Chief Operating Officer - Wisconsin

Ascension; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health coverage

403(b) retirement plan

Paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Employee assistance program

Family benefits

Job summary

Ascension is seeking a Wisconsin Market COO to oversee market-wide operational performance, optimize resources, advance process improvements, and foster collaboration across clinical, administrative, and support functions to enhance access, service delivery, and financial sustainability.

This executive will partner with market and enterprise leadership to set strategic priorities, manage operating budgets, drive productivity, and ensure accountability for clinical quality, patient and colleague

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• At least 10 years of cumulative job-specific experience, with 5 years in leadership/management.
• Experience partnering with market and enterprise leadership.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic priorities, operational plans, and performance objectives for the Wisconsin market.
• Provide strategic oversight of market operations across facilities and service lines.
• Drive initiatives to improve growth, efficiency, service delivery, and sustainability.
• Establish performance expectations and accountability for financial, operational, and strategic results.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to align priorities and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree with 10 years of applicable cumulative job specific experience, with 5 of those years in leadership/management

Job description

Your future role at a glance

The Wisconsin Market COO oversees market-wide operational performance, optimizes resources, advances process improvement initiatives, and fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability. This leader builds strong partnerships across clinical, administrative, and support functions to enhance operational effectiveness, improve access and service delivery, strengthen financial sustainability, and deliver exceptional patient and colleague experiences.

How you’ll make an impact in this role

Strategic and Operational Leadership

• Partner with market and enterprise leadership to develop and execute strategic priorities, operational plans, and performance objectives for the Wisconsin market.
• Provide strategic oversight of market operations, ensuring alignment across facilities, service lines, and functional areas to achieve organizational goals.
• Drive execution of market initiatives that advance growth, improve operational performance, strengthen service delivery, and support long-term sustainability.
• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability measures to ensure achievement of operational, financial, and strategic objectives.
• Evaluate industry trends, market dynamics, and emerging opportunities to inform strategic decisions and strengthen the market's competitive position.

Financial Performance and Resource Optimization

• Partner with finance and operational leaders to develop, manage, and monitor operating budgets, forecasts, and financial performance.
• Drive accountability for financial results through effective expense management, productivity improvement, resource optimization, and operational efficiency.
• Analyze performance metrics and financial trends to identify improvement opportunities, address performance gaps, and implement corrective actions.
• Evaluate operational investments and business opportunities to ensure resources are aligned with strategic priorities and deliver sustainable value.

Operational Excellence and Performance Improvement

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators to evaluate operational effectiveness, measure progress, and drive continuous improvement.
• Lead initiatives to optimize workflows, improve productivity, enhance resource utilization, and standardize operational practices across the market.
• Partner with clinical, administrative, and support leaders to improve access, capacity, quality, safety, and the overall patient experience.
• Identify and address operational barriers, manage competing priorities, and drive timely resolution of complex business challenges.

Executive Partnership and Leadership Development

• Collaborate with market and enterprise leadership to align operational priorities, support strategic decision-making, and advance organizational objectives.
• Develop and empower operational leaders, fostering a high-performing leadership team focused on accountability, collaboration, and results.
• Build effective partnerships across the organization to strengthen communication, support change management, and ensure consistent execution of market priorities.
• Serve as a key liaison among market leadership, executive leadership, the Board of Directors, and external stakeholders, as appropriate.

Compliance, Risk Management, and Organizational Effectiveness

• Ensure market operations align with organizational policies, applicable regulatory requirements, accreditation standards, and compliance expectations.
• Partner with clinical and operational leaders to advance quality, patient safety, service excellence, and risk mitigation.
• Identify operational and business risks and implement strategies to strengthen organizational resilience and operational effectiveness.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and accountability while ensuring alignment with organizational standards and expectations.

#le@der

What Minimum Requirements You’ll Need

Licensure / Certification / Registration

• Required Credential(s):
• None Required.

Education

• Bachelor's degree with 10 years of applicable cumulative job specific experience required, with 5 of those years being in leadership/management.

Benefits that help you thrive

• Comprehensive health coverage: medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage and HSA/FSA options
• Financial security & retirement: employer-matched 403(b), planning and hardship resources, disability and life insurance
• Time to recharge: pro-rated paid time off (PTO) and holidays
• Career growth: Ascension-paid tuition (Vocare), reimbursement, ongoing professional development and online learning
• Emotional well-being: Employee Assistance Program, counseling and peer support, spiritual care and stress management resources
• Family support: parental leave, adoption assistance and family benefits
• Other benefits: optional legal and pet insurance, transportation savings and more

Life at Ascension: Where purpose meets opportunity

Ascension is a leading nonprofit Catholic health system with a culture and associate experience grounded in service, growth, care and connection. We empower our 99,000+ associates to bring their skills and expertise every day to reimagining healthcare, together. Recognized as one of the Best 150+ Places to Work in Healthcare and a Military-Friendly Gold Employer, you'll find an inclusive and supportive environment where your contributions truly matter.

Equal employment opportunity employer

Ascension provides Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) to all associates and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, lactation, breastfeeding, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, all as defined by applicable law, and any other legally protected status or characteristic in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. For further information, view the EEO Know Your Rights (English) poster or EEO Know Your Rights (Spanish) poster.

Fraud prevention notice

Prospective applicants should be vigilant against fraudulent job offers and interview requests. Scammers may use sophisticated tactics to impersonate Ascension employees. To ensure your safety, please remember: Ascension will never ask for payment or to provide banking or financial information as part of the job application or hiring process, our legitimate email communications will always come from an @ascension.org email address; do not trust other domains, and an official offer will only be extended to candidates who have completed a job application through our authorized applicant tracking system.

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