Associate Director, Behavioral Health Clinical & Operational Excellence - Open Rank

University of Colorado; Aurora (CO); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Amazing benefits

Holiday, vacation and sick leave

Tuition Benefit

ECO Pass

Job summary

The University of Colorado in Aurora, CO is seeking an Associate Director of Behavioral Health Clinical & Operational Excellence. This role will drive department-wide initiatives to optimize practice efficiency, standardize scopes of practice, and support faculty well-being across behavioral health clinicians.

The position combines administrative time (0.20–0.30 FTE) with clinical/patient care activity and requires leadership in quality improvement, change management, and strategic collaboration

Qualifications

• PhD or PsyD in psychology from APA-accredited program.
• Licensure as a clinical psychologist or eligibility for licensure in Colorado.
• Experience leading behavioral health clinical programs or departments.

Responsibilities

• Lead department-wide behavioral health practice optimization initiatives.
• Guide implementation of practice optimization across outpatient and inpatient services.
• Collaborate with faculty on scheduling, templates, access, and revenue optimization.
• Represent behavioral health clinical issues in hospital and school leadership discussions.

Skills

Leadership

QI/PI experience

Communication skills

Education

PhD or PsyD in APA-accredited program

Job description

Department: Pediatrics

Job Title: Associate Director, Behavioral Health Clinical & Operational Excellence

Position #:00680704 – Requisition #:41517

Job Summary: The Department of Pediatrics seeks an accomplished and experienced professional to serve as Associate Director, Behavioral Health Clinical & Operational Excellence. The Associate Director will support department‑wide leadership in the development and implementation of clinical practice strategies designed to improve practice efficiency, scope of practice standardization, revenue cycle optimization, and faculty well‑being across amongst behavioral health clinicians.

This role would receive 0.20 to 0.30 FTE (8-15 hours/week) of protected administrative time. Balance of FTE would be expected to comprise clinical/patient care activity in support of the Department’s clinical psychology services.

Key Responsibilities

• Supports department‑wide initiatives across the outpatient and inpatient clinical enterprise focused on behavioral health faculty practice optimization using QI/PI methodologies.
• Acts as change agent for the successful implementation of practice optimization efforts including but not limited to influencing key stakeholders to ensure buy‑in and engagement, removing significant project barriers and leading communication strategy impacting behavioral health faculty.
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve behavioral health clinical practice models, including scope‑of‑practice alignment, scheduling and template design, access, productivity, clinical effort expectations, and revenue optimization.
• Serve as an advocate and content expert for behavioral health clinical issues influencing department and hospital strategic conversations focused on practice scope, clinical time expectations, efficiencies, and well‑being.
• Serve as a key resource to the DOP clinical excellence team on project action plans and help define and implement project recommendations.
• Participate in Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO), CU Medicine, and School of Medicine leadership committees as appropriate.
• Support the development of behavioral health position requests (STAR) and workforce planning.
• Provide support to the Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs when appropriate in performance or disciplinary matters pertaining to behavioral health faculty.
• Serve as Departmental liaison to the School of Medicine Behavioral Health Executive Committee.
• Support the development and sustainability of postdoctoral psychology training programs within the Department of Pediatrics.

Work Location

Hybrid – this role is eligible for a hybrid schedule of 3 days per week on campus and as needed for in‑person meetings.

Why Join Us

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a world‑class medical destination at the forefront of transformative science, medicine, education and patient care. The campus encompasses the University of Colorado health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes, and two nationally ranked independent hospitals - UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital Colorado - that treat more than two million adult and pediatric patients each year. Innovative, interconnected and highly collaborative, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus delivers life‑changing treatments, patient care and professional training and conducts world‑renowned research fueled by over $762 million in research grants. For more information, visit www.cuanschutz.edu.

Why work for the University?

We have AMAZING benefits and offer exceptional amounts of holiday, vacation and sick leave! The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:

• Medical: Multiple plan options
• Dental: Multiple plan options
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year (based on percentage of time)
• Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)
• Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)
• Holiday Days: 11/year
• Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses
• ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

Assistant Professor

• PhD or PsyD degree from a program accredited by the American Psychological Association.
• Three (3) years of experience practicing clinically in a Behavior Health related field in the Department of Pediatrics.
• Currently licensed as a clinical psychologist and eligible for licensure in the State of Colorado.
• Eligibility for School of Medicine faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor or above.

Associate Professor

• PhD or PsyD degree from a program accredited by the American Psychological Association.
• Five (5) years of experience practicing clinically in a Behavior Health related field in the Department of Pediatrics.
• Currently licensed as a clinical psychologist and eligible for licensure in the State of Colorado.
• Eligibility for School of Medicine faculty appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or above.

Professor

• PhD or PsyD degree from a program accredited by the American Psychological Association.
• Ten (10) years of experience practicing clinically in a Behavior Health related field in the Department of Pediatrics.
• Currently licensed as a clinical psychologist and eligible for licensure in the State of Colorado.
• Eligibility for School of Medicine faculty appointment at the rank of Professor or above.

Condition of Employment

• Must successfully pass a drug test through Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Must be willing and able to pass a national criminal background check
• For questions regarding Children’s Hospital drug testing requirements, please contact Children’s Human Resources at 720-777-8598. Some positions may require testing if access to Children’s Hospital or their systems is needed at any time during employment with the University. If drug testing is required, it will be listed in the job posting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Five (5) plus years of experience practicing clinically in a Behavior Health related field in a Department of Pediatrics or similar Child Health focused practice.
• Demonstrated experience managing and leading clinical psychology programs, work units or departments of sufficient scope and complexity required.
• Process/Performance/Quality improvement experience and/or training (e.g., Lean certification, IHQSE) preferred.
• Five (5) plus years of experience and familiarity with behavioral health billing, coding (CPT, ICD-10), and behavioral health documentation requirements preferred.
• Leadership experience/training in team building.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated strong communication and problem‑solving skills.
• Knowledge of clinic workflows, staff scheduling, multi‑site management, and standardizing medical or clinical administration practices.
• Understanding of state and federal healthcare mandates, HIPAA privacy laws, Medicaid/Medicare guidelines, and accreditation standards (e.g., Joint Commission, CARF, CMS).
• Proficiency in Electronic Health Record (EHR) frameworks, clinical technology infrastructures, and data collection tools.
• Knowledge of medical billing, auditing processes, resource allocation, and budget optimization within clinical environments.

Anticipated Pay Range

The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established as HIRING RANGE: Assistant Professor: $125,000 to $140,000 Associate Professor: $150,000 to $165,000 Professor: $175,000 to $200,000

The above hiring range represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. This position is not eligible for overtime compensation unless it is non‑exempt.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Total Compensation Calculator: http://www.cu.edu/node/153125

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Colorado (CU) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

ADA Statement

The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at [e-mail].

Background Check Statement

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees.

Vaccination Statement

CU Anschutz strongly encourages vaccination against the COVID-19 virus and other vaccine preventable diseases. If you work, visit, or volunteer in healthcare facilities or clinics operated by our affiliated hospital or clinical partners or by CU Anschutz, you will be required to comply with the vaccination and medical surveillance policies of the facilities or clinics where you work, visit, or volunteer, respectively. In addition, if you work in certain research areas or perform certain safety sensitive job duties, you must enroll in the occupational health medical surveillance program.

Primary Location

Aurora

Department

U0001 -- Anschutz Med Campus or Denver

Schedule

Full-time

Posting Date

Oct 26, 2026

Unposting Date

Ongoing