Chief Operating Officer

Mahec • Asheville, NC

5d

About The Position

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) provides strategic and operational leadership across the organization. As an academic health center and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), the COO ensures that day-to-day operations align with the mission of advancing healthcare excellence, education, and community service. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and working in partnership with the Board of Directors, the COO is responsible for driving operational excellence, implementing organizational strategy, optimizing departmental performance, and sustaining financial and operational integrity.

Requirements

• Master’s degree (or equivalent training/experience) required; preferred fields include Business, Health Administration, or related disciplines.
• Minimum of seven years in healthcare management/operations, with at least three to five years in senior leadership.
• Proven ability to lead complex healthcare organizations, ideally within academic health centers and/or FQHCs.
• Strong financial acumen and operational expertise, with a demonstrated record of optimizing resources while expanding access to care.
• Valid North Carolina Driver’s License
• Leadership Presence - Displays poise, confidence (without arrogance), and authenticity. Commands respect from colleagues.
• Effective Communication - Seeks to understand others’ points of view. Fosters open communication/ dialogue and does not intimidate. Communicates clearly and convincingly, keeping the audience engaged, and tailoring message to audience. Speaks and writes clearly and concisely. Encourages others to express their views, even unpopular ones. Keeps people up to date with information.
• Engagement - Creates a climate in which others want to do their best and feel personally invested. Engages in shared decision‐making and invites input from team members. Conveys trust in people’s competence to do their jobs and recognizes great performance. Trusts others by delegating responsibilities and allowing appropriate autonomy. Avoids micromanaging and promotes others to take initiative.
• Change Leadership - Successfully leads strategic change to meet organization goals. Manages personal response to change to comfortably handle risk and uncertainty. Effectively leads team through transitions associated with changing environment. Provides team members with appropriate support and resources to maintain ongoing delivery of high quality services.
• Planning and Organizing - Effectively organizes and plans work according to organizational needs by defining objectives and anticipating needs and priorities. Efficiently manages own time and the time of others and effectively handles multiple demands and competing deadlines. Identifies goals, develops plans, estimates time frames and monitors progress. Works swiftly toward implementation.
• Quest for Quality and Process Improvement - Drives continuous improvements. Works with team to Identify ways to streamline and improve efficiency of work and service delivery. Ensures that defined processes, quality standards, and best practices are adopted swiftly and updated regularly.

Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership: Direct and oversee clinical, operational and ancillary functions to ensure efficient, patient-centered services that meet the needs of diverse populations, including underserved communities, and support the training needs for our educational programs. Drives the organization toward operational excellence by partnering across teams, aligning strategy with execution, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Mission & Vision Stewardship: Reinforce and articulate MAHEC’s mission and vision, emphasizing optimization, quality, equity, and education as core commitments to patients, learners, and the public.
• Strategic Implementation: Translate the vision and priorities of the CEO and Board into actionable plans, ensuring alignment with academic, clinical, and community health objectives, consistently demonstrating collaboration in order to achieve the best outcomes.
• Chief Compliance Officer Duties: Serve as the organization’s Chief Compliance Officer, with direct responsibility for developing, implementing, and monitoring compliance programs. Ensure adherence to federal, state, and local regulations, contract oversight, FQHC requirements, contract oversight, accreditation standards, and ethical practices across all operations.
• Clinical Partnership: Collaborate closely with the Chief Medical and Population Health Officer (CMPHO) and Medical Directors to align operational systems with clinical care delivery. Support the integration of evidence-based practices, patient safety initiatives, and quality improvement programs to ensure optimal outcomes for patients and learners.
• Workforce Empowerment: Create an environment that fosters collaboration, change leadership, professional growth, and team-based care, enabling staff to perform at their highest potential.
• Leader Collaboration: Work in partnership with other leaders to ensure integrated decision-making, alignment of resources, and advancement of organizational priorities. Serve as acting CEO in the CEO’s absence, ensuring continuity of operational stability. Ensure contracts are collaboratively negotiated through established relationships in partnership with stakeholders.
• Community & Academic Integration: Strengthen partnerships with academic institutions, healthcare providers, and community stakeholders to advance education, research, and service delivery.
• Facilities & Risk Management: Oversee facilities operations, meeting the evolving needs of the organization, including the management of both commercial and residential real estate.

Benefits

• At MAHEC , we strive to equip all team members with Total Rewards (pay + benefits) to honor their service, support their health, manage their financial security, build their career, and thrive.
• MAHEC is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Employees who meet federal requirements may be eligible to have remaining student loan balances forgiven after 10 years of qualifying payments while working full-time at MAHEC.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees