Senior Director, High Reliability

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.