Director of Clinical Compliance

Thrive Physical Therapy Partners•Chicago, IL

About The Position

Thrive Physical Therapy Partners is hiring its first dedicated Compliance Director to build and lead a practical, enterprise-wide compliance program across our growing network of outpatient therapy practices. This is a highly visible leadership role with the opportunity to work directly with Thrive’s executive team and maintain a direct communication channel with the CEO on significant compliance risks, findings, and corrective actions. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who is equally comfortable building the compliance strategy and personally executing the detailed work. You will shape the program, establish the audit and training infrastructure, lead compliance diligence for new partnerships, and conduct documentation, coding, billing, and Medicare reviews. You will have the opportunity to create something meaningful from the ground up while helping clinical and operational leaders reduce risk, strengthen performance, and make compliance understandable and actionable. Thrive is built around true partnership with locally led outpatient therapy practices. We provide the resources, expertise, and operational support practices need to grow while preserving the local identity and clinical strengths that make each organization special. As our first dedicated Compliance Manager, you will play a central role in how Thrive grows responsibly. You will work directly with executive leadership and partner closely with Operations, Revenue Cycle Management, Integrations, Legal, IT, Finance, and local practice leaders. This is an opportunity to build a compliance function that is rigorous without being rigid, practical without compromising standards, and trusted by the clinicians and leaders it supports. This role is ideal for a compliance professional who wants more than responsibility for maintaining an existing program. You will have the visibility and support to build Thrive’s clinical compliance infrastructure, influence how the organization evaluates new partnerships, and create systems that meaningfully reduce risk across a growing national platform. You will also remain close to the work and see the direct impact of your recommendations on clinicians, patients, practices, and the organization as a whole. In this role, you will have the opportunity to: Build Thrive’s first dedicated clinical compliance function with meaningful ownership and executive support Work directly with Thrive’s executive leadership team, with direct access to the CEO when significant compliance matters require executive visibility or support Shape the audit, training, reporting, and corrective-action infrastructure for a growing national organization Influence how Thrive evaluates new partnerships and addresses compliance risk before and after close Remain hands-on while creating systems that support the organization’s continued growth

Requirements

Strong preference for a degree and license credential in Physical, Occupational or Speech Pathology
Strong knowledge of outpatient physical, occupational, and speech therapy compliance, documentation, coding, billing, and payer requirements
Certified Professional Medical Auditor (CPMA) strongly preferred. CPC, CHC, COC, CCS-P, or another relevant compliance, coding, or auditing credential is also valued. Equivalent experience conducting complex outpatient therapy audits may be considered in place of certification.
Approximately 3 to 5 or more years of relevant outpatient therapy, compliance, coding, auditing, billing, or Medicare experience
Advanced knowledge of Medicare requirements, including plan-of-care certification, billing methodology, provider-of-service rules, ABNs, and covered versus non-covered services
Demonstrated ability to independently perform detailed chart, coding, billing, documentation, and Medicare audits
The judgment to distinguish isolated errors from broader patterns or systemic risk
Experience building repeatable compliance processes, audit tools, reporting formats, training programs, and follow-up systems
The ability to communicate complex compliance requirements in clear, practical, and usable terms
Strong writing skills, including the ability to prepare concise audit summaries, action plans, risk assessments, and executive updates
Confidence coaching clinicians and operational leaders through sensitive findings without creating unnecessary defensiveness
Strong cross-functional influence, judgment, discretion, and follow-through
Comfort navigating multiple EMR systems and extracting the information needed to evaluate risk
The ability to manage competing priorities and move between strategic program development and detailed execution

Responsibilities

Lead and continuously strengthen Thrive’s enterprise clinical compliance program, including policies, reporting channels, investigations, audits, training, issue tracking, and corrective action
Develop and execute an annual compliance audit plan based on organizational risk
Personally perform chart, coding, billing, documentation, payer, and Medicare compliance audits
Evaluate CPT and HCPCS coding, modifier use, ICD-10 support, timed and untimed units, plan-of-care certification, provider-of-service requirements, ABNs, and covered versus non-covered services
Lead compliance diligence for prospective partnerships, identify material risks, and recommend post-close corrective actions
Navigate multiple EMR platforms to review clinical documentation, scheduling, billing, and provider information
Translate audit and diligence findings into practical training for clinicians, field leaders, RCM teams, and support-center partners
Serve as a trusted resource for compliance questions, confidential reporting, and investigations
Partner across functions to ensure corrective actions are practical, measurable, completed, and sustained
Provide clear risk reporting and compliance updates to the COO, CEO, Compliance Committee, and other senior leaders
Help build a culture where compliance is approachable, understood, and integrated into everyday operations