The Vice President (ED) of the UConn Health AI Institute will serve as the founding leader responsible for building and scaling a nationally recognized hub for AI-driven healthcare innovation. The ED will translate UConn Health’s strategic vision into operational, clinical, and financial success by positioning the Institute as a premier clinical proving ground for external AI companies, accelerating adoption of validated technologies, and generating long-term institutional value through strategic investment. This role requires a unique combination of healthcare leadership, change management in legacy organizations, knowledge of venture investing, operational execution, and academic collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Institute Development

• Establish and operationalize the AI Institute in alignment with UConn Health’s mission and strategic priorities
• Define and execute a market-oriented strategy focused on identifying, evaluating, and integrating best-in-class external AI solutions rather than primarily incubating internal startups
• Position UConn Health as a trusted validation environment for AI solutions leveraging real-world operational, and clinical workflows and patient data as appropriate.
• Build the Institute’s national reputation as a leader in healthcare AI innovation

2. Clinical & Operational AI Integration

• Partner with clinical, operational, and administrative leaders to:
  • Identify high-priority unmet needs across UConn Health
  • Define use cases for AI deployment
• Oversee structured pilots, validation studies, and enterprise-scale deployment of AI solutions
• Ensure measurable improvements in:
  • Patient outcomes
  • Operational efficiency
  • Financial performance

3. External Partnerships & Ecosystem Development

• Develop a robust pipeline of AI companies for evaluation and partnership
• Serve as a strategic liaison between:
  • AI startups and UConn Health departments and stakeholders
  • UConn Health clinical leadership
  • Academic units (including the School of Business) as appropriate
• Establish UConn Health as a preferred partner for leading healthcare AI innovators

4. Venture Fund & Investment Collaboration

• Work in close partnership with the AI Institute Investment Committee, chaired by John Kim
• Support sourcing, evaluation, and validation of companies for potential investment
• Ensure that clinical pilots and operational results inform disciplined investment decisions
• Contribute to building a high-performing venture portfolio that delivers long-term financial returns to UConn Health

5. Governance & Institutional Alignment

• Report to UConn Health CEO within the UConn Health Finance Corporation
• Collaborate with the Institute’s governing board, including external members and philanthropic partners
• Ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment with institutional priorities

6. Financial Stewardship & Sustainability

• Manage a dual-structured model balancing:
  • Directly responsible for managing the operating budget
  • Provide strategic and operational support for the venture fund
• Drive progress toward a self-sustaining financial model through:
  • Creating tangible revenue and expense efficiencies for UCONN Health
  • Returns from the venture investments
  • Licensing and commercialization opportunities
• Support ongoing fundraising and donor engagement efforts

7. Team Building & Organizational Leadership

• As the Institute evolves recruit and lead a multidisciplinary team across:
  • AI/technology evaluation
  • Clinical integration
  • Data science
  • Business development and operations
• Foster a culture of rigor, speed, accountability, and innovation

Key Qualifications

Required

• Advanced degree (PhD, MBA, MD or equivalent)
• 15+ years of leadership experience in healthcare, technology, or innovation-driven organizations
• Demonstrated experience in AI, digital health, or healthcare transformation initiatives
• Experience in healthcare systems, clinical workflows, and data environments
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and complex implementations

Preferred

• Knowledge of venture capital, private equity, or corporate investment
• Experience in evaluating and scaling emerging technology companies
• Experience working in academic medical centers or research institutions
• Familiarity with regulatory, compliance, and ethical considerations in healthcare AI

Core Competencies

• Strategic vision with execution discipline
• Change management leadership of large organizations
• Strong stakeholder engagement and partnership skills
• Data-driven decision-making
• Ability to operate at the intersection of academic medicine, industry, and capital markets
• Investment and commercial acumen

Success Metrics (Illustrative)

• Number and quality of AI solutions evaluated and deployed
• Measurable clinical and operational improvements
• External partnerships and national reputation of the Institute
• Progress toward financial sustainability

Why This Role Matters

This is a foundational leadership role with the opportunity to shape a first-in-kind model: an AI Institute that integrates clinical validation, operational transformation, and venture investment into a unified platform. The Executive Director will play a central role in advancing UConn Health’s position as a leader in AI-enabled healthcare innovation.