Associate or Professor - Medical Director of Heart Transplant

Position #00798995 – Requisition #40831

About the role

The Medical Director (MD) for the Heart Transplant Program provides strategic, clinical, operational, and administrative leadership for the pediatric heart transplant program. Working in partnership with hospital, physician, nursing, and administrative leadership, the MD is accountable for the delivery of high-quality, safe, compliant, and cost-effective transplant care across the continuum of care. The role oversees program growth, regulatory compliance, quality outcomes, clinical operations, education, research, and community engagement while advancing the organization's goals related to patient experience, access, innovation, and clinical excellence.

The MD serves as the physician leader for the program, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, supporting faculty and staff development, ensuring compliance with CMS, UNOS, and other regulatory requirements, and promoting outstanding outcomes for patients and families.

Responsibilities

• Provides medical, operational, and strategic leadership for the Heart Transplant Program.
• Oversees transplant patient selection, listing, clinical management, and program operations.
• Leads development and implementation of clinical policies, protocols, and regulatory compliance activities.
• Directs quality, patient safety, performance improvement, and outcome monitoring initiatives.
• Collaborates with physicians, nursing, administrative, and ancillary leaders to ensure high-quality, efficient care delivery.
• Supports program growth through strategic planning, business development, community outreach, and referral management.
• Participates in budgeting, resource planning, workforce development, recruitment, and performance management.
• Oversees education, training, mentoring, and research activities supporting the program's academic mission.
• Represents the program with regulatory agencies, professional organizations, referring providers, and community partners.

Work Location

Onsite – this role is expected to work onsite and is located in Aurora, Colorado.

About the team

As the largest pediatric heart program in the region, we have performed more than 700 heart surgeries and about 1,000 heart catheterizations every year since 2020. Our highly specialized pediatric heart surgeons and interventional cardiologists take on the most complex congenital heart defects (CHDs) and childhood heart conditions and achieve some of the best results in the nation. The Society of Thoracic Surgery requires a hospital to perform at least 250 heart surgeries per year to be considered a high-volume center. By far exceeding this, we gain more experience, which leads to better outcomes. The Heart Institute has 100 plus faculty members and continues to grow annually.

Benefits

• Medical: Multiple plan options
• Dental: Multiple plan options
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year (based on percentage of time)
  • Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)
  • Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)
  • Holiday Days: 11/year
• Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses
• ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service

There are many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire. This is an open rank position and could be categorized as Associate Professor or Professor based on experience and qualifications as indicated below:

Associate Professor

• Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (MD/DO), or equivalent.
• Board Certified in Pediatrics
• At least 5 years of experience in Heart Failure Transplant.
• Meet UNOS physician requirements

Professor

• Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (MD/DO), or equivalent.
• Board Certified in Pediatrics
• 7 or more years of experience in Heart Failure Transplant.
• Advanced training in Heart Failure and Heart Transplant
• Prior experience with program development, teaching or research.
• Meet UNOS physician requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must successfully pass a drug test through Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Must be willing and able to pass a national criminal background check

For questions regarding Children’s Hospital drug testing requirements, please contact Children’s Human Resources at 720-777-8598. Some positions may require testing if access to Children’s Hospital or their systems is needed at any time during employment with the University. If drug testing is required, it will be listed in the job posting.

Skills

• Knowledge of heart transplantation, pediatric healthcare delivery, quality improvement, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong leadership, strategic planning, operational management, and financial stewardship skills.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and foster collaboration across clinical and administrative departments.
• Skilled in communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and change management.
• Ability to analyze data, evaluate outcomes, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated commitment to patient-centered care, safety, education, research, and organizational excellence.

Pay

The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established as:

• Associate Professor: $315,000 to $360,000
• Professor: $408,000 to $460,000

This position is not eligible for overtime compensation unless it is non-exempt.