Job Description
Job Title: Director of EHR Implementation
Department: IT
Reports to: Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Date: ****
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 Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO), and is central to one of the hospital's most significant digital and operational transformation programmes.
The hospital currently operates an established EHR platform and is undertaking a complete transition to a new vendor system.
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:
Programme Leadership
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 risks
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
Team Formation & Management
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
Change Management & Staff Training
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
Stakeholder Engagement
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 sponsors
Vendor & Partner Management
Lead engagement with the selected EHR vendor and associated implementation partners
Manage contracts, service level agreements and performance to ensure quality and delivery milestones are met
Implementation Delivery & Transition
Oversee all aspects of EHR implementation including design, build, integration, testing and cutover
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
Post-Go-Live Optimisation & Benefits Realisation
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
Person Specification
Qualifications
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 HSE or similar digital safety and governance frameworks
Job Specific Competencies and Knowledge
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)
Skilled in benefits planning, post-implementation evaluation and business change delivery
Strong grasp of IT governance, programme reporting and stakeholder management best practices
Personal Competencies
Excellent interpersonal, facilitation and conflict-resolution skills across multidisciplinary teams
Ability to lead with authority while fostering collaboration and shared ownership
High attention to detail, clear communication and structured problem-solving
Confidence working at board level while maintaining connection with frontline operations
Resilience, adaptability and focus on outcomes under demanding programme timelines
This job description is intended to be an outline of the areas of responsibility and deliverables at the time of its writing.
As the Hospital and the post holder develop, this job description may be subject to review in light of the changing needs of the Hospital.