Chief Risk and Compliance Officer

Behavioral Health; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Behavioral Health is seeking a Chief Risk and Compliance Officer to protect clients, staff, and the organization across all service lines. You will lead enterprise risk management, drive safety and compliance programs, and report to the CEO and Board with candid visibility into risk profiles.

The role requires 7+ years in risk/compliance, including 5+ years at the director level, with strong experience in high-acuity settings, regulatory surveys, and insurer relations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, Occupational Safety, Law, or a related field required.
• Master’s degree (MHA, MBA, MPH, MSW, or similar) strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Sets enterprise-wide risk, safety, and compliance standards that all divisions must follow.
• Escalates significant risk and compliance concerns to the CEO; approves settlements and strategy within limits.
• Provides risk sign-off before launching new services, locations, or contracts; engages outside counsel as needed.
• Holds leaders accountable for corrective actions and risk mitigation within agreed timeframes.
• Leads risk and compliance across multiple sites and service lines with budget oversight.

Skills

Risk management

Compliance

Regulatory affairs

Incident investigation

Data analytics

Stakeholder communication

Budget management

Leadership

HIPAA

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management or related field

Master’s degree (MHA, MBA, MPH, MSW, or JD) preferred

Job description

Description

The Chief Risk and Compliance Officer (CRCO) is BHA’s senior executive accountable for protecting the individuals we serve, our workforce, and the organization from preventable harm and loss. Reporting to the CEO, the CRCO leads an enterprise risk management program across every service line—Community Living, BHA Academy, the Early Intervention Clinic, Special Contracts, and Transportation—and serves as BHA’s designated Compliance Officer. The role owns the full risk lifecycle: preventing client and staff harm; identifying and mitigating the drivers of workplace injuries; reducing liability and litigation exposure; leading BHA’s commercial insurance strategy; and ensuring compliance with DMH, DESE, Medicaid, and all other regulatory requirements.

BHA operates in one of the highest-risk segments of health and human services: 24/7 residential supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, special education for students with significant behavioral needs, and transportation of vulnerable children and adults. Elevated workers’ compensation and client-related claims, a litigious environment in special education and behavioral health, and a shrinking commercial insurance market make risk prevention a strategic priority for BHA. The CRCO is expected to measurably reduce the frequency and severity of incidents, injuries, and claims; position BHA as a well-controlled risk to insurers and regulators; and give the CEO, executive team, and Board clear, candid visibility into BHA’s risk profile. Guided by BHA’s Core Values, the CRCO builds a culture in which safety, accountability, and dignity are part of how every division operates.

Requirements

Scope of Authority:

• Sets enterprise-wide risk, safety, and compliance standards that all divisions, including divisional Chiefs and Vice Presidents, are required to follow.
• May pause or modify any practice, placement, staff assignment, or program activity that presents an imminent risk of serious harm or serious regulatory exposure, with immediate notice to the CEO and the responsible executive.
• Provides required risk sign-off before BHA launches new service lines, locations, or contracts, and on any contract terms involving indemnification, insurance, or liability.
• Escalates significant risk and compliance concerns directly to the CEO and engages outside legal counsel as needed.
• Approves claim settlements and litigation strategy within authority limits set by the CEO and CFO.
• Serves as a member of BHA’s executive leadership team, sharing accountability for organizational strategy, growth decisions, and enterprise performance.
• Holds divisional leaders accountable for completing corrective actions and risk mitigation plans within agreed timeframes, and escalates overdue items to the CEO.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, Occupational Safety, Law, or a related field required. Master’s degree (MHA, MBA, MPH, MSW, or similar) or Juris Doctor strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in risk management, compliance, client/patient safety, or regulatory affairs, including at least 5 years leading the function at the director level or above.
• Experience in at least one high-acuity setting comparable to BHA: residential IDD services, psychiatric hospital, legal, law enforcement, psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF), governmental entity, child welfare or residential treatment, healthcare, special education or school district risk management, or community behavioral health.
• Demonstrated, hands‑on experience managing liability claims with carriers and third‑party administrators, analyzing workers’ compensation loss trends, partnering with brokers on commercial insurance renewals, and managing litigation with defense counsel.
• Proven track record leading organizations through regulatory surveys, audits, investigations, and corrective action plans (e.g., DMH, DESE, CMS/Medicaid, The Joint Commission, or CARF).
• Experience serving on or reporting directly to an executive leadership team, including preparing and presenting risk and compliance reports to a board of directors or governing body.
• Experience leading risk and compliance across multiple sites and service lines, including managing a departmental budget and supervising managers or directors.
• Professional certification preferred, or attained within 24 months of hire: Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Certified Professional in Health Care Risk Management (CPHRM), Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC), Certified in Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC), CSP/ASP, or equivalent.
• Valid driver’s license, acceptable motor vehicle record, and ability to pass all BHA background and registry screenings.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic, enterprise-wide thinking: connects risk, compliance, and insurance decisions to BHA’s strategy, financial performance, and growth plans.
• Executive-level judgment: able to weigh risk against mission, operations, and cost, and give the CEO a clear, actionable recommendation.
• Working knowledge of Missouri DMH Division of Developmental Disabilities standards and abuse/neglect reporting; DESE requirements for private special education agencies, including restraint and seclusion; IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA; Medicaid program integrity and the OIG compliance program elements; HIPAA; OSHA, including workplace violence prevention; Missouri workers’ compensation law; and licensing requirements in other states served through Special Contracts.
• Insurance and financial literacy: loss runs, reserves, experience modification rates, retentions and deductibles, total cost of risk, policy forms, and contract indemnification language.
• Strong investigation and root cause analysis skills, with the ability to turn incident and claims data into prevention strategies that frontline leaders adopt.
• Credible, calm communicator with regulators, insurers, attorneys, families, and frontline staff, including in crisis and adversarial situations.
• High ethical standards and discretion with PHI, personnel matters, and privileged legal information.
• Proficiency with incident management and risk management information systems, electronic health records, and data and dashboard tools.

Starting Pay:

Our compensation is competitive within the market. Salary range is determined based on a combination of your education, relevant experience, and overall qualifications. There may be potential for performance based incentives in addition to annual base salary.