Organizational Design Director

Ascension
Full-time$143k-202k/year (USD)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Organizational Design Director

Company: Ascension

Location: Remote (with up to 25% travel)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Revenue Operations / GTM Operations (Implied through organizational design impact on business units and strategy translation)

Date Posted: February 28, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years (Implied by 5+ years of progressive experience and leadership requirements)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

  • Lead the strategic design, implementation, and optimization of organizational structures and governance frameworks across diverse business units to enhance operational efficiency and strategic alignment.

  • Translate high-level business strategies into actionable organizational designs that drive performance improvements, clarify roles and responsibilities, and foster effective cross-functional collaboration.

  • Serve as a key strategic advisor to senior executives, providing expert guidance on organizational design decisions impacting growth initiatives, business transformations, and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A).

  • Facilitate executive-level discussions to navigate complex trade-offs related to span of control, workforce composition, and resource allocation, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Organizational Design Director," the responsibilities of translating strategy, advising on growth and M&A, and focusing on performance and collaboration strongly align with the strategic underpinnings of Revenue Operations and Go-To-Market (GTM) Operations. This role will likely influence how sales, marketing, and customer success teams are structured and operate, directly impacting revenue generation and operational efficiency. The emphasis on "business units" suggests a broad impact across the organization, including revenue-generating functions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Spearhead the end-to-end design and implementation of organizational structures, including clear governance models, role definitions, and accountability frameworks for all business units.

  • Develop and execute organizational design solutions that demonstrably improve business unit performance, enhance individual and team accountability, and promote seamless cross-functional collaboration.

  • Provide expert strategic advisory services to senior leadership on organizational design considerations critical for company growth strategies, large-scale business transformations, and integration efforts stemming from M&A activities.

  • Lead and manage executive-level facilitation sessions to discuss and resolve complex organizational design challenges, including optimum span of control, workforce composition, and future-state organizational blueprints.

  • Cultivate robust partnerships with key stakeholders across Talent Acquisition, Finance, Change Management, and other relevant departments to ensure integrated and holistic organizational design solutions.

  • Align organizational design initiatives with major change management programs and adoption strategies to support successful business transformations and ensure sustainable adoption of new structures.

  • Establish and refine organizational design frameworks, standards, and best practices, while simultaneously building internal HR capabilities through targeted coaching and educational initiatives.

  • Leverage advanced analytics, relevant industry benchmarking, and performance metrics to inform design decisions, predict outcomes, and rigorously measure the effectiveness of implemented organizational designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed are core to strategic organizational design. For a role influencing revenue operations or GTM, an applicant should be prepared to demonstrate how their design principles directly impact sales productivity, marketing effectiveness, customer retention, and overall GTM efficiency. The emphasis on "business units" and "M&A" suggests a need for scalability and adaptability in design solutions.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

  • High School diploma equivalency with 5 years of applicable cumulative job-specific experience, with 2 of those years in leadership/management.

  • Associate's degree or Bachelor's degree with 3 years of applicable cumulative job-specific experience, with 2 of those years in leadership/management.

  • Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Development, Business, Human Resources, or a related field is strongly preferred.

Experience:

  • 5+ years of progressive experience in organizational design, organization effectiveness, or related strategic HR functions.

Required Skills:

  • Expertise in Organizational Design principles and methodologies for structuring complex organizations.

  • Proficiency in developing and implementing Governance frameworks and establishing clear Role Clarity.

  • Proven ability to translate business strategy into organizational structures that improve Performance Improvement and Accountability.

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience in Strategic Advisory roles, influencing senior executive decision-making.

  • Skills in Executive Facilitation and managing high-level stakeholder discussions.

  • Deep understanding of Workforce Composition analysis and planning.

  • Familiarity with Change Management principles and their application in organizational restructuring.

  • Experience in establishing Design Frameworks and building organizational capabilities.

  • Proficiency in using Data-Driven Decisions and Benchmarking to inform and validate organizational designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a High School diploma equivalency with leadership experience is a key differentiator. While a Bachelor's is preferred, the emphasis on practical, leadership-driven experience should be highlighted by candidates who meet that threshold. The preferred skills list provides strong keywords for candidates to align their experience with, particularly those related to strategic impact and data utilization.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Demonstrate through case studies how you have designed organizational structures that led to measurable improvements in key business metrics (e.g., revenue growth, efficiency, employee productivity).

  • Provide examples of governance models you have developed, showcasing how they standardized processes and improved decision-making within business units.

