Director Product Operations

Surescripts; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 204,000 - 249,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Hybrid Work model

Comprehensive healthcare

Generous PTO

Job summary

Surescripts seeks a Director of Product Operations to define and evolve the PDLC, aligning product, AI, and software engineering for reliable, scalable outcomes. Reporting to the Chief Product Officer, this leader drives governance, measurement, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver high-quality products for customers nationwide.

The role emphasizes AI-enabled workflows, governance, dashboards, and strategic investment planning, with a flexible hybrid work model and strong leadership

Qualifications

• Must have 10+ years in product operations, product management, or related tech roles.
• Must have 5+ years working with VP+ across multiple functions.
• Strong AI fluency with hands-on tooling integration.
• Experience defining and implementing PDLC frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Define, implement, and continuously improve the PDLC to reflect best practices and organizational needs.
• Establish PDLC governance with clear roles, gates, and handoffs.
• Lead AI-enabled workflows to enhance discovery, prioritization, and validation.
• Develop executive dashboards and metrics to inform leadership decisions.
• Partner with Strategy to translate initiatives into the build phase and resource planning.
• Build and lead a product operations team and foster continuous improvement.

Skills

Product operations

Leadership

Cross-functional

AI fluency

Strategic thinking

Communication

Stakeholder management

Governance

Change management

Influence

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Surescripts serves the nation through simpler, trusted health intelligence sharing, in order to increase patient safety, lower costs and ensure quality care. We deliver insights at critical points of care for better decisions - from streamlining prior authorizations to delivering comprehensive medication histories to facilitating messages between providers.

Job Summary:

The Director Product Operations is accountable for defining, implementing, and continuously evolving Surescripts' Product Development Lifecycle (PDLC) to ensure product and technology processes run effectively across the organization. Reporting to the Chief Product Officer, this leader operates at the intersection of Product Innovation and Software Engineering, optimizing how both functions work together to deliver the best products for Surescripts' customers efficiently and predictably.

Responsibilities:

PDLC Ownership & Strategy

• Define, implement, and continuously improve Surescripts' Product Development Lifecycle, ensuring it reflects current best practices, organizational needs, and the evolving role of AI in product development.
• Establish and maintain PDLC governance frameworks that create clarity on roles, decision rights, stage gates, and handoffs between Product Innovation, Software Engineering, and Product Quality and Delivery.
• Champion a process-as-product mindset, treating the PDLC as a living system that requires ongoing iteration, stakeholder feedback, and measurable improvement.
• Align PDLC practices with enterprise strategy, ensuring product and technology processes support Surescripts' growth objectives and market commitments.
• Partner with the Strategy function to translate new strategic initiatives into the build phase, ensuring a structured intake process with clear investment rationale, resource alignment, and prioritization within the PDLC.
• Support investment planning by providing the process frameworks and data that enable leadership to make informed decisions about where to allocate product and engineering resources.
• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with leaders across Product Innovation, Software Engineering, Product Quality and Delivery, Strategy, and shared services to facilitate cross-functional alignment and buy-in on PDLC decisions.

AI-Enabled Product Operations

• Lead the integration of AI tools, practices, and methodologies into the PDLC, building on the foundation Surescripts has established and accelerating adoption across the Product Team.
• Identify and implement AI-enabled workflows that enhance product discovery, requirements definition, prioritization, and validation throughout the lifecycle.
• Serve as a catalyst for AI adoption within Product Innovation, helping product managers and leaders develop fluency and incorporate AI into their daily practices.
• Stay current on emerging AI capabilities and assess their applicability to product operations, bringing a practical and results-oriented lens to adoption decisions.

Metrics, KPIs & Process Health

• Define and manage a comprehensive framework of process health metrics and KPIs that provide visibility into PDLC performance, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities.
• Develop and publish executive-ready dashboards and insights that quantify operational performance and inform leadership decision-making.
• Monitor process adherence and effectiveness across teams, proactively identifying areas where the PDLC is not being followed or is creating friction.
• Establish feedback loops with Product Innovation and Engineering leadership to ensure metrics drive actionable improvement, not just reporting.

