Job Description

Planning & Operations Director I (Hybrid)

Chicago, IL

The American Medical Association (AMA) is the nation's largest professional Association of physicians and a non-profit organization. We are a unifying voice and powerful ally for America's physicians, the patients they care for, and the promise of a healthier nation. To be part of the AMA is to be part of our Mission to promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.

At AMA, our mission to improve the health of the nation starts with our people. We foster an inclusive, people-first culture where every employee is empowered to perform at their best. Together, we advance meaningful change in health care and the communities we serve.

The American Medical Association’s Center for Digital Health and AI is focused on helping lead the transformation of medicine in the digital and AI era. The Center brings together physicians, patients, technology leaders, policymakers, researchers, health systems, payers, and other stakeholders to accelerate the responsible development and adoption of technologies that improve health and healthcare. Our work spans research and evidence, policy, implementation, education and resources, product development, and ecosystem engagement. We are building the Center to be dynamic, responsive, and highly execution-oriented. Doing that successfully requires more than a strong strategy. It requires the operating discipline, coordination, and infrastructure to turn priorities into action.

We encourage and support professional development for our employees, and we are dedicated to social responsibility. We invite you to learn more about us and we look forward to getting to know you.

We have an opportunity at our corporate offices in Chicago for a Planning & Operations Director I (Hybrid) on our Digital Health and AI team. This is a hybrid position reporting into our Chicago, IL, or Washington, D.C. office, requiring 3 days a week in the office.

As a Planning & Operations Director I, you will serve as the strategy and operations leader for the AMA Center for Digital Health and AI, translating strategic priorities into effective organizational operations, disciplined execution, and measurable results. Reporting directly to the SVP, the Director leads the development and management of the Center's operating model, financial and resource planning, cross-functional execution, and organizational effectiveness. This role exercises substantial independent judgment in resolving complex operational challenges, developing practical solutions, and coordinating across enterprise functions. As a trusted strategic partner to the SVP and Center leadership, this role contributes to business-unit strategy, priority setting, resource allocation, and organizational decision-making while ensuring the Center has the infrastructure and execution capacity required to deliver its mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Center Operations & Organizational Effectiveness

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Center's operating model, including governance processes, decision-making structures, operating rhythms, workflows, and systems that support effective execution.
• Exercise independent judgment to diagnose and resolve complex operational challenges and barriers to execution, escalating matters requiring executive decisions or institutional approval.
• Direct the Center's financial and operational planning, including budget development, forecasting, resource allocation, investment tracking, and financial performance management in partnership with AMA Finance.
• Serve as the Center's principal operational interface with Finance, Legal, Contracts, Compliance, Human Resources, Procurement, Technology, and other enterprise functions, coordinating contracting, procurement, recruitment, onboarding, reporting, and other operational needs while ensuring appropriate controls and timely resolution of issues .
• Evaluate organizational capacity, operating effectiveness, and emerging resource needs; develop recommendations and implement approved improvements that enable the Center to scale its activities and impact.

Enterprise Execution & Initiative Leadership

• Lead complex, high-priority initiatives that span multiple Center functions or require coordination across the AMA, establishing execution plans, decision rights, milestones, dependencies, and measures of success.
• Take ownership of ambiguous or stalled initiatives, independently determining the actions, stakeholders, resources, and organizational coordination required to advance them.
• Establish and manage Center-wide performance and execution processes, providing leadership with actionable visibility into progress, risks, resource constraints, and emerging priorities.
• Resolve cross-functional dependencies and competing priorities through effective negotiation, problem-solving, and coordination with senior stakeholders across the AMA.
• Drive accountability for outcomes by establishing clear ownership, following through on commitments, and ensuring decisions translate into completed work and measurable results.

Strategy, Planning & Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the SVP, providing decision-ready analysis and actionable recommendations on business-unit priorities, organizational effectiveness, resource trade-offs, and complex management decisions.
• Lead the Center's strategic and annual operating planning processes, translating organizational ambitions into priorities, investment plans, resource requirements, performance measures, and actionable execution roadmaps.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of Center strategy by evaluating organizational capabilities, execution feasibility, resource trade-offs, and opportunities to increase impact.
• Lead preparation, coordination, and follow-through for critical leadership meetings, planning discussions, and executive engagements, ensuring clear decisions, ownership, and execution.
• Exercise delegated authority to advance Center priorities, resolve routine and complex operational matters, and represent the SVP in appropriate internal discussions, while escalating matters involving significant financial, reputational, or institutional implications.

May include other responsibilities as assigned

REQUIREMENTS:

1. Education: Bachelor's degree required, master's degree strongly preferred (P1+/M2+)
2. Years of experience: 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in strategy, business operations, organizational leadership, management consulting, or a comparable field, including experience leading cross-functional initiatives, managing financial and resource planning, and advising senior leaders in complex organizations.
3. Experience in healthcare, technology, professional associations, or other complex, mission-driven organizations preferred.

The American Medical Association is located at 330 N. Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 and is convenient to all public transportation in Chicago or 25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001-7400 USA.

This role is an exempt position, and the salary range for this position is $128,906-$174,241. This is the lowest to highest salary we believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s pay within the salary range will be determined by a variety of factors including but not limited to business consideration and geographical location, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience. Employees are also eligible to participate in an incentive plan. To learn more about the American Medical Association’s benefits offerings, please click here.

We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity in our workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. As an EOE/AA employer, the American Medical Association will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and veteran or disability status.

THE AMA IS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF THE NATION