ED, Facilities Planning and Design

Executive Director, Facilities Planning and Design

The Executive Director, Facilities Planning and Design, National Facilities Design and Construction (NFDC) partners with the Vice President, Facilities Planning and Design to support multiple large Service Delivery projects across the Program. Together, they lead the facilities design standards program and the service delivery support system. This role provides strategic planning and design guidance to internal Kaiser Permanente (KP) clients and to external consultants and vendors, builds a robust client feedback loop, and drives continuous improvement across NFDC and Facilities Planning and Design. The Executive Director collaborates with KP National and Regional leaders, NFDC leadership, and Service Delivery teams to develop and implement planning and design concepts and tools aligned with industry best practices to advance patient, workplace, and environmental safety. The Executive Director shares accountability for a $40 billion capital program as well as the optimization and maintenance of 78 million square feet of legacy real estate.

The Executive Director, Facilities Planning and Design will be responsible for:

• Providing strategic leadership to develop, implement, and sustain innovative facilities planning and design tools and processes.
• Developing and maintaining professional development and training resources for the facilities planning community.
• Translating key KP business objectives and financial plans into practical planning and design strategies.
• Enabling Program-wide processes to deliver an aggressive capital plan and optimize, maintain, and modernize existing facilities.
• Developing staffing strategies that leverage community resources while maximizing the impact of in-house expertise.
• Building strong partnerships with facilities leaders through business acumen, clear communication, and deep knowledge of healthcare operations, workflows, planning, design, delivery, and facility operations.
• Driving positive change and innovation across the organization.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of facility requirements in collaboration with Delivery Service Strategy (DSS) and the Service Delivery Executive Director and develop options that deliver the most cost effective facilities solutions.
• Maintain active professional licensure as a Registered Architect.
• Develop the KP Architectural Design Studio with the VP, Planning and Design.
• Ensure planning and design solutions and the resulting clinical workflows reflect industrys best practices and maximize effective asset utilization.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve planning and design tools that align with best practices in healthcare design.
• Ensure both existing and new facilities consistently reflect and strengthen the Kaiser Permanente brand.
• In partnership with Hospitals/Health Plan and Permanente Medical Group leadership, ensure KPs core values are integrated into facility planning and design, including how team members relate (Integrity, Partnership, Diversity), how work is accomplished (Accountability, Flexibility, Innovation), and how success is defined (Quality, Service, Results).
• Support compliance with the Principles of Responsibility (KPs Code of Conduct) by safeguarding privacy and confidentiality, protecting organizational assets, acting with ethics and integrity, reporting non-compliance, and adhering to applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, accreditation and licensure requirements (as applicable), and KP policies and procedures.
• Partner with the Vice President, Facilities Planning and Design, and other NFDC leaders to ensure the people, tools, systems, and processes are in place and operating effectively to plan, design, and construct facilities.
• Develop and implement risk mitigation plans and strategies for facilities and projects, as appropriate.
• Provide leadership for compliance planning and implementation related to California Senate Bill 1953 (SB 1953).
• Provide leadership and direct support in working with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), including the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI), as applicable.
• Provide leadership and direct support in setting, achieving, and exceeding energy and water conservation targets and design performance metrics.
• Provide leadership and direct support to advance active living and reduce harmful chemical exposures across the planning, design, construction, and operation of KP facilities.
• Partner with regional planning committees to develop strategic options for capital planning scenarios.
• Support project entitlements in partnership with Real Estate and Project Acquisition.
• Improve planning and design productivity and reduce project costs by identifying, implementing, and sharing best practices Program-wide.
• Embed process improvement and operational excellence into planning and design work Program-wide.
• Build strong relationships with internal customers and address satisfaction issues promptly.
• Ensure consistent use of the KP Facilities Design Standards Program across consultants, contractors, and subcontractors.
• Develop facilities planning curriculum and ensure periodic training is delivered, in coordination with Training and Development and other partners, to support consistent implementation of planning and design policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with KP and NFDC business fundamentals, policies, and procedures.
• Help develop and implement a program to measure, manage, and improve project outcomes and team performance.
• Partner with the Vice President, Planning and Design, to set and maintain the strategic direction of NFDC business units Program-wide.

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum fifteen (15) years of experience in large-scale, technically complex planning and design capital projects, with at least ten (10) years in planning and design management or operational management.

Education:

• Bachelors degree in architecture, engineering, planning, design, or construction management or four (4) years of experience in a directly related field.
• High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED) required.

License, Certification, Registration:

• Architect License (from any state)

Additional Requirements:

• Critical to this task is strong planning and design risk assessment experience including experience and capabilities in claims and litigation. Of equal importance to this role is the ability to review, recognize, and foresee problems in complex planning and design projects. Knowledge of the healthcare industry, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, and both in-patient and outpatient operations and design are required. Experience as an owners representative is desirable but not required. More broadly, the Executive Director, Facilities Planning and Design will need to have:
• Exceptional strategic planning and vision: Demonstrated ability to lead significant change in a dynamic, service-oriented organization; define challenges and goals; and, set strategic direction to achieve near- and long-term objectives.
• Proven leadership ability: An optimistic, entrepreneurial, pragmatic leader who rallies the organization around strategy; motivates and develops internal teams; and builds credibility and confidence while strengthening a customer service orientation within Facilities Planning and Design.