support leadership development, employee engagement, and continuous professional growth across the organization.
• Represent Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in community, professional, and organizational initiatives that support strategic objectives.

9.Other Responsibilities Perform other duties as assigned.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Health Care Administration, or related field, is required
• Master’s degree in Business Administration or Health Care

Experience

• Minimum of fifteen (15) years’ experience in hospital operations is required
• Minimum of ten (10) years progressive managerial experience is required
• Demonstrated experience in large-scale program implementation and operational leadership
• Strong background in multidisciplinary healthcare environments and complex health systems