Montana Rural Healthcare COO Opportunities

Rural Staffing Services•Montana, MT

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Montana Rural Healthcare is seeking experienced operational leaders for Chief Operating Officer and senior operations leadership opportunities across Montana. These roles are crucial for turning strategy into action within rural healthcare organizations, including Critical Access Hospitals, rural and community hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, public hospital districts, tribal healthcare organizations, long-term care providers, and community healthcare organizations. The COO will work across departments, facilities, communities, and service lines to strengthen operations, improve communication, support employees, and ensure the organization can meet the needs of the people it serves. This role requires a leader who can see the big picture while understanding the realities of day-to-day care delivery in challenging rural environments, considering factors like severe weather, transportation, housing, workforce shortages, and limited access to specialty services. The ideal candidate will be visible, collaborative, practical, adaptable, and comfortable working with a wide range of stakeholders, understanding that strong operations are key to patient access, employee support, financial performance, and community trust.

Requirements

Progressive healthcare operations leadership experience
Experience as a COO, Vice President of Operations, Chief Administrative Officer, Administrator, Executive Director, or comparable senior leader
Strong knowledge of hospital, clinic, long-term care, community health, or healthcare-system operations
Experience leading multiple departments, service lines, facilities, or regional programs
A track record of improving performance, communication, accountability, and organizational effectiveness
Experience with budgeting, workforce planning, change management, strategic implementation, facilities, and operational improvement
Experience leading through growth, transition, workforce shortages, organizational change, or operational instability
The ability to collaborate across clinical, financial, executive, tribal, and community teams
Experience with rural hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, FQHCs, public hospital districts, tribal healthcare organizations, regional systems, long-term care providers, or community healthcare organizations
Experience supporting operations across multiple facilities or significant geographic distances may be valuable
A bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, business, public administration, or a related field
A collaborative, visible, transparent, practical, and relationship-focused leadership style
The ability to relocate or travel regionally when required

Nice To Haves

A master's degree or healthcare executive credential may be preferred for some opportunities

Responsibilities

Providing strategic and operational leadership across multiple departments, facilities, communities, and service lines
Translating organizational goals into practical operating plans
Supporting efficient, safe, patient-centered, and community-focused care delivery
Strengthening communication, accountability, and collaboration across departments, facilities, and communities
Improving workflows, productivity, service access, and organizational performance
Partnering with clinical and financial leaders on staffing, budgeting, and resource planning
Supporting recruitment, retention, workforce development, and leadership succession
Overseeing facilities, support services, clinic operations, ancillary departments, or regional programs
Guiding growth, restructuring, turnaround, service expansion, or organizational stabilization
Supporting regulatory readiness, quality improvement, safety, accreditation, and organizational compliance
Presenting operational updates, risks, and recommendations to executive leadership, governing boards, tribal leadership, or other oversight bodies
Building strong relationships with employees, providers, public agencies, tribal partners, community organizations, and local leaders
Supporting operations across multiple sites, reservations, or communities separated by significant geographic distances
Maintaining services during vacancies, severe weather, transportation delays, supply-chain challenges, wildfire impacts, or other operational pressures
Supporting infrastructure, housing, equipment, transportation, technology, telehealth, and capital-planning priorities
Strengthening coordination between rural clinics, tribal healthcare programs, regional hospitals, specialty services, and community-based care
Monitoring organizational performance and helping teams respond to changing community needs
Ensuring essential healthcare services remain dependable, sustainable, and available closer to home