Director of Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Shared Services

Montana Hospital Association • Helena, MT

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About The Position

The Montana Hospital Association is seeking a strategic, relationship-driven leader to direct shared-services initiatives for Montana’s Rural Health Transformation Program. The Director will help hospitals and healthcare providers work more efficiently, reduce costs, and access resources that support long-term sustainability. The role identifies and develops shared-service opportunities, builds partnerships among healthcare providers and vendors, and leads initiatives from planning through implementation. The Director works with hospitals, health systems, MHA Ventures, and RHTP partners to develop practical solutions that improve operational efficiency, strengthen purchasing power, and deliver measurable results.

The Director leads shared-services implementation and provider/vendor partnerships, including needs and operational assessments, implementation planning, technical assistance, deployment monitoring, vendor evaluation, competitive sourcing, aggregated purchasing, and contract negotiations. The role also develops a pipeline of shared-service opportunities, aggregates demand and purchasing needs, facilitates partnerships, and maintains a multiyear workplan aligned with RHTP scope and objectives.

The position establishes performance measures and monitors participation, adoption, vendor performance, satisfaction, financial results, and sustainability. It coordinates dashboards, analyses, benchmarking, and reporting; maintains audit-ready records; supports budgets and resource planning; and ensures compliance with program, grant, procurement, data-sharing, confidentiality, and organizational requirements. Regular in-state travel and occasional out-of-state travel may account for up to 50% of work time.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business, finance, public administration, project management, or a related field; equivalent education and relevant experience may be considered.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in healthcare operations, shared services, supply chain, contracting, consulting, business development, grant-funded implementation, or a related area.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, multi-organization initiatives from needs assessment and contracting through implementation, performance measurement, and sustainability planning.
• Valid, unrestricted driver’s license and ability to travel by car throughout Montana as needed.
• Ability to travel regularly within Montana and occasionally out of state, up to 50% of work time; travel may involve driving in varying weather and road conditions.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with rural or Tribal healthcare, healthcare associations, GPOs, health systems, state or federal grants, or statewide transformation initiatives.
• Relevant project management, Lean, change-management, supply-chain, or healthcare finance certification.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary Montana-based contact for RHTP shared-services implementation among participating providers.
• Build and maintain relationships with provider executives and operational leaders, MHREF, MHA Ventures, RHTP implementation staff, MRIT partners, vendors, and subcontractors.
• Lead shared-services deployment, including needs assessment, operational assessment, implementation planning, and deployment aligned with operational and financial objectives.
• Provide on-site and virtual technical assistance; monitor implementation progress and adoption; identify barriers; and coordinate corrective action with facilities and implementation partners.
• Coordinate vendor evaluation, competitive sourcing, aggregated purchasing, and contract negotiations to secure cost-effective, sustainable, and rural-appropriate solutions.
• Establish roles, responsibilities, timelines, communication protocols, service expectations, and escalation processes among participating facilities and implementation partners.
• Ensure implementation accounts for Montana’s geographic, workforce, connectivity, cultural, Tribal sovereignty, infrastructure, and financial considerations, while avoiding duplication of approved RHTP workstreams.
• Represent MHA Ventures in RHTP meetings, workgroups, facility visits, implementation reviews, and partner discussions related to shared services and operational efficiency.
• Identify common back-office, operational, administrative, and clinical-efficiency needs through facility engagement, data analysis, and coordination with RHTP partners.
• Maintain an RHTP shared-services opportunity pipeline based on provider demand, value, readiness, feasibility, affordability, and sustainability.
• Aggregate statewide and regional demand, spending, utilization, and service requirements to improve purchasing leverage and provider access.
• Identify and develop opportunities in revenue cycle, workforce, technology, supply chain, purchased services, and data and analytics.
• Facilitate partnerships among independent providers, health systems, and regional networks to advance shared purchasing, staffing, technology, administrative infrastructure, and expertise.
• Evaluate opportunities for operational feasibility, financial value, implementation requirements, rural applicability, and long-term sustainability.
• Maintain a multiyear workplan aligned with RHTP scope, deliverables, milestones, approved budget, and sustainability objectives.
• Establish facility-specific baselines, targets, milestones, and measurement plans for implementation, utilization, operational improvements, financial results, and sustainability.
• Monitor provider participation, adoption, vendor performance, member satisfaction, cost savings, revenue improvement, return on investment, and other RHTP-approved measures.
• Coordinate performance dashboards, financial analyses, benchmarking, periodic reviews, and required program reporting.
• Maintain accurate, complete, audit-ready documentation of assessments, participation, contracts, deliverables, performance, risks, corrective actions, and program decisions.
• Use performance data and stakeholder feedback to improve initiatives, address implementation challenges, and identify further savings and operational-efficiency opportunities.
• Support assigned budgets, forecasts, resource planning, workplans, and sustainability efforts while ensuring compliance with RHTP contractual requirements, approved scope and budget, grant requirements, procurement rules, data-sharing agreements, confidentiality requirements, and organizational policies.
• Travel regularly in-state and occasionally out-of-state for meetings, facility visits, and program-related events; hold a valid, unrestricted driver’s license and travel by car throughout Montana as needed.

Benefits

• Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees.
• Employer contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Montana Medical Savings Account (MSA).
• Flexible spending account.
• 401(k).
• Very generous 401(k) contribution after two years of employment.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Paid time off.
• Seven paid holidays per year, plus a paid office closure between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
• Employee Assistance Program.

What This Job Offers

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