Director of Family Care

DCI Donor Services•Nashville, TN

10d•Onsite

About The Position

Tennessee Donor Services is seeking a strategic, dynamic, and high-performing Director of Family Care to provide leadership for the organization’s family care and authorization strategy. This leader is accountable for building and sustaining a high-performing team that advances the mission of organ and tissue donation by maximizing appropriate donation opportunities and increasing authorization and transplantation outcomes. The Director of Family Care provides strategic and operational leadership for the day-to-day management of family care and authorization activities while establishing clear expectations for performance, accountability, professional development, and compassionate service to donor families. This position serves as a key clinical leader within the organization and is responsible for translating organizational strategy into consistent practice and measurable results. The successful leader will use data, frontline insight, and evidence-based practice to identify performance gaps, understand authorization patterns, remove barriers to donation, and develop strategies that improve outcomes. They will lead through influence and accountability, and create a culture in which every team member understands their role in accomplishing the mission. This position works collaboratively across Tennessee Donor Services and the broader DCIDS organization to identify opportunities for improvement, share best practices, reduce unnecessary variation, and drive alignment in family care and authorization practices. The Director will partner closely with Clinical Operations, Hospital Services, Medical Directors, transplant partners, and other stakeholders to ensure that family care is integrated into the organization’s broader strategy to increase donation and transplantation. Above all, the Director of Family Care is responsible for keeping the mission at the center of the department’s work: serving donor families with compassion and excellence while maximizing the potential of every gift of life.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree preferred.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams through significant organizational change.
Proven ability to improve performance through data-driven decision-making.
Strong understanding of organ and tissue donation, authorization, and donor-family care.
3-5 years OPO experience in authorization, leadership experience required.
Valid Driver’s License with ability to pass MVR underwriting requirements.

Responsibilities

Provides strategic and operational leadership for Family Care, ensuring department priorities, resources, and practices directly support the mission of increasing organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
Establishes clear performance expectations and accountability for authorization, family care, and other key department outcomes.
Regularly analyzes performance data, authorization patterns, case trends, and operational variation to identify opportunities, barriers, and strategies for improvement.
Develops and executes action plans to improve authorization performance and maximize appropriate donation opportunities.
Uses data and frontline experience to continuously evaluate and improve processes, eliminating unnecessary complexity and enabling staff to focus on the work that most directly advances the mission.
Holds self and others accountable for measurable results while maintaining the highest standards of compassion, ethics, professionalism, and donor-family service.
Builds and leads a high-performing Family Care team through thoughtful recruitment, selection, onboarding, development, retention, recognition, and succession planning.
Creates a culture of trust, accountability, professional ownership, and continuous improvement.
Develops staff and emerging leaders through intentional coaching, mentoring, rounding, feedback, and individualized development plans.
Establishes clear roles, expectations, and decision-making authority while empowering staff to exercise appropriate professional judgment and autonomy.
Addresses performance and behavioral concerns promptly and directly, creating clarity around expectations and accountability.
Models the organization’s values and demonstrates visible, mission-focused leadership during periods of change and operational challenge.
Ensures consistent, high-quality execution of family care and authorization practices across all appropriate donor opportunities.
Ensures staff are trained, competent, and proficient in their primary responsibilities and maintain the skills necessary to support donor families and effectively facilitate donation conversations.
Identifies variation in practice and performance and implements targeted coaching, education, and process improvement to close gaps.
Partners with clinical and operational leaders to identify missed opportunities and improve the coordination of the donation process.
Ensures timely completion of donor evaluations, adherence to established standards, appropriate authorization practices, and continuous readiness to respond to donation opportunities.
Leads the implementation and adoption of organizational and clinical practice changes, ensuring staff understand the purpose, expectations, and impact of change.
Engages frontline staff in process improvement and uses their expertise to identify practical solutions and improve execution.
Communicates with clarity, consistency, and transparency, particularly during periods of organizational change.
Anticipates resistance, addresses barriers, and maintains momentum toward desired outcomes.
Collaborates across the three DCIDS OPOs to identify and spread effective practices, reduce unnecessary variation, and advance system-wide performance.
Build strong partnerships with Clinical Operations, Hospital Services, Medical Directors, transplant partners, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders to advance donation opportunities.
Participates in internal and external committees and represents the organization with credibility, professionalism, and a strong commitment to the mission.
Serves as a visible ambassador for the organization’s mission, donor families, and the life-saving impact of organ and tissue donation.
Ensures appropriate staffing and leadership coverage to support Family Care operations and donation opportunities 24/7.
Ensures adherence to regulatory requirements, organizational policies, and established clinical and operational standards.
Maintains operational readiness while continuously evaluating whether existing processes, staffing models, and workflows support the organization’s strategic priorities.
Participate in leadership activities, case reviews, staff meetings, and other forums necessary to maintain clinical excellence and organizational alignment.
Performs other duties as assigned in support of the organization’s mission.

Benefits

Up to 184 hours of PTO your first year
Up to 72 hours of Sick Time your first year
Two Medical Plans (your choice of a PPO or HDHP), Dental, and Vision Coverage
403(b) plan with matching contribution
Company provided term life, AD&D, and long-term disability insurance
Wellness Program
Supplemental insurance benefits such as accident coverage and short-term disability
Discounts on home/auto/renter/pet insurance
Cell phone discounts through Verizon
Meal Per Diems when actively on cases