  • Showcase instances where you facilitated executive-level discussions to resolve complex organizational design challenges, including trade-offs in span of control or workforce composition.

Process Documentation:

  • Examples of organizational design process documentation, including needs assessment, design development, stakeholder alignment, and implementation planning phases.

  • Documentation of how you have used analytics and benchmarking to inform design decisions and establish metrics for measuring design effectiveness.

  • Evidence of collaboration with Talent, Finance, and Change Management teams, detailing integrated approaches to organizational change and adoption.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this Director-level role, a portfolio should emphasize strategic impact and executive-level influence. Candidates should be prepared to present complex organizational transformations they have led, focusing on the "why" and "how" of their design choices, and critically, the quantifiable business outcomes achieved. The ability to articulate a structured approach to organizational design, from initial analysis to ongoing measurement, is crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $142,936.00 - $201,792.00 (per year)

Benefits:

  • Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage, and Health Savings Account (HSA)/Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options.

  • Financial Security & Retirement: Employer-matched 403(b) plan, retirement planning and hardship resources, disability and life insurance.

  • Time to Recharge: Pro-rated Paid Time Off (PTO) and holidays.

  • Career Growth: Ascension-paid tuition (Vocare), reimbursement programs, ongoing professional development, and online learning resources.

  • Emotional Well-being: Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering counseling, peer support, spiritual care, and stress management resources.

  • Family Support: Parental leave, adoption assistance, and other family benefits.

  • Other Benefits: Optional legal and pet insurance, transportation savings programs, and more.

Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week) with day shift schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is competitive for a Director-level role in organizational design, especially within the healthcare sector. The extensive benefits package highlights Ascension's commitment to associate well-being and professional development, which can be a significant draw for experienced professionals seeking stability and growth. The mention of a "bonus incentive" indicates potential for additional compensation tied to performance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare (Nonprofit Catholic Health System)

Company Size: 99,000+ associates (Large Enterprise)

Founded: Ascension is a leading nonprofit Catholic health system. Specific founding date not provided, but its scale suggests a long-standing presence.

Team Structure:

  • The role sits within the Organizational Design & HR Integration department, indicating a centralized HR function with specialized expertise.

  • The Director will likely report to a VP or SVP of HR, Talent, or Organizational Effectiveness, overseeing a team or influencing cross-functional project teams.

Methodology:

  • Data-Driven Decisions: The role explicitly emphasizes using analytics and benchmarking to inform design and measure effectiveness, pointing to a data-centric approach within the department.

  • Strategic Translation: A core function is translating strategic objectives into tangible organizational structures, highlighting a focus on aligning HR initiatives with business goals.

  • Capability Building: The mandate includes establishing frameworks and coaching HR professionals, suggesting a commitment to developing internal expertise and scalable processes.

Company Website: https://jobs.ascension.org/us/en

📝 Enhancement Note: As a large nonprofit Catholic health system, Ascension's culture likely emphasizes mission-driven work, ethical practices, and community service. This context is crucial for understanding how organizational decisions are framed and prioritized. The size of the organization means that organizational design initiatives can have a substantial impact, but also require navigating complex stakeholder landscapes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Director-level position, signifying a senior leadership role responsible for strategic direction and execution within organizational design. It requires significant experience and the ability to influence executive decision-making.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to a senior HR leader and is expected to collaborate extensively with other senior leaders across various business units and functions, including Finance and Talent.

Operations Impact: The director's work directly impacts how the entire organization functions, influencing efficiency, accountability, and collaboration across all business units. This has a profound effect on achieving strategic objectives, including growth, transformation, and M&A success, ultimately driving the organization's overall effectiveness and potentially its financial performance.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Leadership Advancement: Potential to move into VP-level roles within HR, Talent Management, or Organizational Effectiveness, or transition into broader executive leadership roles.

  • Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the future organizational landscape of a major healthcare system, gaining experience in complex transformations and large-scale integrations.

  • Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in advanced organizational design methodologies, change leadership, and executive advisory services within a mission-critical industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a significant opportunity for an operations professional looking to move into a strategic leadership position. The impact is broad, and the potential for growth is substantial, especially within a large, mission-oriented organization like Ascension. Candidates should highlight their experience in influencing strategy and leading complex organizational change.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Remote with up to 25% travel. This indicates a hybrid-flexible work model, prioritizing remote work while requiring occasional in-person engagement for critical meetings, workshops, or site visits.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the mention of travel suggests that in-person interactions might occur at various Ascension facilities or corporate offices across the United States. The company is headquartered in the U.S. (implied by location data).

