Sr. Program Development Manager, Health Science, QSI, Stroke & AFIB

The American Heart Association is a leading organization focused on improving cardiovascular health and reducing disease deaths. They are seeking a Senior Program Development Manager to lead the development and implementation of inpatient quality improvement initiatives for stroke care. This role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams, managing quality improvement programs, and ensuring alignment with the Association's strategic goals.

Responsibilities:

• Leading the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Association’s inpatient quality improvement initiatives, leveraging the Get With The Guidelines® (GWTG) – Stroke registry
• Collaborating with cross functional leadership teams, managing workgroups of volunteer subject-matter experts, and developing data-informed change management across multi-disciplinary inpatient environments including ICU/CCU, cardiology, emergency medicine, neurology, and case management
• Educating and guiding teams through measure adoption, data interpretation, process redesign, and sustaining performance improvement, while also leading to the development of a national quality improvement (QI) framework to increase guideline-directed medical therapy adoption
• Serving as the primary leader for the Association’s GWTG-Stroke program ensuring program outcomes align with association-wide goals, mission impact metrics, and national strategic priorities
• Acting as SME for all clinical guidelines and process improvement methodologies across the Quality, Outcomes, Research, Analytics (QORA) business unit
• Designing and implementing inpatient-based recognition and award programs
• Guiding and directing QI staff through adoption and sustained execution of evidence-based inpatient guidelines for stroke and other Association programs
• Establishing program frameworks, improvement plans, and models of practice tailored to clinical workflows
• Advising Association QI Staff on care process transformation—triage, treatment timelines, transitions of care, and adherence to guideline-based measures
• Guiding Association QI staff in data interpretation, trend analysis, and performance benchmarking to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement
• Providing consultation across the Association departments (research, HIT, certification, QI) to integrate hospital system feedback into program evolution
• Collaborating with external societies and leaders (ASA, AANN, etc.) for strategic alignment and program development
• Developing and delivering external-facing educational materials, webinars, toolkits, and workflow guidance aligned to Association inpatient programs
• Supporting certification teams in developing and maintaining Association certifications by interpreting standards, advising on required documentation, coordinating assessments and audits, and aligning with Joint Commission and Association certification requirements
• Preparing internal and external reports summarizing progress, barriers, outcomes, and measurable improvements

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work-related experience required, preferably in a healthcare related field
• 5 years experience in: Inpatient clinical care or clinical quality improvement
• Hospital operations, QI nursing, registry operations, or systems of care
• Implementing evidence-based guidelines or performance improvement programs
• Experience collaborating cross‑functionally with diverse clinical teams (hospitalists, ED, ICU/CCU, neurology, cardiology, pharmacy, case management
• Strong understanding of inpatient quality measures and clinical workflows, especially as it relates to stroke systems of care
• Ability to analyze and interpret performance data
• Exceptional relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills
• Strong communication and facilitation abilities
• Experience designing and implementing quality improvement registries
• Master's degree preferred (MPH, MHA, MSN, or related clinical field
• RN License highly desirable