Associate Director, Ambulatory Operations (Nurse)

Central Health•Austin, TX

About The Position

The Associate Director, Ambulatory Operations provides operational leadership for an assigned group of CommUnityCare health centers. Reporting to the Director, Ambulatory Operations or Sr. Director, Ambulatory Operations, based on the assigned reporting structure, this role works through site administrators, practice managers, and site-level leaders to ensure consistent day-to-day execution of access, patient flow, staffing, quality support, patient experience, and operational performance expectations. This role is responsible for implementing established clinic-network standards, monitoring site-level performance, resolving day-to-day operational issues, and escalating broader portfolio-level or structural barriers to the Director, Ambulatory Operations or Sr. Director, Ambulatory Operations, based on the assigned reporting structure. The Associate Director partners with Nursing, Clinical Services, Access, Financial Eligibility, and other support functions to maintain reliable clinic workflows and support high-quality patient services.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree (higher degree accepted) in Business, Health Administration, Nursing, Public Health or related field -Required
5 years of related experience in ambulatory, medical office, clinic operations, or healthcare operations, including at least 3 years in a management or supervisory capacity -Required
Demonstrated experience and proficiency with tools, technology, and systems typically found in a healthcare environment, including Microsoft Office Suite, patient record systems, EMR systems, dashboards, and operational reporting tools
Strong knowledge of ambulatory healthcare operations, clinic workflows, access, patient flow, staffing models, patient experience, quality support, and performance improvement.
Ability to lead site-level operational leaders and maintain accountability for day-to-day performance across assigned health centers.
Ability to interpret dashboards, Epic data, KPIs, staffing data, access metrics, and operational reports to identify trends, resolve issues, and support corrective action.
Strong understanding of regulatory, accreditation, infection prevention, emergency preparedness, and organizational standards applicable to ambulatory health center operations.
Working knowledge of budget monitoring, staffing alignment, productivity, revenue-cycle workflows, patient charges, and operational variance review.
Effective project management skills, including the ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and follow through on multiple initiatives and deadlines.
Ability to collaborate effectively with Directors, Associate Directors, Nursing Leadership, Clinical Leadership, Medical Directors, Access, Financial Eligibility, Revenue Cycle, Human Resources, and other support functions.
Ability to build and lead high-performing teams; provide clear direction, coaching, support, and accountability to assigned leaders and staff.
Strong problem-solving, judgment, communication, and decision-making skills.
Ability to be flexible and adaptable to change while supporting operational readiness, continuous improvement, and staff engagement.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a primary care group practice, FQHC, PCMH, integrated care delivery system, or ambulatory care setting -Preferred
Knowledge of budget, billing, finance, revenue cycle, managed care rules and regulations, and healthcare operations -Preferred
Experience working in or supporting specialty clinic operations -Preferred
Membership in a professional organization such as Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) or American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), or related certification -Preferred

Responsibilities

Oversee day-to-day operational performance for an assigned group of health centers, ensuring consistent workflows, patient flow, access, staffing alignment, patient experience, and operational reliability.
Provide leadership, coaching, and performance management to assigned site administrators, practice managers, and other site-level operational leaders.
Implement clinic-network standards, workflows, policies, and procedures established through the Director and Sr. Director structure; identify site-level barriers and recommend process improvements.
Use dashboards, Epic data, KPIs, access metrics, staffing data, and operational reports to monitor performance, identify trends, and develop site-level action plans.
Monitor staffing levels, schedules, and resource needs across assigned health centers; recommend adjustments to the Director based on patient volume, access needs, staffing models, and operational demand.
Monitor budget performance, productivity, revenue-cycle workflows, patient charges, and operational variances for assigned sites; provide variance explanations and recommendations to the Director.
Address site-level operational barriers related to access, staffing, patient flow, compliance, workflows, patient experience, and support services; escalate broader portfolio-level or structural issues to the Director.
Partner with Access, Nursing, Clinical Services, Medical Directors, Financial Eligibility, Revenue Cycle, and other support teams to improve appointment access, patient flow, team-based care, quality support, and care coordination.
Support implementation and readiness activities for approved clinic expansions, renovations, new programs, service changes, access initiatives, and enterprise priorities within assigned health centers.
Ensure assigned health centers follow applicable regulatory, accreditation, infection prevention, Joint Commission, CLIA, standing delegation order, emergency preparedness, and organizational standards in partnership with clinical and nursing leaders.
Use Lean, Six Sigma, PCMH, and other process improvement tools, as appropriate, to support operational efficiency, patient experience, patient engagement, access, and care delivery improvements.
Support staff engagement, leadership development, performance management, retention, and a culture of accountability, service, and continuous improvement across assigned health centers.
Work collaboratively with Associate Directors, Directors, Nursing Leadership, Clinical Leadership, Medical Directors, and other key stakeholders to support service quality, operational consistency, data integrity, and efficient resource utilization.
Interact respectfully and collaboratively with patients, families, staff, and community partners, supporting positive relationships and alignment with CommUnityCare’s mission and services.
Perform other duties as assigned.