Center Director I

LIFELONG MEDICAL CARE•Oakland, CA

2d•$100,000 - $107,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Center Director, is a full-time, onsite position, that provides leadership and clinic management for day-to-day operations of one or more health centers for LifeLong Medical Care. Such management includes service planning, objective setting, system development, staffing, quality assurance activity and service standards, budget and personnel issues. LifeLong uses team-based care to provide the most efficient and effective care to our patients. This position functions as a critical member of the care team, ensuring team communication, quality care, and patient satisfaction. This position reports to the Senior Center Director. This is a full time, exempt, benefit eligible position supervising our LeNoir Health Center in Oakland, and our Berkeley Urgent Care. LifeLong Medical Care is a multi-site, Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with a rich history of providing innovative healthcare and social services to a wonderfully diverse patient community. Our patient-centered health home is a dynamic place to work, practice, and grow. We have over 15 primary care health centers and deliver integrated services including psychosocial, referrals, chronic disease management, dental, health education, home visits, and much, much more.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, Nursing, or a related field required; equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience may be considered.
Minimum of 5–7 years of healthcare operations leadership experience, preferably within an FQHC, community health center, public health, or safety-net setting.
Demonstrated experience managing multi-disciplinary clinical operations, including administrative, ancillary, nursing, and support staff.
Proven responsibility for budget development, financial performance, and labor management within a healthcare setting.
Strong working knowledge of HRSA Health Center Program requirements, Medi-Cal and Medicare operations, UDS reporting, and payer contract expectations.
Experience overseeing patient access, scheduling, clinic flow, and throughput optimization in an ambulatory care environment.
Demonstrated ability to lead performance improvement initiatives using data and structured improvement methodologies (e.g., PDSA, Lean, DMAIC).
Experience preparing for and supporting regulatory audits, HRSA Operational Site Visits (OSVs), and corrective action plans.
Proficiency in interpreting operational dashboards and reports (e.g., Tableau, EHR reporting tools) to drive decision-making.
Strong leadership, communication, and conflict-resolution skills, with the ability to partner effectively with clinical leadership.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Health Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, Nursing, or a related field (MHA, MPH, MBA preferred).
Prior experience in a multi-site FQHC or large ambulatory care network.
Familiarity with front-end revenue cycle functions, including eligibility, enrollment, sliding fee discount programs, and charge capture workflows.
Experience implementing or supporting access innovations such as centralized scheduling, self-scheduling, extended hours, or telehealth models.
Knowledge of California healthcare regulatory environment, including Title 22, Title 10, and other applicable state and federal regulations (if applicable).
Experience collaborating with unionized workforces and applying labor agreements in operational decision-making.
Lean Six Sigma, Change Management, or Quality Improvement certification or formal training.
Bilingual or multilingual skills reflective of the communities served.
Ability to balance operational efficiency, financial stewardship, compliance, and patient experience in a complex healthcare environment.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable operational strategies.
Ability to lead through change, manage ambiguity, and align diverse stakeholders around shared goals.
Demonstrated commitment to health equity, culturally responsive care, and community-based service delivery.
High level of integrity, professionalism, and accountability.

Responsibilities

Accountable for the overall operational and financial performance of the health center, including annual budget development, monitoring, and variance management in partnership with the Finance Department.
Uses operational and financial dashboards (e.g., Tableau) to monitor performance indicators including visits, productivity, staffing ratios, access, and utilization; completes and submits monthly operational reviews to leadership.
Identifies financial risks and operational inefficiencies and implements corrective action plans to ensure alignment with organizational targets.
Accountable for patient access, schedule utilization, panel capacity alignment, and visit throughput across all provider types.
Oversees template integrity, provider schedules, and clinic flow to reduce no-shows, late cancellations, and access delays.
Partners with Central Templating, Call Center, and Access teams to improve continuity of care, reduce leakage, and support access initiatives such as same-day access, extended hours, and self-scheduling as appropriate.
Oversees center-based staff to support the delivery of high-quality clinical services in collaboration with the Regional Medical Director.
Recruits, hires, supervises, trains, and evaluates ancillary and administrative staff, including coordinators, supervisors, clinic support staff, and volunteers; jointly oversees nursing and social services staff with the Regional Medical Director.
Oversees staffing models, coverage plans, and staffing ratios to ensure safe and efficient operations within approved FTE and budget.
Manages labor utilization including overtime, incentives, and temporary staffing in partnership with Human Resources.
Oversees provider, nursing, and ancillary schedules, including temporary and per diem staff, in coordination with the Regional Medical Director.
Collaborates closely with department leadership, proactively sharing changes and thoughtfully involving all relevant stakeholders in decisions and updates.
Reviews and approves bi-weekly timesheets for staff and providers.
Evaluates clinic workflows and operational processes to improve efficiency, patient experience, and cost control.
Collaborates with the Regional Medical Director and Senior Center Director to develop, implement, and monitor operational goals, priorities, and improvement initiatives.
Leads site-level performance improvement efforts using data-driven and structured methodologies (e.g., PDSA, Lean, DMAIC).
Supports implementation of organizational initiatives, pilots, and operational changes, ensuring staff readiness and adoption.
Ensures day-to-day operational compliance with HRSA Health Center Program requirements, Medi-Cal, Medicare, UDS, and payer contract standards.
Partners with Compliance, Quality, and Clinical Leadership to maintain readiness for HRSA Operational Site Visits, audits, and reviews.
Implements and monitors corrective action plans related to compliance findings or quality gaps.
Participates in the implementation and ongoing operation of the clinic’s quality improvement and infection prevention programs.
Assists the Regional Medical Director with the documentation, annual review, and update of clinic policies, procedures, and patient care protocols.
Serves as a key liaison between the health center, Senior Center Director, Regional Medical Director, and organizational departments to coordinate clinical and administrative activities.
Coordinates health center services with external agencies, community partners, and ancillary service providers.
Responds to escalated patient complaints and health plan grievances within required timelines, facilitating resolution in collaboration with site leadership.
Represents the organization at external planning, coordination, or community meetings as assigned.
Oversees daily clinic operations including facilities readiness, safety protocols, security procedures, and emergency preparedness in coordination with Facilities and Risk Management.
Ensures compliance with infection control, environmental safety, and workplace safety standards.
Manages vendor interfaces for laboratory services, hazardous waste, housekeeping, linen services, and other contracted services as required.
Promotes energy efficiency, equipment security, and proper clinic close-down procedures.
Fosters a respectful, patient-centered, and team-oriented work environment aligned with the mission and values of LifeLong Medical Care.
Performs additional duties as assigned by leadership.