Director, Research & Development – Commercial Growth Initiatives

Support early-stage growth work by deeply understanding healthcare problems and helping shape solutions that take advantage of Vizient's unique assets, relationships, data, and market position.Develop product and business theses by connecting customer pain, market dynamics, operational reality, economic value, and Vizient's strategic position.Bring an external market perspective to early-stage ideas, including how health systems make decisions, what buyers value, where budgets may sit, and how alternatives compete.Conduct research, interviews, and working sessions with internal stakeholders, health system leaders, operators, subject matter experts, and external market participants.Build the evidence base for whether an opportunity is meaningful, fundable, differentiated, and credible enough for Vizient R&D to pursue further.Identify the core assumptions, risks, and open questions that should determine whether an opportunity advances, changes direction, or stops.Translate research, interviews, market analysis, and internal expertise into concise problem statements, opportunity narratives, and recommendation materials.Maintain meticulous documentation of evidence, assumptions, stakeholder input, decisions, and open questions so recommendations can be reviewed, challenged, and handed off cleanly.Work across internal and external partners to keep assessment work grounded, practical, and moving.Help improve how the team evaluates, communicates, and prioritizes early-stage commercial growth opportunities as the function scales.RequirementsRelevant degree preferred.MBA or equivalent graduate business training is a plus.7 or more years of experience required.Experience in healthcare-focused venture analysis or management consulting, or extensive health system operations highly preferred.Experience in product or growth strategy in health tech, fintech, or AdTech is a plus.Healthcare fluency from provider operations, healthcare consulting, health tech, payer/provider strategy, or healthcare analytics.Experience evaluating early-stage ideas, new offerings, emerging markets, customer problems, or investment cases before formal build or delivery.Ability to distinguish a compelling problem from an interesting idea and define the evidence that makes it a defensible opportunity.Skill in turning ambiguous ideas into structured questions, research plans, and analysis.Experience building market maps, value models, customer discovery summaries, problem statements, competitive assessments, decision memos, and investment recommendations.Comfort moving between market research, customer discovery, economic logic, operational reality, and executive synthesis.Customer-centered mindset.Practical judgment, intellectual honesty, and a collaborative approach to navigating ambiguity and differing perspectives.Initiative to anticipate issues and keep work moving without perfect direction.Willingness to travel.Core Competencies Demonstrates expertise in healthcare-focused venture analysis and product strategy, with a strong ability to translate market research and stakeholder insights into actionable recommendations. Proven experience in evaluating early-stage ideas and navigating complex healthcare environments to drive growth opportunities.#J-18808-Ljbffr