Director of Compliance

Smile America Partners • Phoenix, AZ

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Compliance is the operational leader of Smile America Partners’ Compliance Program under the direction of the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). The Director translates the CCO’s strategy and priorities into day-to-day program operations, including risk assessment, monitoring and auditing, investigations, corrective action, policy administration, education, regulatory readiness, clinical compliance oversight, and assigned enterprise risk and corporate regulatory administration. The role is an operational partner and advisor to the CCO, helping ensure compliance and risk activities are coordinated, documented, risk-based, and effective.

The position is based in the Phoenix, Arizona office and is hybrid remote/office based. It provides leadership and oversight to the Clinical Compliance Manager, supervises assigned Compliance staff, and serves as the CCO’s operational delegate for routine compliance and assigned enterprise risk matters. Significant compliance decisions, enterprise risk determinations, and Board-level matters remain under the CCO’s authority.

Smile America Partners is a nationwide in-school dental program serving approximately 500,000 children annually through dental partners. It operates in 20 states and has strategic partnerships with more than 8,000 school districts. Its dental professionals provide preventive and restorative care at schools using portable equipment or self-contained mobile dental facilities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business, legal studies, compliance, a clinical discipline, or a related field.
• Progressive experience in healthcare compliance, regulatory compliance, auditing, investigations, revenue cycle compliance, enterprise risk, corporate regulatory administration, or a related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of healthcare compliance program principles and applicable federal and state healthcare regulatory requirements.
• Experience managing compliance projects, investigations, audits, corrective actions, regulatory requirements, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of effective healthcare compliance program practices and risk-based compliance oversight.
• Ability to independently analyze complex regulatory, operational, clinical, and billing issues and clearly communicate findings.
• Strong investigation, auditing, documentation, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Sound judgment and ability to recognize matters requiring prompt escalation to the CCO or Legal Counsel.
• Ability to build effective working relationships while maintaining the independence and objectivity required of the Compliance function.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including communication with executives, clinicians, operational leaders, and staff.
• High degree of integrity, discretion, professionalism, and commitment to confidentiality and non-retaliation principles.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree.
• Prior supervisory or leadership experience.
• Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) credential, strongly preferred.
• Additional relevant credentials such as CHPC, CHRC, CPC, CCS, CPA, CIA, or similar certification, depending on experience and responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day operation and administration of the Compliance Program in alignment with the CCO’s direction and priorities.
• Coordinate implementation of the annual compliance work plan and track initiatives, deliverables, and corrective actions.
• Promote communication and coordination among Compliance, Clinical, Operations, Revenue Cycle, Human Resources, Legal, Finance, Information Technology, and other business functions.
• Maintain documentation demonstrating compliance program activities and effectiveness.
• Support periodic compliance risk assessments; identify emerging risks; assist with developing, implementing, and monitoring the annual work plan; and recommend risk-based activities.
• Oversee routine monitoring and audits, including clinical, coding, billing, documentation, and operational reviews; coordinate methodology, sampling, documentation, findings, management responses, and follow-up.
• Identify patterns, trends, and systemic concerns; escalate significant findings to the CCO; track corrective action plans and validate completion and effectiveness when appropriate.
• Manage or support investigations into suspected violations; ensure investigations are documented, objective, timely, and appropriately escalated; and coordinate corrective and preventive actions.
• Immediately escalate significant legal, regulatory, patient safety, financial, retaliation, or False Claims Act concerns to the CCO.
• Coordinate development, review, implementation, and maintenance of compliance policies and procedures; oversee or support general and targeted compliance education and training.
• Monitor relevant federal and state regulatory developments and assist operational leaders in evaluating implementation requirements; support preparation for external compliance reviews.
• Provide leadership and oversight to the Clinical Compliance Manager and clinical compliance activities, including monitoring documentation, coding, billing, medical necessity, clinical protocols, and other identified risks.
• Partner with clinical leadership on practical compliant guidance and education; ensure clinical compliance findings and trends are communicated, remediated, and escalated.
• Coordinate corporate regulatory administration, including legal entity filings and reports, licenses, permits, mobile permits, and state or local registrations.
• Coordinate compliance and regulatory activities for entry into new states and markets, including tracking required licenses, permits, registrations, and related requirements.
• Coordinate corporate insurance and risk-management administration, including certificates of insurance, annual renewals, and communication with brokers, carriers, and internal stakeholders.
• Maintain or coordinate the dentist master roster and other organizational or provider records needed for insurance, licensing, credentialing, and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate enterprise risk-control activities, including periodic reviews, IT risk-control meetings, control changes, and related policy updates.
• Coordinate fleet and risk compliance activities, including claims administration and follow-up.
• Coordinate with departments on risks, controls, operational changes, and policies, and escalate material enterprise risks to the CCO.
• Coordinate routine intellectual property administration and maintenance with outside counsel, as assigned by the CCO.
• Coordinate maintenance of required in-state corporate addresses and related renewals or administrative requirements.
• Prepare compliance reports, dashboards, metrics, trend analyses, and other materials for the CCO; support reporting to executive leadership, the Compliance Committee, and the Board or appropriate Board committee.
• Supervise, coach, and develop assigned Compliance staff and establish clear performance expectations.
• Serve as the CCO’s operational delegate for routine compliance and assigned enterprise risk matters, within the authority established for the role.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director