Director-Labor Productivity and Workforce Optimization

Presbyterian Healthcare Services

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Presbyterian Healthcare Services (PHS) seeks a strategic, data-driven healthcare leader to serve as its inaugural Director, Clinical Labor Productivity & Workforce Optimization. This newly established enterprise role represents a unique opportunity to build and lead a system-wide function focused on one of healthcare's most critical priorities: aligning workforce resources with patient care needs while maintaining exceptional quality, safety, and financial stewardship. As labor continues to be the largest expense category for healthcare organizations, Presbyterian is creating a centralized leadership function responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive clinical labor management strategy across the delivery system. This leader will establish consistent methodologies, performance standards, governance structures, and operational practices that optimize labor utilization while supporting safe staffing and exceptional patient outcomes. Reporting to senior system leadership, the Director will serve as Presbyterian's primary expert on clinical labor productivity, workforce analytics, benchmarking, staffing optimization, and workforce planning. The role will partner closely with Nursing, Operations, Human Resources, and Finance leadership to drive sustainable workforce strategies across hospitals, ambulatory settings, and patient care departments throughout New Mexico. This is an ideal opportunity for a leader who combines deep knowledge of clinical operations and staffing practices with exceptional analytical capabilities, business acumen, and change leadership expertise.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Finance, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field required.
Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive healthcare leadership experience.
Significant experience in clinical labor productivity, nursing operations, workforce analytics, healthcare finance, or clinical decision support.
Demonstrated success leading labor productivity initiatives across multiple facilities or system-wide environments.
Strong understanding of clinical staffing methodologies, productivity management, workforce planning, and labor benchmarking.
Experience utilizing workforce productivity and benchmarking platforms, with Premier OperationsAdvisor strongly preferred.
Proven track record improving labor productivity, reducing premium labor utilization, and optimizing workforce performance while maintaining quality outcomes.
Experience translating complex operational, workforce, and financial data into actionable recommendations.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree (MSN, MBA, MHA, or related discipline) preferred.
Active or previous Registered Nurse (RN) licensure.
Clinical operations or nursing leadership experience.
Experience building or centralizing a labor productivity function within a health system.
Lean, Six Sigma, or process improvement certification.
Experience with workforce management platforms such as UKG/Kronos, Workday, API Healthcare, or similar solutions.
Knowledge of rural healthcare, critical access hospitals, and complex health system workforce models.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead a system-wide clinical labor productivity strategy aligned with organizational, financial, operational, and quality goals.
Establish a centralized workforce optimization model that creates consistency across all facilities and service lines.
Serve as the primary leader supporting the PDS Labor Productivity Governance Committee.
Partner with nursing and operational leadership to establish productivity standards, accountability frameworks, and workforce stewardship practices.
Lead workforce forecasting and labor planning activities based on patient volumes, acuity, strategic growth, and financial goals.
Provide analytical guidance regarding position control processes and staffing resource allocation.
Develop enterprise productivity benchmarks and performance dashboards across nursing, medical group, ancillary, and patient care functions.
Monitor and analyze workforce performance indicators, identifying opportunities to improve productivity and operational efficiency.
Establish consistent methodologies for measuring labor utilization and workforce performance.
Deliver executive-level reporting and insights to support workforce and operational decision-making.
Conduct detailed analyses of staffing models, labor costs, overtime utilization, agency staffing, vacancies, and skill-mix optimization.
Serve as the system-wide administrator and subject matter expert for Premier Operations Advisor®.
Ensure data integrity, reporting accuracy, benchmarking validation, and optimal utilization of the platform.
Lead enterprise reporting processes and oversee standardized productivity scorecards and dashboards.
Translate system performance data into actionable recommendations for nursing and operational leaders.
Drive adoption of workforce analytics tools and productivity management practices across the organization.
Utilize national benchmarking data to establish evidence-based productivity targets and performance expectations.
Identify opportunities to improve labor utilization while maintaining high standards for patient safety and care quality.
Standardize productivity metrics, units of service, and workforce performance definitions across all entities.
Support initiatives aimed at reducing premium labor, agency utilization, and workforce vacancies.
Develop recommendations for workforce optimization strategies that reflect the unique needs of urban, rural, and critical access settings.
Design and implement enterprise workforce productivity education programs.
Coach and mentor operational leaders, managers, directors, and nursing leaders in labor management best practices.
Provide consulting support to leaders seeking to improve workforce performance and staffing effectiveness.
Develop educational tools, training materials, and workshops focused on workforce stewardship and productivity management.
Foster organizational capability in data-driven workforce decision-making.
Lead organization-wide workforce optimization initiatives and transformation efforts.
Facilitate executive and operational reviews of labor performance and workforce opportunities.
Partner with stakeholders to identify and implement process improvements that enhance workforce efficiency.
Monitor industry trends, workforce innovations, labor market conditions, and regulatory developments.
Promote a culture that balances financial stewardship, workforce engagement, and patient-centered care.