Associate Director - Clinical Operations - Healthcare
About The Position
The Associate Director, Performance Transformation, supports profitable growth within Guidehouse’s Healthcare Payer and Provider Optimization group. The role leads the design and delivery of integrated clinical, operational, and financial optimization programs to improve performance for hospitals and health systems. The Associate Director manages multi-workstream engagements to scope, timeline, and budget, partners with clients and Guidehouse specialty teams, and delivers measurable outcomes across performance improvement, supply chain, workforce and non-labor productivity, clinical operations, shared services, and revenue management. The position delivers consulting services and healthcare industry expertise, builds relationships with client decision-makers, identifies priority issues, and develops practical client-specific solutions. It provides delivery assurance, coaches and mentors team members, and demonstrates leadership within client accounts and the broader practice. The role also leads projects to meet contract outcomes, project plans, and executive expectations, while developing performance metrics and translating project outputs into financial results across concurrent initiatives. The Associate Director works with stakeholders at all levels, including clinicians, hospital executives, and ancillary staff. The role requires structured project leadership, strong quantitative and communication skills, client leadership and business development capabilities, and willingness to travel extensively, up to 75%.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- 7+ years of experience in hospital operations, such as clinical operations, performance improvement, labor and non-labor optimization, physician operations, or provider-focused financial operations.
- Deep knowledge of hospital and health system operations.
- Ability to benchmark and analyze data to redesign operational processes, improve efficiency, and establish standard work.
- Ability to conduct research, interpret analytics, and develop actionable recommendations.
- Working proficiency in Microsoft Office; advanced proficiency in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint to independently produce client-ready deliverables.
- Consulting experience delivering complex, multi-site operational change and clinical improvement programs on aggressive timelines.
- Strong client leadership and business development skills, including identifying opportunities and selling add-on work.
- Strong quantitative orientation and ability to translate initiative outputs into financial results.
- Structured methodologies and strong project leadership.
- Strong writing and presentation skills.
- Willingness to travel extensively, up to 75%.
Nice To Haves
- Nursing or another clinical degree from an accredited institution.
- Prior subject matter expertise or PMO experience.
- Industry thought leadership, such as articles, white papers, or speaking engagements.
- Experience selling and delivering transformational solutions to large health systems.
- MS Project experience.
- Self-motivation and commitment to continuous learning, with consistent production of high-quality work.
- Comfort presenting findings to hospital executives and recommending solutions aligned to leading practices.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with clinician-based departments and diverse stakeholders, including physicians, nurses, executives, and ancillary staff.
- Understanding of complex IT and technology-enabled solutions that improve efficiency, quality, and care throughput.
Responsibilities
- Deliver high-quality consulting services to clients within Guidehouse’s Healthcare Payer and Provider Practice.
- Provide healthcare industry expertise and management consulting support across client engagements.
- Build and maintain account relationships with key client decision-makers.
- Identify priority issues and develop practical, client-specific solutions.
- Provide delivery assurance across engagements, ensuring quality, consistency, and stakeholder alignment.
- Coach and mentor team members on client assignments and within account teams.
- Demonstrate visible leadership within the account and the broader practice.
- Lead consulting projects to deliver contract outcomes, project plans, and executive expectations by influencing key decision-makers and stakeholders.
- Develop, track, and manage performance metrics across clinical and non-clinical operations.
- Translate project outputs into clear financial results across multiple concurrent initiatives.
- Communicate and build relationships across all levels of Guidehouse and client organizations.
- Adapt to change and help others align to evolving strategies, goals, and plans.
Benefits
- Medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance
- Personal and family sick time and company-paid holidays
- Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus
- Parental leave and adoption assistance
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Basic life and supplemental life insurance
- Health Savings Account and dental/vision and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts
- Short-term and long-term disability
- Student Loan PayDown
- Tuition reimbursement, personal development, and learning opportunities
- Skills development and certifications
- Employee referral program
- Corporate-sponsored events and community outreach
- Emergency back-up childcare program
- Mobility stipend
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
