Assoc Director, Analytics

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

The Associate Director plays a key role in supporting the Clinical Finance Team by delivering actionable analytics, intelligent forecasting, and scalable reporting solutions across key financial and operational domains. This role is instrumental in advancing financial and operational analytics capabilities for clinical data by leveraging both descriptive and predictive analytical methods, with a focus on integrating traditional BI and forecasting tools with emerging Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance decision-making and automation across the organization.

The Associate Director is responsible for developing and managing complex financial models and reports used in monthly, quarterly, and year-end variance analyses, as well as trend assessments that inform executive strategy. This role also involves forecasting and budgeting of clinical practice revenues and key performance indicators (KPIs) related to patient care revenue, cash flow, and volume trends.

This role will collaborate closely with Finance, IT, Operations, and various departmental teams to promote the adoption of scalable data models, AI-enhanced analytics platforms, and intuitive reporting frameworks to deliver impactful reporting solutions and insights across the organization. The role will integrate data from Epic EHR, enterprise financial systems, and third-party platforms to produce dynamic, cross-functional dashboards and analytical tools that promote transparency and strategic insight.

Hybrid Schedule : Subject to business needs, we may support flexible and hybrid work arrangements. Options will be discussed during the interview process.

Responsibilities

Technical (65%) :

• Extracts, analyzes, and interprets complex healthcare and financial data, using advanced analytical techniques to provide accurate and actionable insights at the granular level (CPTs, payer plans, etc.) to optimize operations, revenue, and resource utilization.
• Builds scalable, automated data pipelines, business intelligence and forecasting solutions including reports, dashboards, and tools / applications, ensuring data integrity and quality to deliver timely insights. Provides stakeholders with technical assistance and guidance to efficiently access and leverage data and reporting tools.
• Forecasts clinical revenue and KPIs through modeling, variance analysis, and cross-functional collaboration to support clinical practice revenue budgeting.
• Develops and integrates ML / AI models for predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and clinical performance measurement, continuously refining them to maximize accuracy and precision.
• Delivers ad-hoc reporting solutions to the leadership team as needed.

Strategic (25%) :

• Monitors industry regulatory changes and trends, assessing their potential impact on clinical finances to inform strategic decision-making.
• Contributes to the design, development, and evaluation of new metrics and analytical tools to support continuous improvement.
• Collaborates with subject matter experts and cross-functional teams to incorporate best practices into strategies and initiatives. Develops a knowledge hub to share expertise and standardize methods that optimize processes across teams.

Project Management (5%) :

• Develops and manages short- and long-term project plans by defining objectives, resources, risks, and timelines, providing regular updates, and maintaining strong stakeholder relationships to ensure alignment and addressing / escalating their concerns as needed.

Compliance and Other (5%) :

• Conforms to all applicable HIPAA, billing compliance, data governance, and safety policies and guidelines.
• Performs other tasks and / or participates in special projects as required by leadership.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree or equivalent in education and experience, plus at least five years of related and relevant experience.
• Science related fields such as healthcare informatics, statistics, data science, analytics etc., required.
• Proficient in using SQL, R, Python, and Excel data applications to navigate large data sets.
• Experience with report visualization tools such as Tableau, PowerBI, etc.
• Experience Familiarity with Machine Learning tools and techniques.
• Capable of managing multiple tasks and meeting project deadlines under pressure.
• Highly motivated with a positive attitude and strong work ethic.
• Excellent analytical abilities, including attention to detail, critical thinking, listening, decision-making, research, and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy, with the ability to manage sensitive information and prioritize tasks with discretion.
• Strong interpersonal skills and effective written and verbal communication; service-oriented, organized, and adept at project management.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a diverse team, demonstrating strong customer service skills and sensitivity in high-pressure situations.
• Must successfully complete systems training requirement and Epic certification within 6 months of start date.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree (MS in Data Science or Applied Analytics, MHA / MBA) preferred.
• Previous experience in a healthcare setting (academic medical center / outpatient clinic / hospital).
• Experience with Epic Clarity database and previous certifications in a related application.
• Ability and desire to learn new applications and database structures quickly.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.