Director of Physician Compensation

Texas Children's Medical Center•Houston, TX

About The Position

Texas Children’s is seeking a strategic, collaborative leader to direct its physician compensation function and advise physician and executive leadership. The Director will shape compensation strategies that support physician recruitment, engagement, and retention while maintaining market competitiveness, financial stewardship, and regulatory compliance. Working closely with Texas Children’s leadership, Baylor College of Medicine, and physician practice leaders, this role provides strategic direction across compensation planning, program design, market analysis, governance, and administration. The Director leads physician compensation strategy and operations, including compensation philosophy, policies, governance, and service standards. The role oversees the design, implementation, administration, and evaluation of compensation arrangements such as base pay, productivity and quality incentives, stipends, call pay, and medical directorships. It also leads annual reviews, market assessments, benchmarking, productivity analyses, and financial modeling, and provides executive-level analysis and recommendations. The position leads governance and compliance processes for physician compensation, including expertise related to Fair Market Value, commercial reasonableness, Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute, IRS requirements, and other applicable regulations. The Director partners with Legal, Compliance, Finance, Internal Audit, and external advisors; develops controls for approvals and monitoring; and prepares analyses for governance committees, executive leadership, and Board-level review as appropriate. The Director uses market data, productivity metrics, financial analyses, and benchmarks to assess program effectiveness and guide decisions. The role oversees dashboards and reporting, identifies trends and risks, manages relationships with external consultants and benchmarking partners, and advises physician and operational leaders on compensation matters. It also leads and develops the physician compensation team, builds cross-functional partnerships, and models Texas Children’s HEART values: Humility, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Trust.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Finance, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Accounting, or a related field.
At least 8 years of progressive experience in physician/provider compensation, healthcare finance, physician practice administration, provider compensation consulting, or a related healthcare field.
At least 3 years of leadership or people management experience.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Finance, Human Resources, or a related discipline.
Experience supporting a complex healthcare organization, academic medical center, faculty practice plan, or large integrated health system.
Experience partnering with senior physician and executive leaders and presenting complex compensation recommendations to executive leadership, governance committees, and/or Boards.
Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) or another recognized compensation certification.
Physician/provider compensation, healthcare finance, or healthcare compliance certification.
Other relevant certifications in Total Rewards, Human Resources, Finance, or Healthcare Administration.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic and operational leadership for physician compensation programs, aligning them with organizational priorities, financial objectives, market practices, and regulatory requirements.
Develop compensation philosophies, strategies, policies, governance practices, and operating standards.
Advise physician and executive leaders on compensation strategy, market trends, productivity-based models, incentive structures, and industry practices.
Establish priorities, performance measures, and service standards for the physician compensation function.
Lead the design, implementation, administration, and evaluation of compensation programs, including base compensation, productivity and quality incentives, stipends, call pay, and medical directorships.
Oversee annual compensation reviews, market assessments, productivity analyses, benchmarking, and compensation modeling.
Evaluate compensation models and recommend improvements supporting recruitment, retention, performance, organizational growth, and evolving care delivery models.
Provide executive-level analysis and recommendations on compensation strategy, program design, financial impact, and workforce considerations.
Ensure compensation programs, policies, processes, and decisions are documented, consistently administered, and communicated effectively.
Lead compensation governance processes and ensure arrangements align with organizational policies and applicable regulatory requirements.
Partner with Legal, Compliance, Finance, Internal Audit, and external advisors to evaluate arrangements and identify potential risk.
Develop and maintain controls for approval, documentation, monitoring, and auditing of compensation arrangements and incentive payments.
Prepare compensation analyses and materials for governance committees, executive leadership, and Board-level review as appropriate.
Use market data, productivity metrics, financial analyses, and benchmarks to evaluate program effectiveness and inform decisions.
Oversee compensation dashboards, executive reporting, workforce analyses, and other tools that provide insight into trends and performance.
Identify trends, financial risks, market pressures, and opportunities, and translate complex data into actionable recommendations.
Manage external physician compensation consultant and benchmarking partner relationships.
Advise physician executives, physician leaders, practice administrators, operational leaders, and Physician Organization leadership on complex compensation matters.
Advise leaders on compensation strategy and plan design supporting recruitment, retention, growth, new programs, and business expansion.
Build partnerships across Clinical Operations, Faculty Affairs, Finance, Legal, Compliance, Payroll, Physician Recruitment, Medical Staff leadership, Human Resources, and Baylor College of Medicine.
Facilitate sensitive compensation discussions while balancing market competitiveness, organizational objectives, financial stewardship, and regulatory considerations.
Participate in enterprise committees, strategic initiatives, and cross-functional projects affecting physician compensation and the broader provider workforce.
Lead, coach, and develop the physician compensation team; establish expectations for performance, accountability, service, and operational excellence.
Foster a collaborative, consultative, solutions-oriented team culture focused on continuous improvement, innovation, and stakeholder partnership.
Build team capabilities and succession plans for the evolving needs of the function.
Partner across Human Resources and Total Rewards to align physician compensation strategies with broader workforce and rewards initiatives.
Model Texas Children’s HEART values and cultivate an inclusive, responsive, service-oriented team environment.