Innovation Strategist

UH Ventures Overview: UH Ventures (UHV)—the innovation and commercialization arm of University Hospitals (UH)—develops innovative new business models, products, solutions, and companies that leverage existing UH capabilities to benefit patients/consumers and develop new revenue for the hospital system. UHV is an entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial engine that guides the organization's effort to expand its care delivery enterprise through the optimization of high performing assets and through establishing novel and innovative growth channels.

Feuer Innovation Accelerator Overview:

The Feuer Innovation Accelerator started in 2021 via a generous gift from Michael & Ellen Feuer to support UH caregiver ideas with high potential for impact on healthcare delivery and research.  The Accelerator supports a cohort of UH caregivers each year and is integral to advancing UH’s broader culture of innovation.  The intent of the program is to support innovations in the concept development phase: helping refine the problem statement, validate a market, and progress the development of a solution. 

The Innovation Strategist will support and provide stewardship for UH Ventures’ Feuer Innovation Accelerator projects.  With oversight from the Feuer Program Lead, this individual will help organize and shepherd UH caregiver innovations through the early stages of diligence and development, including problem statement framing, discovery, diligence, market assessment, clinical research support, and prototyping design and coordination.  This position requires a range of innovation and operational skills, including expertise for advancing a culture of entrepreneurship within our ecosystem; innovation process oversight and optimization; and research and diligence.  The Innovation Strategist role interfaces with all other functions within UH Ventures to support Accelerator projects when they advance beyond the concept development phase.

As part of the innovation arm of UH Ventures and to advance UH’s culture of innovation, the Innovation Strategist should embody a spirit of creativity, energy, and organization.  The position should also espouse a commitment to advancing healthcare innovation through commercial and cultural value creation.  The individual’s ability to coordinate teams, oversee project advancement, and conduct diligence will play a critical role in ensuring that the Feuer Innovation Accelerator meets its goals.

Essential Functions

Team Coordination and Management:

• Coordinate project teams in collaboration with the Feuer Program Lead and track milestones.

• Track engagements and deliverables. Foster a collaborative and results-oriented culture in each project team.

• coordinate teams, oversee project advancement, and conduct diligence

·        Documentation and Reporting:

• Maintain documentation of project activities, decisions, and outcomes. Maintain records of meetings both for the purposes of management and for intellectual property protection. Track milestones and lessons learned to inform other innovation projects.

·        Internal Problem Scoping & Primary Research:

• Work with teams to conduct internal diligence on problem scale, creating and using tools such as surveys, journey maps, interviews, time studies, observations, or report compilation.

·        Clinical Research Support:

• Knowledgeable in or be able to learn regulatory and institutional policies and processes, including institutional review board (IRB);

• Assists innovators with study protocol development, collaborates to articulate study design;

• Connects innovators with UH’s clinical research process.

·        Market Research:

·        • Conduct secondary research for project teams (competitive landscape, market sizing, patent landscape, revenue model, payor implications, etc.).

·        • Collaborate with subject matter experts and stakeholders to arrive at informed decisions.

·        Process Development:

• Collaborate with the internal UH Ventures team and external partners on the design and development of solutions.

• Support UH caregivers in developing materials to support an IRB application and/or to create a business case.

·        Stakeholder Communication:

·        • Maintain open and transparent communication with project teams and stakeholders, both written and verbal.

·        • Coordinate regular meetings to ensure parties are updated on project progress and follow up on stakeholder questions or concerns.

·        Support Annual Call for Innovations:

·        • Collaborate with UH Ventures and Innovation & Strategy team members in the messaging, intake, and assessment of the Call for Innovations.

·        • Review submissions and coordinate with Feuer Program Lead to respond to all projects qualifying for the Feuer Innovation Accelerator.

·        Culture of Innovation:

• Support UH and UHV’s efforts to inspire caregivers to innovate.

• Support the creation and refinement of education to teach caregivers about concept development.