Dir Facilities Activation Ops Effectiveness-28695

Rush University Medical Center; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 119,000 - 179,000; Full time

Job summary

Rush University Medical Center in Chicago seeks a Director of Facilities Activation & Operational Effectiveness to ensure facilities are operationally ready and aligned with clinical and patient experience goals.

The role leads planning, activation, and performance of clinical and administrative spaces across the system, translating investments into high-performing environments through structured planning, readiness, and post-occupancy evaluation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Architecture, Planning, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare planning, operations, or facility-related functions.
• Experience leading facilities activation, operational / clinical transformation, or space planning initiatives in healthcare environments.
• Strong understanding of clinical workflows, ambulatory operations, and facility utilization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives involving clinical, operational, and facilities stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including experience using data to inform decisions.
• Proven leadership and team development experience.
• Experience implementing enterprise standards, processes, or performance frameworks across multiple sites or departments.

Responsibilities

• Owns enterprise space management and utilization strategy across clinical, educational, and administrative environments.
• Establishes and maintains space standards, workplace strategies, and planning guidelines.
• Oversees space allocation, programming coordination, and long-range space utilization planning.
• Partners with Strategy and Real Estate to align space planning with system growth priorities.
• Establishes governance for space allocation decisions and prioritization across the system.
• Owns activation planning and execution framework for capital projects, ensuring consistent operational readiness at go-live.
• Oversees move planning, transition coordination, and departmental readiness activities.
• Partners with clinical and operational leaders to align workflows, staffing models, and operational processes with facility design.
• Ensures consistency and discipline in activation processes across all projects.
• Establishes post-occupancy evaluation processes to assess facility performance.
• Leads tracking and analysis of space utilization, patient experience, and operational effectiveness metrics.
• Identifies opportunities to improve workflows, space performance, and facility outcomes.
• Leads continuous improvement initiatives tied to facility design and operational performance.
• Defines and monitors KPIs related to space utilization, operational efficiency, and user experience.
• Oversees interior standards, furniture planning, and finish selections across the system.
• Leads wayfinding strategy and implementation to improve patient and visitor experience.
• Ensures consistency in design standards that support brand, function, and user experience.
• Aligns interior, furniture, and wayfinding standards with operational workflows and patient experience objectives.
• Leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for planning, activation, interiors, and space management.
• Leads functions that span multiple campuses and care settings, ensuring consistency in activation, planning, and performance practices across the system.
• Develops team capabilities in planning, activation, and performance analytics.
• Establishes clear roles, expectations, and accountability across functional areas.
• Partners with the Executive Director of PDC to ensure alignment between project delivery and operational readiness.
• Serves as the primary liaison between facilities, clinical operations, and administrative leaders for space and activation-related initiatives.
• Influences enterprise decision-making related to facility use, operational models, and capital planning priorities.
• Facilitates decision-making across stakeholders with competing priorities.
• Supports enterprise initiatives related to workplace strategy, clinical growth, and patient experience.

Skills

Analytical skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decisions

Strategic planning

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Architecture, Planning, or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Hospital: Rush University Medical Center

Department: Patient Access-Pre-Visit

Work Type: Full Time (Total FTE between 0.9 and 1.0)

Work Schedule: 8 Hr (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)

Rush offers exceptional rewards and benefits learn more at our Rush benefits page (https://www.rush.edu/rush-careers/employee-benefits).

Pay Range: $57.36 - $85.47 per hour

Rush salaries are determined by many factors including, but not limited to, education, job-related experience and skills, as well as internal equity and industry specific market data. The pay range for each role reflects Rush’s anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position. Offers may vary depending on the circumstances of each case. This role has a corresponding incentive plan based on multiple factors. incentive compensation and additional benefits can be found on our Rush benefits page (https://www.rush.edu/rush-careers/employee-benefits)

Summary

The Director of Facilities Activation & Operational Effectiveness leads enterprise functions that ensure Rush facilities are operationally ready, efficiently utilized, and aligned with clinical, operational, and patient experience goals.

This role is responsible for planning, activation, and performance of clinical and administrative spaces across the Rush system. The Director translates strategic facility investments into functional, high-performing environments through structured planning, operational readiness, and post-occupancy evaluation.

The Director partners closely with Planning, Design & Construction (PDC), Clinical Operations, Facilities Management, Support Services, D&IS, and Strategy to ensure facilities perform as intended from day one and improve over time. The role serves as the system leader for space management, utilization analytics, space and workplace standards, FF&E standards, interiors, and activation execution.

This role has system-wide accountability for facility readiness and performance following capital investment. It establishes enterprise standards, governance, and processes for planning, activation, and space performance, ensuring consistent outcomes across all capital projects and existing facilities.

Other Information

Required Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Architecture, Planning, or related field
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare planning, operations, or facility-related functions
• Experience leading facilities activation, operational / clinical transformation, or space planning initiatives in healthcare environments
• Strong understanding of clinical workflows, ambulatory operations, and facility utilization
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives involving clinical, operational, and facilities stakeholders
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including experience using data to inform decisions
• Proven leadership and team development experience
• Experience implementing enterprise standards, processes, or performance frameworks across multiple sites or departments

Preferred Job Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, or related field
• Experience in academic medical centers or large healthcare systems
• Experience developing workplace strategies, space standards, or utilization frameworks
• Familiarity with post-occupancy evaluation and performance measurement tools

Physical Demands

• TBD

Disclaimer

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements.

Responsibilities

Planning & Space Strategy

Owns enterprise space management and utilization strategy across clinical, educational, and administrative environments.

Establishes and maintains space standards, workplace strategies, and planning guidelines.

Oversees space allocation, programming coordination, and long-range space utilization planning.

Partners with Strategy and Real Estate to align space planning with system growth priorities.

Establishes governance for space allocation decisions and prioritization across the system

Activation & Operational Readiness

Owns activation planning and execution framework for capital projects, ensuring consistent operational readiness at go-live.

Oversees move planning, transition coordination, and departmental readiness activities.

Partners with clinical and operational leaders to align workflows, staffing models, and operational processes with facility design.

Ensures consistency and discipline in activation processes across all projects.

Performance & Continuous Improvement

Establishes post-occupancy evaluation processes to assess facility performance.

Leads tracking and analysis of space utilization, patient experience, and operational effectiveness metrics.

Identifies opportunities to improve workflows, space performance, and facility outcomes.

Leads continuous improvement initiatives tied to facility design and operational performance.

Defines and monitors key performance indicators related to space utilization, operational efficiency, and user experience.

Interiors, Wayfinding & Patient Experience

Oversees interior standards, furniture planning, and finish selections across the system.

Leads wayfinding strategy and implementation to improve patient and visitor experience.

Ensures consistency in design standards that support brand, function, and user experience.

Aligns interior, furniture, and wayfinding standards with operational workflows and patient experience objectives.

Organizational Leadership

Leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for planning, activation, interiors, and space management.

Leads functions that span multiple campuses and care settings, ensuring consistency in activation, planning, and performance practices across the system.

Develops team capabilities in planning, activation, and performance analytics.

Establishes clear roles, expectations, and accountability across functional areas.

Partners with the Executive Director of PDC to ensure alignment between project delivery and operational readiness.

Cross-Functional Leadership

Serves as the primary liaison between facilities, clinical operations, and administrative leaders for space and activation-related initiatives.

Influences enterprise decision-making related to facility use, operational models, and capital planning priorities.

Facilitates decision-making across stakeholders with competing priorities.

Supports enterprise initiatives related to workplace strategy, clinical growth, and patient experience.

Rush is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.