Overview
Job Title:
Director of EHR Implementation
Department:
IT
Reports to:
Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Date:
2025
Overall Purpose of Job:
We are seeking a highly experienced and delivery-focused Director of EHR Implementation to lead the selection and full-scale deployment of a new hospital-wide Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.
This is a contracted leadership role, reporting jointly to the CIO and COO, and is central to one of the hospital's most significant digital and operational transformation programmes.
The Director will lead the programme from procurement through go-live and into early optimisation, managing governance, operational readiness, clinical engagement, staff training and benefits delivery.
They will be responsible for building a dedicated multidisciplinary team and ensuring the system is delivered safely, on time and in line with organisational goals.
Key Responsibilities and Deliverables
Lead the full lifecycle delivery of the hospital's new EHR system, from selection and procurement through to go-live and optimisation
Develop and manage a comprehensive implementation plan including timelines, workstreams, milestones and risk
Establish programme governance structures and report progress to the CIO, COO and EHR steering group
Ensure alignment with hospital-wide strategic objectives, patient safety standards and service transformation goals
Ensure full compliance with clinical safety, cybersecurity and information governance requirements (e.g. NIS2, GDPR, HIQQA, JCI and clinical risk frameworks)
Coordinate with governance, quality and safety leads to support internal and external assurance processes
Recruit and lead a cross-functional EHR programme team including project managers, clinical leads, analysts, developers, trainers and support staff
Define and manage clear roles, responsibilities and reporting lines across internal staff and external partners
Build a strong delivery culture focused on quality, collaboration and accountability
Develop and lead the hospital-wide change management strategy for EHR transition
Deliver a tailored training plan to ensure all staff groups are confident and competent ahead of go-live
Establish and oversee a super user framework, floorwalker support and helpdesk integration for go-live and beyond
Monitor adoption, readiness and staff feedback to adapt change plans as needed
Serve as the primary interface between the programme and clinical, operational and administrative leaders
Ensure that service user feedback is incorporated into system design, testing and transition planning
Communicate programme objectives, risks and benefits regularly to stakeholders and sponsor
Lead engagement with the selected EHR vendor and associated implementation partner
Manage contracts, service level agreements and performance to ensure quality and delivery milestones are met
Oversee all aspects of EHR implementation including design, build, integration, testing and go-live
Ensure comprehensive go-live readiness planning and coordinate support operations across all departments
Lead execution of the data migration strategy, ensuring clinical safety, accuracy and regulatory compliance
Deliver structured knowledge transfer, documentation and handover to internal IT, clinical systems and support teams
Lead post-go-live evaluation and early optimisation phases to stabilise the system and address issues
Monitor benefit realisation, user experience, workflow alignment and system performance
Drive continuous improvement planning with the CIO and operational leads to sustain adoption and outcomes
Qualifications & Experience
Bachelor's degree in health informatics, Clinical Systems, Project Management, or related discipline
Postgraduate qualification in healthcare leadership, informatics, digital health, or change management (desirable)
Project, programme or change management certifications (e.g. Lean Six Sigma, PRINCE2) preferred
Experience
Proven experience delivering full-scale EHR or clinical system implementations in acute hospital settings
Significant experience leading multidisciplinary project teams and external vendors under contract
Demonstrated leadership in change management and user training across clinical and administrative settings
Experience managing procurement, design, testing, data migration, go-live and post-go-live phases
Familiarity with digital safety and governance frameworks (e.g. HSE or similar)
Skills & Competencies
In-depth knowledge of EHR platforms, functionality, configuration and clinical workflow alignment
Understanding of data migration strategies, interoperability, integration standards and testing methodologies
Knowledge of clinical safety frameworks, digital risk management and regulatory compliance (e.g. NIS2, GDPR)
Strong benefits planning, post-implementation evaluation and business change delivery
Strong IT governance, programme reporting and stakeholder management skills
Excellent interpersonal, facilitation and conflict-resolution skills
Ability to lead with authority while fostering collaboration and shared ownership
High attention to detail, clear communication and structured problem-solving
Confidence operating at board level while maintaining connection with frontline operations
Resilience, adaptability and focus on outcomes under demanding programme timelines
Note:
This job description is intended to be an outline of responsibilities and deliverables at the time of writing and may be updated to reflect changing hospital needs.
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