Workspace Context:

  • Collaborative Environment: Design principles emphasize collaboration, suggesting the role will involve extensive virtual collaboration with diverse teams and stakeholders across the organization.

  • Technology Enabled: As a remote role, proficiency with collaboration tools, video conferencing, and digital documentation platforms is essential for effective communication and project management.

  • Strategic Focus: The work environment will likely be fast-paced and strategic, requiring the ability to manage multiple complex projects and engage with senior leadership regularly.

Work Schedule: Day shift, full-time (40 hours per week). While remote, adherence to typical business hours and availability for key meetings in U.S. time zones (likely involving America/Chicago as a reference) will be expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature with travel suggests a need for strong self-management, proactive communication, and the ability to build rapport virtually. Candidates should be comfortable with both independent work and in-person strategic engagements.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Screening: HR screen to assess alignment with basic qualifications, salary expectations, and cultural fit.

  • Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion about experience, leadership style, and strategic approach to organizational design. Expect questions on past projects and problem-solving.

  • Panel Interview/Case Study: Likely involves presenting a case study or tackling a hypothetical organizational design challenge. This will assess analytical skills, strategic thinking, and communication abilities. Questions may focus on translating strategy to structure and measuring impact.

  • Executive Interview: Final interview with a senior leader (e.g., VP/SVP of HR) to evaluate strategic alignment, leadership potential, and overall fit within Ascension's executive team.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Quantify Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the actions taken, and the quantifiable business outcomes (e.g., % reduction in costs, % increase in efficiency, improved employee engagement scores, successful integration metrics).

  • Focus on Strategy & Influence: Highlight how your designs aligned with broader business objectives and how you influenced senior leadership to adopt your recommendations.

  • Showcase Frameworks: Present any organizational design frameworks, models, or tools you have developed or utilized, explaining their application and effectiveness.

  • Demonstrate Collaboration: Include examples of your work with cross-functional partners (Talent, Finance, Change Management) and how you ensured integrated solutions.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Understand Ascension's Context: Research Ascension's mission, values, recent strategic initiatives, and any known organizational challenges or growth areas within the healthcare sector.

  • Prepare for Strategic Scenarios: Anticipate questions about designing organizations for growth, digital transformation, M&A integration, or improving GTM effectiveness through structural changes.

  • Articulate Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss the pros and cons of different organizational structures and articulate how you would facilitate discussions around complex trade-offs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Organizational Design & HR Integration" suggests that interviewers will be keen to understand how the candidate bridges the gap between HR strategy and business operations. A strong portfolio showcasing measurable business impact, not just theoretical design, will be critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Organizational Design Software: Proficiency with tools for org charting, modeling, and scenario planning (e.g., OrgPlus, Visio, Lucidchart, specialized OD platforms).

  • Collaboration Platforms: Advanced use of Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, or similar for remote team management and communication.

  • Project Management Software: Experience with tools like Asana, Jira, or Monday.com for managing large-scale design initiatives.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • Data Analysis Tools: Skills in Excel (advanced), potentially SQL or BI tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for analyzing workforce data, benchmarking, and reporting on design effectiveness.

  • HRIS Systems: Familiarity with HR Information Systems (e.g., Workday, SAP SuccessFactors) for accessing and analyzing employee data relevant to organizational design.

CRM & Automation:

  • While not directly a CRM role, understanding how organizational design impacts CRM adoption and efficiency within sales/GTM functions is beneficial. Awareness of how organizational structures affect workflows managed by automation tools is also valuable.

  • Integration Tools: Understanding the impact of organizational design on system integrations and data flow across different departments and platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the core tools are likely within HR and project management, the ability to leverage data analytics tools and understand HRIS systems is crucial for a data-driven approach. For candidates with a GTM or RevOps background, highlighting any experience where organizational structure directly influenced CRM usage or sales process efficiency would be a strong asset.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Mission-Driven: A strong emphasis on serving the community and upholding the values of a Catholic health system is likely paramount.

  • Collaboration: The role's responsibilities necessitate a highly collaborative approach, working across departments and with diverse stakeholders.

  • Data-Informed: Decisions are expected to be backed by analytics and benchmarking, promoting a culture of evidence-based practice.

  • Continuous Improvement: The role's focus on design and effectiveness implies a commitment to ongoing optimization and adaptation.

