Director, Health System Optimization

Abbott; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 149,000 - 299,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

HIP PPO medical plan

High employer retirement contribution

Tuition reimbursement

FreeU education benefit

Job summary

Abbott in the United States is seeking an experienced and highly strategic Director of Healthcare System Optimization and Strategy to lead a team of clinical and scientific professionals dedicated to helping healthcare systems optimize infectious disease diagnostic testing and patient care pathways.

This role will partner with health systems, hospitals, and IDNs to assess workflows and recommend innovative, value-driven solutions that improve patient outcomes and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Advanced clinical degree required: MD, DO, PharmD or PhD.
• Min 10 years in hospital or health system environments.
• Min 3 years of leadership/management in healthcare.
• Experience with hospital purchasing, value analysis, procurement.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing Clinical Solutions team.
• Assess clinical workflows and identify optimization opportunities.
• Develop evidence-based recommendations and business cases.
• Collaborate with Medical Affairs, Commercial, Market Access, Marketing, and Customer Success.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic thinking

Presentation skills

Infectious disease knowledge

Education

MD / DO / PharmD / PhD

Job description

WORKING AT ABBOTT:

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life.

You’ll also have access to:

Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.

Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.

An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution.

Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.

A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.

A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

We are seeking an experienced and highly strategic Director of Healthcare System Optimization and Strategy to lead a team of clinical and scientific professionals dedicated to helping healthcare systems optimize infectious disease diagnostic testing and patient care pathways. This role will serve as a key partner to health systems, hospitals, and integrated delivery networks by assessing current workflows, identifying operational and clinical challenges, and recommending innovative point-of-care diagnostic solutions that improve patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and healthcare value. The Clinical Solutions Team Lead will combine deep healthcare system expertise, leadership experience, and scientific knowledge to guide customer engagements and support the adoption and implementation of Abbott's infectious disease diagnostic solutions.

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON:

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of Clinical Solutions Managers and Scientific Liaisons.
• Establish team goals, performance expectations, and professional development plans.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, customer focus, innovation, and accountability.
• Provide strategic direction for complex customer engagements and solution implementation projects.

Customer & Healthcare System Engagement

• Partner with hospitals, health systems, integrated delivery networks (IDNs), and key stakeholders to assess clinical and operational workflows.
• Identify workflow inefficiencies, unmet clinical needs, diagnostic gaps, and operational challenges.
• Conduct comprehensive assessments of current-state processes and develop evidence-based recommendations.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to clinical, operational, executive, and procurement leaders.

Clinical Solutions Development

• Design and recommend workflow optimization strategies utilizing point-of-care and infectious disease diagnostic testing solutions.
• Develop business cases demonstrating clinical, operational, and economic value.
• Support implementation of diagnostic solutions and monitor outcomes related to efficiency, quality, and patient care.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners including Medical Affairs, Commercial, Market Access, Marketing, and Customer Success.

Strategic & Scientific Leadership

• Provide scientific and clinical expertise related to infectious disease diagnostics, testing pathways, and healthcare delivery.
• Deliver presentations and communicate complex scientific information to diverse audiences.
• Stay current with industry trends, clinical guidelines, reimbursement changes, and healthcare system priorities.
• Support generation and dissemination of real-world evidence and customer success stories.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced clinical degree required: MD (Doctor of Medicine), OR PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy), OR PhD in a relevant life science or healthcare-related discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience within hospital or health system environments.
• Minimum of 3 years of leadership or managerial experience within a healthcare system, hospital, or related healthcare organization.
• Demonstrated experience with healthcare operations, care delivery models, and workflow optimization.
• Experience participating in hospital purchasing, value analysis, procurement, and technology adoption decisions.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in the medical device, diagnostics, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or healthcare industry.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL), Scientific Affairs professional, Clinical Affairs professional, or equivalent field-based scientific role.
• Strong understanding of infectious disease management and diagnostic testing pathways.
• Excellent leadership, communication, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to travel up to 50%.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience working with point-of-care diagnostics, infectious disease diagnostics, microbiology, molecular diagnostics, or related healthcare technologies.
• Experience conducting healthcare system assessments, operational consulting, or clinical transformation initiatives.
• Knowledge of healthcare economics, value-based care, reimbursement, and quality improvement methodologies.
• Experience engaging C-suite executives, laboratory leadership, infectious disease physicians, pharmacy leadership, and procurement stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success leading geographically dispersed teams.

The base pay for this position is $149,300.00 - $298,700.00

In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.

JOB FAMILY: Medical & Scientific Affairs DIVISION: ID Infectious Disease LOCATION: United States > Lake Forest : J55 ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS:

WORK SHIFT: Standard TRAVEL: Yes, 50 % of the Time MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE: Not Applicable SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES: Keyboard use (greater or equal to 50% of the workday)

Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Women/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans.

EEO is the Law link - English: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_English.pdf

EEO is the Law link - Espanol: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_Spanish.pdf

Abbott is about the power of health. For more than 135 years, Abbott has been helping people reach their potential - because better health allows people and communities to achieve more.

With a diverse, global network serving customers in more than 160 countries, we create new solutions - across the spectrum of health, around the world, for all stages of life. Whether it’s next-generation diagnostics, life-changing devices, science-based nutrition, or novel reformulations, we are advancing some of the most innovative and revolutionary technologies in healthcare, helping people live their best lives through better health.

The people of Abbott come to work each day with relentless energy, enthusiasm and a promise to enhance the health and well-being of millions of people. They push the boundaries to help manage and treat some of life’s greatest health challenges.

We invite you to explore opportunities at Abbott, to see if your talents and career aspirations may fit with our openings.

An equal opportunity employer, Abbott welcomes and encourages diversity in our workforce.

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