Tool Strategy & Enablement

• Provide strategic oversight of lifecycle tooling (e.g., Jira/Confluence, SharePoint) to ensure tools support the PDLC and enable cross-team transparency.
• Drive tool integration and data standards that reduce manual effort and improve the accuracy of process health metrics.
• Evaluate and recommend new tools and technologies-including AI-powered platforms and bespoke tools built using AI software development-that enhance product operations capabilities.

People Leadership

• Build and lead a focused product operations function, starting with an analyst role and scaling as organizational needs evolve.
• Provide coaching, development, and recognition to direct reports, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Set development priorities and performance standards that align with the strategic objectives of the product operations function.

Qualifications:

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in product operations, product management, program management, or related fields within technology-driven organizations.
• 5+ years of experience working directly with senior leadership (VP+) across multiple functions, with a track record of influencing without authority.
• 3+ years of experience leading teams or managing cross-functional program delivery.
• Demonstrated experience defining and implementing product development lifecycle frameworks or equivalent operational governance models.
• Strong AI fluency with hands-on experience integrating AI tools and practices into product or operational workflows.
• Proven ability to build trust-based relationships and drive results across multiple functions with competing priorities.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to translate complex process concepts into clear, actionable guidance for diverse audiences.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in healthcare, health IT, e-health, or related regulated industries.
• Experience driving AI adoption within product management or product operations teams.
• Experience with change management methodologies and organizational transformation initiatives.
• Familiarity with lifecycle management tooling (Jira/Confluence or similar).
• In-depth knowledge of Surescripts products, services, and operating environment.
• Advanced degree in business, technology, or a related field.

Surescripts embraces flexibility through its Flexible Hybrid Work model for most positions. This model allows employees to work virtually while still utilizing our offices as collaboration centers. With alignment and agreement from your leadership, you can come and go from the office as needed.

To be considered for employment, applicants must have a valid U.S. work authorization allowing work without restrictions with Surecripts in the U.S. At this time, we are unable to provide support or provide sponsorship for immigration benefits such as work visas. Additionally, we do not participate in academic training programs or work-study programs through an academic institution that require employer endorsement of F-1/CPT or F-1/STEM.

What You're Like

Better care experiences. Improved outcomes. Reduced costs. These are what our customers care about. And you're ready to step into a key role as part of the solution, innovating unmatched solutions that solve some of the largest challenges in healthcare today, not just for our customers' benefit, but for patients and the people who care for them across the country.

What We’re Like

Ours is a diverse team of leaders who execute customer-obsessed business strategy. If we had to choose just one thing that we all have in common, it's curiosity. Curiosity drives our understanding of health IT as we translate exciting concepts into actionable build requirements. We know what it takes to get new products to market.

What the Work is Like

This work has far-reaching impact, affecting healthcare nationwide. Through user-centered design philosophy and iterative innovation, we leverage open and trusted relationships with our partners to get at our customers' unmet needs throughout the product life cycle.

Physical and Mental Requirements

While performing duties of this job, an employee may be required to perform any, or all of the following: attend meetings in and out of the office, travel, communicate effectively (both orally and in writing), and be able to effectively use computers and other electronic and standard office equipment with, or without, a reasonable accommodation. Additionally, this job requires certain mental demands, including the ability to use judgement, withstand moderate amounts of stress and maintain attention to detail with, or without, a reasonable accommodation.

Surescripts is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

At Surescripts, base pay is one part of our Total Rewards Package (which may also include bonus, benefits etc.) and is determined within a range. The base pay range for this position is $203,800 - $249,000 per year. Your base pay may vary within or outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including (but not limited to) your qualifications, skills, experience, and location.

• Benefits include, but are not limited to, comprehensive healthcare (including infertility coverage), generous paid time off including paid childbirth and parental leave and mental health days, pet insurance, and 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting. To learn more, review the Keep You and Yours Healthy, Balancing Work and Life, and Where Talent Takes Shape links under the Better Benefits. Better Work. Better Life section of our careers site.