Senior Director, High Reliability

Community Health Systems; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Community Health Systems seeks a Sr Director of High Reliability to lead organization-wide strategies eliminating preventable errors and embedding HRO principles across clinical and operational settings.

You will deploy a high-reliability framework, analyze risk, and foster a transparent culture of learning toward zero harm, collaborating with executives and leaders across the enterprise.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or related field is required.
• 5–7 years of progressive leadership experience in patient safety, quality improvement, or operational reliability.
• Deep knowledge of high-reliability principles, human factors engineering, SPC, and regulatory compliance.
• Certifications such as CPPS/CRE/CPHQ or Lean Six Sigma preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and alignment of a system-wide high-reliability and safety strategy.
• Embed HRO principles into daily operations, huddles, and leadership rounding.
• Ensure alignment with clinical operations and Joint Commission standards.
• Coach executives and managers on human factors and reliable error-prevention tools.
• Establish KPIs and report progress to executive leadership and the Board.

Skills

Leadership

Data analysis

Communication

Risk assessment

Executive coaching

Human factors science

Operational reliability

Education

Master’s degree in Nursing (MSN)

MHA (Healthcare Administration)

MBA (Business Administration)

Engineering/technical field

Tools

CPPS

CRE

CPHQ

Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt)

Job description

Job Summary

The Sr Director of High Reliability leads organization-wide strategies to eliminate preventable errors, foster a robust safety culture, and embed high-reliability organization (HRO) principles across complex operational and clinical settings. This role directs the design, execution, and continuous improvement of the organization’s high-reliability framework. Collaborating closely with executive, clinical, and operational leaders, the Director deploys safety behaviors, analyzes operational risk, and drives a transparent culture of continuous learning toward a target of zero preventable harm.

Key Responsibilities & Duties

Strategy & Framework Deployment

• Lead the development, execution, and continuous alignment of a system-wide high-reliability and safety strategy.
• Embed core high-reliability principles (preoccupation with failure, reluctance to simplify, sensitivity to operations, commitment to resilience, and deference to expertise) into daily operational routines, huddles, and leadership rounding.
• Ensure alignment between HRO strategies, clinical operations, and regulatory oversight (e.g., Joint Commission standards).

Culture of Safety & Leadership Coaching

• Champion a transparent, non-punitive culture of safety and Just Culture that encourages open incident reporting and psychological safety.
• Design simulation-based training programs and coach frontline managers, physician leaders, and executive leadership on human factors science, high-reliability behaviors, and reliable error-prevention tools.
• Drive executive and management engagement in structured safety behaviors (e.g., tiered huddles, visual management boards, "Stop the Line" protocols).
• Develop all educational material related to HRO principals and operationalizing HRO across the enterprise.

Team Leadership & Governance

• Directly supervise, mentor, and build high-performing teams of safety specialists, HRO practice coaches, and clinical/operational data analysts.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and report reliable progress metrics to executive leadership, clinical councils, and the Board of Directors.

Position Requirements & Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Nursing (MSN), Healthcare Administration (MHA), Business Administration (MBA), or a related technical/engineering field required.
• 5 to 7 years of progressive leadership experience in patient safety, quality improvement, or operational reliability. Demonstrated experience leading direct teams as well as matrixed multidisciplinary projects.
• Deep knowledge of high-reliability principles, human factors engineering, statistical process control, and regulatory compliance (e.g., Joint Commission standards).
• Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS), Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE), Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), or Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt preferred

Core Competencies

• High-Reliability Science: Advanced knowledge of human factors engineering, error proofing, and error-prevention techniques.
• Influential Leadership: Ability to inspire culture change and build consensus across multidisciplinary executive and clinical teams.
• Data Analysis & Synthesis: Proficiency in translating complex safety data into actionable improvement plans and executive dashboard reporting.