Director - IT Strategy & Planning

Henry Ford Health; Detroit (MI); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Henry Ford Health is seeking an experienced Director of IT Strategy & Planning to translate business priorities into strategic IT roadmaps. You will lead a high-performing team, optimize resources, and partner with executive leadership to ensure IT investments deliver measurable value.

This role reports to the VP of IT Operations and supervises IT Planning, Resourcing and ServiceNow teams. The ideal candidate has 10+ years in IT leadership, healthcare IT experience, and strong budget and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field required.
• Master's degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive IT management experience with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Healthcare IT experience preferred with HIPAA/regulatory awareness.
• Experience with IT financial management, budgeting, and vendor negotiations.
• PMI/ITIL certifications preferred; strong strategic planning ability.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for IT planning, value management, benchmarking and priority alignment.
• Oversee demand management and capacity planning to balance IT workload with resources.
• Lead IT HR planning, onboarding, training, and workforce development.
• Establish IT governance, standards, and process improvement for excellence.
• Champion IT change management and culture for successful transformation.
• Develop dashboards and cost-transparency views for stakeholders.
• Collaborate with IT leadership to execute the strategic plan and roadmap.
• Manage ServiceNow platform administration and optimization.
• Mentor and develop direct reports; monitor KPIs for IT planning and operations.

Job description

Company Description

At Henry Ford Health, we're committed to advancing health and improving lives for the millions of people we serve across Michigan and around the world. As one of the nation's leading academic health systems, we provide a comprehensive continuum of care that includes primary and preventive services, specialty and complex care, virtual care, pharmacy, home health, eye care, health insurance, and more. With 12 hospitals and hundreds of ambulatory care locations, including former Ascension Southeast Michigan and Flint Region facilities, our growing network expands access to exceptional care in the communities we serve.

Company Description

At Henry Ford Health, we're committed to advancing health and improving lives for the millions of people we serve across Michigan and around the world. As one of the nation's leading academic health systems, we provide a comprehensive continuum of care that includes primary and preventive services, specialty and complex care, virtual care, pharmacy, home health, eye care, health insurance, and more. With 12 hospitals and hundreds of ambulatory care locations, including former Ascension Southeast Michigan and Flint Region facilities, our growing network expands access to exceptional care in the communities we serve.
Headquartered in Detroit, Henry Ford Health is helping shape the future of healthcare through the transformative Future of Health: Detroit initiative, a $3 billion investment that is redefining our academic healthcare campus and advancing innovation, research, education, and community impact.
Our work is grounded in purpose, collaboration, and belonging. We empower team members to grow their careers, contribute innovative ideas, and make a meaningful difference every day. Whether you're caring for patients, supporting operations, conducting research, or driving new solutions, you'll be part of a team united by a shared mission: delivering exceptional care, advancing health outcomes, and building healthier communities for all.

Job Description

Ready to shape the future of IT at a forward-thinking organization? As Director of IT Strategy & Planning, you'll be the architect behind transformative IT initiatives that drive organizational success. This is your opportunity to lead with vision—translating business priorities into strategic IT roadmaps, optimizing resources, and building a high-performing team that delivers operational excellence. You'll partner with executive leadership and business stakeholders to ensure every IT investment creates measurable value and propels the organization forward. If you're a strategic thinker who thrives at the intersection of technology and business, this role offers the platform to make a real impact. This position reports to the Vice President of IT Operations and directly supervises the IT Planning, Resourcing and ServiceNow teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for IT Planning functions, including IT strategic planning, value management (ROI), benchmarking, and priority management to ensure alignment with organizational goals.


• Oversee demand management and capacity planning activities to balance IT workload with available resources and business priorities, ensuring optimal resource utilization.


• Lead IT HR Planning functions encompassing HR coordination, staff onboarding, training and development programs, and workforce planning to build and sustain a capable IT team.


• Establish and maintain IT governance frameworks, standards, process improvement initiatives, and quality assurance practices to ensure compliance and operational excellence.


• Champion IT organizational change management initiatives and foster a positive IT culture to drive adoption, engagement, and successful transformation efforts.


• Develop and maintain dashboards, reporting mechanisms, and cost transparency views to communicate IT value and performance metrics to stakeholders.


• Collaborate with IT leadership to develop and execute the IT strategic plan and roadmap, contributing to long-term technology direction.


• Manage ServiceNow platform administration and optimization to enable IT service management, workflows, and operational processes.


• Provide leadership, coaching, and professional development opportunities for direct reports and team members.


• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of IT planning and operations functions.


• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

Qualifications

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field required. Master’s degree preferred.


• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressive experience in IT management, including at least five (5) years in a leadership role overseeing IT planning, operations, or related functions.


• Healthcare industry experience strongly preferred, with demonstrated understanding of healthcare IT systems and regulatory requirements.


• Experience with IT financial management, budget development, and vendor contract negotiations required.


• Project Management Professional (PMP), ITIL certification, or equivalent professional certifications preferred.


• Strong strategic thinking and planning capabilities with the ability to translate organizational goals into actionable IT initiatives.


• Excellent leadership and team management skills with proven ability to develop high-performing teams and foster a collaborative work environment.


• Comprehensive knowledge of IT governance frameworks, best practices, and industry standards.


• Strong financial acumen with experience in IT budget management, ROI analysis, and resource allocation.


• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to effectively communicate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.


• Proven ability to build and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders at all organizational levels.


• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach to decision making.


• Experience with ServiceNow or similar IT service management platforms.


• Knowledge of project portfolio management methodologies and tools.


• Ability to manage multiple priorities and drive results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.


• Change management expertise with experience leading organizational transformation initiatives.


• Strong understanding of healthcare industry trends, regulations (HIPAA), and compliance requirements preferred.

Additional Information

This role is a hybrid work situation where candidates should be close enough to Detroit to commute in on a same day notice if needed. The team works 3 days a week in the office.