VP, Conversational Access Operations

Your future role at a glance: * **Location:** Remote with travel of 15% \- 35% to be expected * **Department:** Administration * **Salary:** $261,600\.00 \- 359,700\.00 per year * Eligible for annual incentive bonus Ascension is seeking a Vice President to lead the Ascension Contact Center (ACC), a high\-performing, distributed operation of 700\+ associates, and to elevate the quality and reach of consumer access across the enterprise. This leader will be responsible for sustaining an exceptional operating culture, expanding access to care, and evolving the contact center model with modern tools and capabilities that enhance the experience for both consumers and team members. This role carries a dual mandate: maintain and strengthen what is already working well while thoughtfully introducing new capabilities, including AI and automation, that help the team serve consumers more effectively and position the ACC as a growth engine for the health system. The VP will ensure that technology augments and supports the team rather than disrupting it, and that every evolution is grounded in operational readiness, patient safety, and workforce stability. Reports to the SVP \& Chief Marketing and Digital Experience Officer. Part of the Growth Marketing \& Digital Experience (GMDx) organization. How you'll make an impact in this role: Responsible for sustaining the operating culture of the contact center and evolves the operating model with modern tools and capabilities that enhance the experience for both consumers and team members.* **People Leadership \& Operating Culture:** Provide strategic leadership to build and sustain a high\-performing, mission\-aligned team across a large 700\+ distributed workforce by championing a strong culture of engagement and service excellence, coaching and inspiring leaders at all levels, developing talent for future readiness, and driving clear, respectful accountability throughout the organization. * **Growth Performance \& Scheduling Expansion:** Drive appointment growth and performance by optimizing volume, mix, and conversion; expand centralized scheduling coverage; evaluate \& onboard new service lines; and continue improvements in NPS and Next Access Score (by phone). * **Operational Excellence \& Financial Stewardship:** Ensure a resilient, high\-performing operation by maintaining readiness for disruptions, deliver core KPIs, optimize efficiency through workforce planning and process improvement, manage a $30\-$50M dollar budget with discipline, and uphold empathetic, high\-quality customer interactions. * **Technology Enablement \& Modernization:** Drive the adoption of AI and automation to streamline workflows and reduce manual effort, redesign cross\-platform processes, shape an integrated voice/digital access strategy, ensure safe and compliant implementation with appropriate human escalation, and make pragmatic build\-versus\-buy technology decisions. * Serve as the organization's operational lead on conversational consumer access, contributing to enterprise access, to experience standards (as defined by CX) and to strategy in partnership with system/clinical/market leaders. * Build, coach, and sustain a high\-performing, mission\-aligned leadership team across a large, distributed workforce while fostering engagement, retention, and accountability. * Achieve appointment volume, conversion, and access targets while expanding centralized scheduling capabilities and onboarding new service lines. * Deliver core Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and own dashboards for call handling performance across the enterprise. * Maintain readiness for workforce, volume, and system disruptions. Drive continuous process improvement, workforce optimization, and cost discipline while managing the operating budget. * Lead AI, automation, and platform enhancements to improve workflows, scalability, and service outcomes. * Use data and insights to improve end\-to\-end access, partners across stakeholders, and ensures a seamless, consumer\-centered experience. What minimum qualifications you'll need: Education:* Bachelor's degree required. Master's degree preferred. OR 7 years of experience required. 10 years of experience preferred. 5 years of leadership or management experience preferred. What additional requirements you'll need: * 15\+ years leading large\-scale consumer operations with a strong blend of people leadership and technology enablement. * Inspirational servant leader who builds followership and holds others accountable with clarity and respect. * People\-first operator who understands that sustainable transformation requires workforce trust and readiness. * Demonstrated ability to inspire and retain a distributed/remote workforce of 500\+ FTEs. * Technologically fluent: understands AI and automation well enough to make sound decisions about where and when to deploy. * Track record of introducing technology and process improvements within complex operating environments without disrupting stability. * Experience managing $40M\+ operating budgets with strong financial acumen. * Healthcare experience strongly preferred; familiarity with EHR\-integrated scheduling environments is a plus. * Master's preferred. \#Le@der Life at Ascension: Where purpose meets opportunity: Ascension is a leading nonprofit Catholic health system with a culture and associate experience grounded in service, growth, care and connection. We empower our 99,000\+ associates to bring their skills and expertise every day to reimagining healthcare, together. Recognized as one of the Best 150\+ Places to Work in Healthcare and a Military\-Friendly Gold Employer, you’ll find an inclusive and supportive environment where your contributions truly matter. Equal employment opportunity employer: ***Equal employment opportunity employer*** Ascension provides Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) to all associates and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, lactation, breastfeeding, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, all as defined by applicable law, and any other legally protected status or characteristic in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. For further information, view the EEO Know Your Rights (English) poster or EEO Know Your Rights (Spanish) poster. ***Fraud prevention notice*** Prospective applicants should be vigilant against fraudulent job offers and interview requests. Scammers may use sophisticated tactics to impersonate Ascension employees. To ensure your safety, please remember: Ascension will never ask for payment or to provide banking or financial information as part of the job application or hiring process. Our legitimate email communications will always come from an @ascension.org email address; do not trust other domains, and an official offer will only be extended to candidates who have completed a job application through our authorized applicant tracking system. ***E\-Verify statement*** Employer participates in the Electronic Employment Verification Program. Please click here for more information. Benefits: Paid time off (PTO) Various health insurance options \& wellness plans Retirement benefits including employer match plans Long\-term \& short\-term disability Employee assistance programs (EAP) Parental leave \& adoption assistance Tuition reimbursement Ways to give back to your community *Benefit options and eligibility vary by position. Compensation varies based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, performance, location and salary range at the time of the offer.*