Associate Operating Officer, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is seeking an Associate Operating Officer for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital (MCC). This role is part of a national search with three openings in specific service lines: Pediatric Heart Institute, Pediatric Neurosciences Institute, and Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorder Institute. The Associate Operating Officer will be a key leader on the hospital's leadership team, responsible for operational oversight and strategic direction for assigned clinical, ancillary, and administrative departments. This position requires close collaboration with physicians, nursing leadership, and hospital executives to ensure high-quality patient care, operational excellence, financial stewardship, workforce engagement, and the achievement of organizational goals. The role will lead initiatives focused on improving quality, safety, patient and family experience, capacity management, operational efficiency, and organizational growth, all while supporting the hospital's mission of delivering world-class pediatric care. Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is a 363-bed facility in Nashville, Tennessee, with extensive clinical services and a growing network that serves a population beyond the local market.

Requirements

Master’s Degree (Business Administration, Healthcare Administration or related field).
Minimum of 10 years of experience in healthcare management.
Experience managing hospital operations, clinical service lines, or major healthcare departments.
Demonstrated success leading operational, financial, and quality improvement initiatives in a complex healthcare environment.
Strong healthcare operations and hospital administration expertise.
Knowledge of regulatory and accreditation requirements.
Excellent financial, analytical, and strategic planning skills.
Demonstrated ability to lead large teams and influence across a matrixed organization.
Outstanding communication, relationship-building, and change management capabilities.
Proven ability to drive results through collaboration and data-informed decision making.

Nice To Haves

Pediatric healthcare experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Partners with Service Line leaders to establish 3–5 year strategic vision for the service line, aligned with organizational goals and values
Translates institutional strategy into service line and departmental priorities, goals, and plans
Partners with physician leaders, senior executives, and referral sources to ensure alignment and growth
Assesses trends in reimbursement, competition, market demand, and clinical innovation to guide strategy
Ensures safe, timely, efficient, and high‑quality access and care across all sites, modalities, and regions
Oversees operational performance through program development, integration, and process improvement
Collaborates with teams to develop, implement and monitor new care models to support growth and emerging care approaches
Standardizes services, workflows, and resources to improve efficiency and continuity of care
Embeds continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., PDSA, visual management, leader standard work) into daily operations
Establishes, monitors, and improves quality assurance and performance standards
Leads patient safety and harm‑prevention initiatives
Ensures compliance with applicable regulatory, accreditation, and licensure requirements
Maintains readiness for internal and external surveys and inspections
Communicates system‑level quality, safety, and compliance risks to appropriate stakeholders
Develops and executes strategies to meet patient, family, and referral source needs and expectations
Measures and improves satisfaction using standardized tools, data, and feedback mechanisms
Integrates customer feedback into planning, priorities, and staff expectations
Promotes patient‑ and family‑centered care through engagement and partnership
Defines and achieves financial and operational targets aligned with organizational goals
Develops, presents, and manages operating and capital budgets
Analyzes financial performance, variances, and cost drivers
Identifies opportunities for cost containment, efficiency, and resource optimization
Optimizes staffing, space, equipment, and other resources to support efficient care delivery
Provides collaborative, facilitative leadership across interdisciplinary teams
Defines staffing models, role qualifications, and performance expectations
Recruits, develops, and retains high‑performing staff and leaders
Coaches and mentors emerging leaders and supports succession planning
Fosters a safe, inclusive, and high‑performance culture aligned with organizational values
Communicates effectively within and across departments to promote alignment and transparency
Participates in governance, management, and interdepartmental committees
Keeps senior leadership informed of performance, risks, and improvement opportunities
Fosters collaboration among physicians, nursing, operations, and community partners