Director, Strategic Planning

At Duke Health, were driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.

Duke Health is seeking a Director, Strategic Planning to play a key leadership role in driving enterprise-wide strategic initiatives that support the health systems mission and long-term priorities. Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Strategic Planning, this position serves as a strategic partner responsible for leading planning efforts, overseeing project management activities, managing implementation of the Clinical Enterprise Strategic Plan, developing strategic insights for leaders, and advancing departmental innovation and process improvement.

The Director will collaborate with senior leaders across Duke Health to translate strategic priorities into actionable plans, establish performance tracking and governance structures, monitor progress of key initiatives, and identify opportunities to improve organizational effectiveness. This role also leads department-specific strategic communications, develops executive-level insights on healthcare industry trends, and drives continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen the departments impact across the enterprise.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Execution

• Lead implementation and ongoing management of the Clinical Enterprise Strategic Plan.
• Establish and oversee performance tracking, reporting, and governance processes for strategic initiatives.
• Develop scalable frameworks to support consistent execution of strategic priorities across service lines and entities.
• Partner with senior leaders to communicate strategic priorities and organizational progress.
• Facilitate strategic assessments, planning activities, and enterprise-wide initiatives.

Strategic Insights & Executive Communication

• Develop and disseminate strategic intelligence, market analysis, and healthcare industry insights for executive leadership.
• Create executive presentations, publications, and communications that support informed decision-making and strategic alignment.

Project Management & Operational Excellence

• Coordinate departmental project portfolios, integrated timelines, prioritization frameworks, and governance processes.
• Monitor project progress, identify risks and barriers, and recommend corrective actions.
• Drive process improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and team performance.

Leadership & Team Development

• Provide leadership and oversight for department staff, including managers, and interns.
• Oversee the departments summer internship program, including recruitment, mentorship, and program administration.
• Foster professional development opportunities focused on strategic thinking, industry knowledge, and innovation.

Institutional Support

• Support executive leadership with special strategic initiatives and high-priority organizational projects.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Work requires Master's Degree in Business Administration, Health Care Administration or related field.

Experience

• Work requires seven years of progressive responsibility in such areas as hospital administration, provider strategic planning, business and operations planning, with proven success in facilitation of strategic processes, business plan development and execution, and strategic analyses. (or an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience)
• Supervisory and/or leadership experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Extensive knowledge of health care planning databases. Knowledge of Access, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint software. Knowledge of and experience in project management is preferred.
• Must be able to achieve results in a large, complex organization. Highly developed verbal, written, and analytical skills are necessary. Strong interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to facilitate meetings, and foster trust. Ability to present complex information to all levels of the organization. Must be able to manage multiple projects and processes simultaneously. Self-motivation and the ability to perform with minimal supervision.
• Must be able to travel within the market area as needed.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individuals age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions:

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.