  • Integrity & Ethics: As a Catholic health system, ethical conduct and integrity are foundational.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-Functional Integration: Building strong partnerships with HR, Finance, and Change Management is essential for seamless execution of organizational design initiatives.

  • Stakeholder Management: Effectively engaging and influencing stakeholders at all levels, from individual contributors to senior executives.

  • Facilitative Leadership: Guiding discussions and decision-making processes through facilitation rather than solely directive management.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should demonstrate an understanding of and alignment with mission-driven organizations. Highlighting experience in navigating complex stakeholder environments and fostering collaboration across diverse functions will be key to cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Navigating a Large, Complex Organization: Implementing organizational changes within a large healthcare system with established structures and diverse stakeholder needs can be challenging.

  • Driving Executive Alignment: Securing and maintaining buy-in from senior leadership for significant organizational design changes requires strong influence and communication skills.

  • Measuring ROI of Design: Quantifying the precise return on investment for organizational design initiatives can be complex, requiring robust data analytics and clear metrics.

  • Adapting to Healthcare Industry Dynamics: The healthcare sector is constantly evolving, requiring organizational designs to be agile and responsive to regulatory changes, technological advancements, and market shifts.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Advanced Organizational Design Techniques: Opportunity to deepen expertise in cutting-edge organizational design theories, models, and tools.

  • Executive Coaching & Mentorship: Exposure to senior leadership and potential mentorship from experienced executives within Ascension.

  • Industry Expertise: Gaining in-depth knowledge of organizational best practices within the complex healthcare industry.

  • Large-Scale Transformation Experience: Developing a strong track record in leading significant organizational change initiatives within a major enterprise.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a significant opportunity to tackle complex organizational challenges within a vital industry. The ability to frame these challenges as growth opportunities and demonstrate a proactive, learning-oriented approach will be well-received.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you designed an organizational structure that significantly improved business unit performance. What were the key metrics, and how did you measure success?" (Focus on quantifiable impact and GTM alignment if possible).

  • "How would you approach advising a CEO on organizational design decisions during a major acquisition or merger? What are the critical factors to consider?" (Highlight M&A experience and strategic advisory skills).

Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What interests you about Ascension's mission and our work in the healthcare sector?" (Research mission, values, and recent news).

  • "How do you foster collaboration between HR, Finance, and operational leaders when designing organizational changes?" (Provide examples of cross-functional partnership).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Storytelling: Frame your portfolio projects as compelling narratives. Clearly articulate the "before" (the problem), the "during" (your strategic approach and actions), and the "after" (the measurable positive outcomes).

  • Visual Aids: Use org charts, process diagrams, and data visualizations to make your case studies clear and impactful.

  • Focus on Business Impact: For each example, emphasize how your design choices directly contributed to business results, efficiency gains, or strategic alignment. If possible, relate this to revenue generation or GTM effectiveness.

  • Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Expect interviewers to ask detailed questions about your methodologies, challenges faced, and decision-making processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to speak to the specific challenges and opportunities within the healthcare industry and how organizational design can address them. Connecting past successes to potential impact within Ascension's context will be crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

  • Submit your application through the provided link on the Ascension careers portal.

  • Tailor Your Resume: Ensure your resume highlights experience in organizational design, strategic advisory, cross-functional collaboration, and leadership. Use keywords from the job description such as "organizational design," "governance," "performance improvement," "M&A," and "strategic advisory." Quantify achievements wherever possible.

  • Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate 2-3 of your most impactful organizational design projects. For each, prepare a concise summary that outlines the challenge, your strategic approach, key actions taken, and quantifiable business results. Focus on projects that demonstrate impact on performance, efficiency, or strategic alignment.

  • Research Ascension: Understand Ascension's mission, values, and its position within the healthcare industry. Familiarize yourself with their approach to innovation and patient care. This will help you tailor your answers and demonstrate cultural fit.

  • Practice Interview Responses: Rehearse answers to common interview questions, particularly those related to strategic thinking, problem-solving, executive facilitation, and measuring the impact of organizational design. Be ready to discuss your leadership style and experience managing teams.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Application Requirements

A minimum requirement includes a High School diploma equivalency with 5 years of relevant experience, including 2 years in leadership, or an Associate's/Bachelor's degree with 3 years of relevant experience, including 2 years in leadership. A Bachelor's degree in Organizational Development, Business, or HR, along with 5+ years in organizational design/effectiveness, is strongly preferred.