Chief Executive Officer

About the role

Vayu Health is an innovative healthcare organization advancing health equity through whole-person care for individuals with complex chronic conditions, behavioral health needs, and significant social determinants of health. The Chief Executive Officer will guide the organization through its next phase of growth, operational scale, and geographic expansion.

Responsibilities

• Geographic Expansion, Payer Strategy, & Strategic Partnerships
  Lead the strategic expansion of Vayu's footprint across California, deepen partnerships with Managed Care Plans (MCPs), providers, and community organizations to extend the organization's reach and impact.
  Navigate California's evolving Medi-Cal landscape, including CalAIM and other regulatory and payment reforms, serving as a trusted leader and advocate for Vayu's innovative care model.
  Lead the evolution of Vayu's existing and future payer partnerships, innovative payment methods, and contracting strategies, supporting and demonstrating the strength of the organization's whole-person and human centered care model and its ability to improve health outcomes while reducing total cost of care.
  Cultivate and strengthen strategic relationships across California's healthcare ecosystem, building executive-level partnerships with health plans, providers, funders, policymakers, and other key stakeholders that advance Vayu's mission and long-term growth.

• Operational Infrastructure & Organizational Scale
  Develop the "Vayu Blueprint" by transforming early-stage startup processes into scalable, enterprise-grade operating systems that support sustainable organizational growth.
  Design and implement the operational infrastructure, technology, and AI-enabled workflows necessary to improve efficiency, strengthen execution, and reduce administrative burden while preserving Vayu's human-centered model of care.
  Establish repeatable systems, processes, and organizational capabilities that enable Vayu to scale without compromising clinical quality, patient outcomes, or organizational culture.
  Build an operational foundation that enables Vayu's care model to scale across California today while positioning the organization for future geographic expansion and broader payer portability.

• Financial Strategy & Organizational Sustainability
  Lead Vayu's long-term financial strategy, ensuring the organization's growth strengthens its financial position through disciplined P&L management, sound unit economics, and operational efficiencies that reduce the cost of care as the organization scales.
  Champion Vayu's long-term sustainability by securing the capital and strategic partnerships needed to support organizational growth, while advancing a balanced funding model that includes earned revenue, value-based payer partnerships, grants, and strategic philanthropy.
  Serve as a trusted executive partner to health plans, providers, funders, and government stakeholders, articulating the value of Vayu's innovative care model through measurable outcomes, rigorous outcomes and ROI analysis, and a deep understanding of the intersection between clinical delivery, payment models, actuarial science, and healthcare policy.

• Clinical Partnership & Care Model Excellence
  Partner closely with clinical leadership to ensure Vayu's care model continues to deliver exceptional patient outcomes while operating with the efficiency and discipline required to support sustainable growth.
  Balance whole-person and human centered care with sound operational and financial stewardship as the organization scales.
  Partner closely with Founder Dr. Avni Shah to translate visionary clinical innovation into scalable operational execution, ensuring the integrity, quality, and heart of Vayu's care model remain central as the organization grows.

• People, Culture, & Organizational Leadership
  Lead, inspire, and develop a rapidly growing organization, fostering organizational clarity, accountability, mission alignment, and transparent communication through periods of sustained growth and change.
  Build and mentor a high-performing leadership team capable of supporting Vayu's continued growth while reinforcing a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
  Cultivate a culture that prioritizes the human on both sides of the care equation, investing in employee engagement, professional agency, and leadership development while reducing administrative burden through thoughtful systems and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Executive Leadership: 7+ years of executive leadership experience (CEO, COO, Executive Director, SVP, or equivalent) within a healthcare delivery organization, healthcare services organization, or growth-stage healthcare enterprise.

• Proven Scaling Record: Demonstrated success leading a healthcare delivery organization or tech-enabled healthcare service through a significant period of growth, transformation, or operational scaling, including experience managing multi-site operations, complex organizations with budgets of $10M+ or teams of 25+ employees.

• California Health System Expertise: Deep understanding of California's Medi-Cal ecosystem, Managed Care Plans (MCPs), reimbursement models, and evolving regulatory landscape.

• Financial & Philanthropic Acumen: Demonstrated financial leadership, including P&L oversight, unit economics, sustainable revenue strategy, payer contracting, and diversified funding models. Experience securing strategic partnerships, transformational capital, grants, and strategic philanthropy, with the ability to engage effectively with Boards, funders, grantors, and philanthropic partners.

• Infrastructure Mindset: Experience building scalable operating systems and infrastructure designed for replication, including multi-site healthcare operations, technology-enabled service models, or EMR-enabled clinical environments.

• Nonprofit Governance: Significant experience partnering with nonprofit Boards of Directors, supporting governance, and managing complex grant-funded or mission-driven organizations.

Compensation and Benefits

This position offers a competitive base salary range of $275,000 – $315,000, commensurate with experience, along with a comprehensive benefits package.

Applications and Nominations

Vayu Health has retained the services of Scion Executive Search, a national executive search firm specializing in nonprofit recruitment, to assist in conducting this important search. For immediate consideration, please apply with your resume and cover letter, formatted in Microsoft Word, via: https://scionexecutivesearch.com/job/14895.