Chief Operating Officer

Position Summary

The Chief Operating Officer serves as a key enterprise executive responsible for translating WesleyLife’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities into exceptional operational performance across the organization. Reporting to the President & CEO, the COO provides executive leadership for WesleyLife’s Communities for Healthy Living, home and community-based services, and enterprise operational standards.

Essential Job Functions & Responsibilities

• Enterprise Operational Leadership

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across WesleyLife’s Communities for Healthy Living and home- and community-based services.
• Translate organizational strategy into clear operational priorities, goals, accountabilities, and execution plans.
• Lead operational performance across independent living, assisted living, memory support, long-term care, transitional care, home health, hospice, personal services, community nutrition, transportation, and public health services.
• Ensure consistent implementation of WesleyLife standards, service expectations, regulatory requirements, and operating practices across all locations and service lines.
• Strengthen accountability systems that support quality outcomes, operational discipline, financial performance, and growth.
• Maintain key performance indicators and lead timely interventions to address performance gaps or emerging risks.

• Growth, Innovation, and Business Development

• Partner with the President & CEO and Executive Circle to identify and advance new markets, services, partnerships, and growth opportunities.
• Lead operational planning for new programs, service lines, communities, and strategic initiatives.
• Support the development of innovative offerings that meet the evolving needs and preferences of current and future customers.
• Advance WesleyLife’s ability to serve older adults across a broader continuum of settings, including home, community, and residential environments.
• Build and strengthen relationships with hospitals, physicians, payers, community partners, and other stakeholders to support growth, access, census, care transitions, and revenue opportunities.
• Key partner in developing organizational growth and maximization plans, including products, services and geographic markets.

• Customer, Resident, and Team Experience

• Lead the continued development of a consistent, differentiated WesleyLife experience across all services and locations.
• Champion hospitality, service excellence, person-centered practices, and meaningful engagement for residents, clients, families, and team members.
• Partner with leaders across service lines to create integrated pathways that help customers move seamlessly within and between WesleyLife services.
• Build a culture of trust, accountability, collaboration, innovation, and results.
• Coach and develop leaders to strengthen team engagement, performance, communication, organizational alignment, and thoughtful succession strategy.

• Quality, Compliance, and Risk Management

• Ensure operations meet or exceed applicable local, state, and federal regulatory requirements.
• Provide executive oversight for quality, compliance, safety, clinical, and operational standards across WesleyLife services.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts using data, performance indicators, and best-practice operating models.
• Identify operational risks and ensure timely action plans are developed, implemented, and monitored.
• Promote a culture of regulatory readiness, ethical decision-making, transparency, and excellence.

• Financial and Performance Accountability

• Provide executive leadership to achieve annual operating, census, revenue, margin, expense, and growth targets.
• Partner with finance and operational leaders to develop and monitor budgets, forecasts, business plans, and performance improvement strategies.
• Ensure effective operational work plans and strategies are in place for each location and service line.
• Align people, technology, marketing, clinical, financial, and operational resources to support enterprise priorities.
• Lead large-scale projects and initiatives, including planning, implementation, performance tracking, and accountability for outcomes.
• Effectively translate strategy to execution in the business.

• Governance, External Leadership, and Representation

• Participate in Board of Directors meetings and committee discussions as requested, providing strategic operational insight and updates.
• Represent WesleyLife with external partners, professional associations, community organizations, and public groups, as may be warranted.
• Stay informed about trends, policy changes, workforce dynamics, consumer expectations, and innovations affecting senior living, health care, and home and community-based services.
• Promote WesleyLife’s mission, reputation, and impact through active community and industry engagement.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration, or a related field required.
• Ten or more years of progressive senior leadership experience in health care, senior living, aging services, home and community-based services, or a similarly complex service organization preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading multi-site or multi-service operations.
• Proven success leading leaders, building accountability systems, improving performance, and executing enterprise strategy.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience with budgets, operating performance, growth planning, revenue management, and expense control.
• Demonstrated ability to develop partnerships, support business growth, and lead complex organizational change.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, facilitation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to work effectively with a Board of Directors, executive leaders, operational teams, residents, clients, families, donors, partners, and community stakeholders.
• Strong commitment to mission, ethics, service, and the well-being of older adults.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (365) tools and comfort using data, dashboards, and technology to support decision-making.
• To reside in or relocate to the greater Des Moines, Iowa area.
• Current and valid driver’s license required.
• Experience overseeing regulated health care or senior living environments strongly preferred.
• Nursing Home Administrator licensure in Iowa, or ability to obtain licensure or reciprocity, preferred.