AI Strategy Associate Director State Health
Job Location:
Bentonville, AR - USA
Monthly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
Job Family:
Data Science Consulting
Travel Required:
Clearance Required:
What You Will Do:
We are seeking an experienced AI and data practitioner to join our growing AI and Data practice with a dedicated focus on State Health agencies with an emphasis on Medicaid programs and the responsible development and operationalization of AI solutions. This individual will be a hands-on leader who can connect strategy to execution partnering with agency leaders to define high-value AI use cases establish an enterprise AI strategy and advance AI enablement across the organization.
This is a leadership role for someone who thrives at the intersection of state health mission outcomes data and AI capabilities and practical implementation. You will guide clients through the full lifecycle from identifying and prioritizing use cases to designing the operating model data foundations governance and delivery approach needed to move solutions into production.
The Associate Director will oversee cross-functional teams and work directly with client executives and program leaders to drive measurable value through AI analytics and modern data practices.
Key Responsibilities Include
- Serve as a trusted advisor to State Health and Medicaid leaders on developing an AI strategy that covers:
- Core enterprise AI capabilities (data readiness governance model lifecycle management tooling)
- Priority mission and operational use cases (member and provider experience program operations integrity quality and analytics)
- Lead engagements from strategy through implementation with a focus on outcomes adoption and sustainable operations.
- Translate complex health and Medicaid business challenges into actionable AI/ML and analytics solutions using platforms such as Azure AWS GCP Databricks Snowflake and related services.
- Partner with IT program privacy security legal and procurement stakeholders to support delivery that aligns to agency policies and applicable regulations.
- Facilitate use case discovery and prioritization workshops with stakeholders across agency divisions.
- Define an AI use case portfolio and roadmap that balances:
- Quick-win productivity use cases
- Program modernization and longer-term transformation
- Foundational capabilities (data governance operating model) needed to scale
- Create pragmatic adoption plans including workforce readiness change management training and communications.
- Guide solution design and implementation for AI and GenAI capabilities including:
- Decision support and predictive analytics
- Intelligent document processing summarization and search
- Customer service and contact center augmentation
- Caseworker support tools and workflow automation
- Program integrity and anomaly detection
- Lead and advise on production readiness topics such as model monitoring drift validation human-in-the-loop workflows and incident response procedures.
- Partner with data engineering and architecture teams to design data pipelines and curated datasets that support trusted analytics and AI use.
- Apply Medicaid and state health data knowledge across domains such as:
- Claims and encounters eligibility and enrollment provider data managed care long-term services and supports pharmacy behavioral health and social determinants
- Support data integration and interoperability approaches using standards and frameworks such as FHIR HL7 and related health data exchange patterns where relevant.
- Help teams define data quality lineage metadata and access patterns that support scalable AI and analytics.
- Establish practical AI governance approaches including intake review risk management and approval pathways.
- Incorporate responsible AI practices transparency auditability and privacy-preserving approaches into delivery.
- Collaborate with security and privacy stakeholders to align to expectations relevant to State Health environments (for example HIPAA-aligned privacy practices agency security controls and contractual requirements).
- Drive growth through capture support proposal development orals preparation and strategic pursuits focused on State Health and Medicaid priorities.
- Collaborate with partners and directors to expand the firms footprint in State Health agencies and related health and human services organizations.
- Contribute to thought leadership and represent the firm in client discussions and industry forums.
What You Will Need:
- Bachelors degree from an accredited college/university.
- Based on our contractual obligations candidate must be located within the United States and US Citizen.
- Must be able to OBTAIN and MAINTAIN a Federal or DoD PUBLIC TRUST.
- Minimum seven (7) years of hands-on AI data analytics or engineering experience including applied AI/ML work.
- Minimum five (5) years delivering technical solutions and programs for public sector clients with significant experience in State Health and or Medicaid environments.
- Demonstrated experience defining AI use cases translating business needs into solution requirements and moving solutions from concept to implementation.
- Strong understanding of AI/ML technologies and data platforms (for example Azure/AWS/GCP Databricks Snowflake) and modern analytics methodologies.
- Working knowledge of GenAI capabilities and patterns including where GenAI can drive productivity and where controls are needed.
- Experience with the full delivery lifecycle including architecture development oversight deployment planning monitoring and operational support models.
- Proven ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical stakeholders from agency executives (CIO CDO CISO program leaders) to engineering and architecture teams.
- Strong communication facilitation and relationship-building skills.
- Travel 10% during key peak periods ie. client kick-off implementation etc.
What Would Be Nice To Have:
- Masters degree.
- AI and or cloud certifications (Azure AWS GCP Databricks Snowflake) and relevant GenAI credentials.
- PMP or comparable delivery leadership credential.
- Hands-on experience bringing GenAI solutions into production with governance monitoring and adoption support.
- Direct experience with Medicaid systems and data sources such as MMIS data warehouses/lakes eligibility systems provider systems managed care data or program integrity tools.
- Experience with health data interoperability initiatives and standards (for example FHIR-based approaches).
- Familiarity with state procurement and contracting processes including RFP response leadership.
What We Offer:
Guidehouse offers a comprehensive total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and a flexible benefits package that reflects our commitment to creating a diverse and supportive workplace.
Benefits include:
Medical Rx Dental & Vision Insurance
Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays
Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus
Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance
401(k) Retirement Plan
Basic Life & Supplemental Life
Health Savings Account Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
Student Loan PayDown
Tuition Reimbursement Personal Development & Learning Opportunities
Skills Development & Certifications
Employee Referral Program
Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach
Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program
Mobility Stipend
About Guidehouse
Guidehouse is an Equal Opportunity EmployerProtected Veterans Individuals with Disabilities or any other basis protected by law ordinance or regulation.
Guidehouse will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law or ordinance including the Fair Chance Ordinance of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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Required Experience:
Director
About Company
Guidehouse is the only scaled advisory consultancy in the world to fully integrate commercial and public or government businesses within each of our industry segments because complex problems require both perspectives to address and outwit.
