Director of System Operations - Ambulatory Services

About the role

As a member of the leadership team of the system, the Director- System Operations reports to a VP and establishes strategic direction for areas of responsibility, including oversight and support on administrative requirements, operations and projects, financial and contractual oversight, and compliance with operational best practices, regulations, and guidelines to ensure quality and safety.

Responsibilities

• Performance/Driving for Results: Measures outcomes objectively; collaborates with the VP and other system leaders, site leaders, and direct reports to set meaningful performance objectives and identify measures for evaluating goal achievement.
• Provides executive leadership and oversight for assigned departments and divisions.
• Serves as key advisor to the VP in ongoing operations, including administrative oversight (HR-related items, policies and SOPs, budget, and contracts), strategy development, business opportunities, financial oversight, and execution of system initiatives.
• Responsible for collaborating proactively with medical staff and other UCHealth departments to establish structures and processes that influence the practice environment; develops management structures and processes to achieve consistency and alignment.
• Promotes excellence in programs and processes that impact business and patient outcomes.
• Delegates administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability to ensure conformity to institutional, regulatory, professional, and accrediting agency standards governing patient care practices and delivery.
• Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulatory standards.
• Manages operational, personnel, and financial aspects of the division as delegated by the VP.
• Collaborates with system and site Quality and Patient Safety teams to implement evidence-based practices for quality and safe patient care.
• Establishes and commits to long-term business strategy based on clinical and financial data, resources, market drivers, and organizational needs; executes strategic growth opportunities.
• Facilitates development and monitoring of operating and capital budgets; meets financial goals and contribution margins.
• Develops and implements budget and control activities; determines departmental needs and staffing patterns to deliver cost-effective quality service.
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to identify regional and national benchmarks for areas of responsibility, including staffing levels, productivity, quality measures, costs, length of stay, and satisfaction.
• Works with key stakeholders to develop business plans and proposals for programs/initiatives aligned with strategic focus.
• Balances multiple projects simultaneously and delegates appropriately.

Qualifications

• Minimum Required: Master's of Nursing, Healthcare Administration, or Business Degree.
• Minimum Required: 6–10 years of equivalent experience.

Required Skills and Knowledge

• Demonstrates growth in responsibilities and skill mastery in management and leadership.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to interface across large and highly matrixed organizational environments.
• Extensive leadership experience, including optimized results/outcomes, patient-centered care, common objectives, value analysis, operational/clinical efficiencies, and capital planning.
• Exceptional ability to impact and influence behavior, drive consensus, and achieve alignment.
• Advanced abilities to develop alliances, establish trust, challenge traditional thought processes, and negotiate win-win solutions.
• Advanced interpersonal, problem-solving, and analytical skills, including detailed assessments and quantitative skills to supervise data analysis, interpret results, and generate insights.
• Extensive experience with change/project management and continuous improvement principles to standardize/transform care, scale-up learnings, and optimize system goal alignment.
• Ability to design innovative tools, dashboards, business plans, and analytics to create strategic/economic advantage and drive accountabilities.
• Ability to build effective teams and coalitions to drive consensus across disparate stakeholders.
• Advanced operational expertise related to clinical operations, practice management, strategy execution, affiliations, physician partnership models, data analytics, performance improvement, and regulatory compliance.

Leadership/Executive Presence

• Establishes credibility and trustworthiness through executive presence, encompassing verbal and nonverbal communication, demeanor, and body language.
• Demonstrates emotional intelligence to sustain trusting relationships by accurately perceiving and interpreting one’s own and others’ emotions and behavior in context.
• Approaches challenges with a strategic mindset and promotes best practices for team performance improvement.
• Executes operational plans and strategies within UC Health and divisional areas of responsibility to support appropriate structure.
• Creates accountability ensuring role clarity, authority to act consistent with organizational values, and responsibility for required actions.

Communication/Change/Conflict/Crisis Management

• Initiates and engages in critical conversations respectfully; values others’ opinions.
• Establishes two-way communication to convey strategies and operational plans in a manner that engages and energizes nurses and multidisciplinary teams.
• Provides timely responses to communication (within 24 hours/business day).
• Actively participates in system and site leadership and nursing meetings as relevant.
• Identifies change opportunities; proactively recognizes the need for innovation or improvement and initiates efforts to explore alternative solutions.
• Acts as a catalyst for change; translates new ideas into concrete action plans and deliverables.
• Removes barriers and resistance; assists with problem-solving and adjusts to dynamic circumstances.
• Helps team members overcome resistance to change and transition to a new state.
• Conducts regular leadership rounds to identify and collaborate on resolving issues and concerns in a timely manner.
• Manages communications and documents of a highly confidential and sensitive nature discreetly.

Human Resources Management and Talent Alignment

• Builds operational talent; accountable for effective retention and recruitment of qualified staff.
• Meets turnover and retention goals.
• Facilitates development of a diverse workforce through recruitment, promotion, and cultivation of talent.
• Develops and reviews standard policies and procedures, job descriptions, and competencies as necessary.
• Ensures employee grievances are heard within the timeline determined by HR and UCHealth.

Relationships/Customer Service

• Embraces a patient-first and patient-centered philosophy; fosters strong partnerships with an interdisciplinary approach to ensure professional standards are uniform and maintained across UC Health.
• Monitors satisfaction and identifies opportunities for improvement to bridge gaps in performance and associate engagement; develops action plans for quantifiable improvement in associate engagement scores.
• Monitors patient satisfaction as appropriate; identifies opportunities for improvement and works with site leaders to develop action plans for quantifiable improvement in patient satisfaction scores.
• Cultivates networks and partnerships as appropriate; assists with planning strategies and goals through community involvement.
• Actively involved with community agencies where appropriate.
• Promotes an environment that recognizes and rewards teamwork, creativity, personal and professional development, and empowerment.
• Evaluates performance; holds regular (monthly at a minimum) formal discussions with each direct report to discuss progress toward goals and review performance.
• Develops direct reports by helping them identify strengths, leveraging them for greater performance, and collaboratively creating development plans.