Director of Emergency Services

Green Key Resources; Arizona; On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Community perks and discounts

Job summary

Green Key Resources is seeking a seasoned RN Director of Emergency Services to lead one of the busiest EDs in Southern Arizona. You will oversee Main ED and Pediatric ED with 200+ FTEs, driving throughput, safety, and operational excellence in a nonprofit, community-based medical center.

This on-site, full-time role requires an AZ-licensed RN with BSN and a Master’s in Nursing or Healthcare Administration, plus 5 years’ executive-level ED leadership.

Qualifications

• Current RN license in AZ or compact required.
• BSN required; Master’s in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, or related field strongly preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive leadership experience in Emergency Services at Director level.
• Proven success leading operations in high-volume, high-acuity ED.
• Experience with Epic ED workflows and documentation preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic, operational, and clinical leadership across multiple EDs and spaces with 200+ FTEs.
• Drive throughput excellence in triage, vertical care, boarding management, and surge readiness.
• Own KPI metrics like LWBS, door-to-triage, door-to-provider, and diagnostic turnaround times.
• Lead cultural and physical transformation, including renovations and change management.
• Build trust with frontline staff and manage recruitment, retention, and staffing models.
• Champion onboarding and clinical transition for new graduate RN program.

Skills

Leadership

Emergency Department operations

Change management

Budget management

Regulatory compliance

Staff development

Education

BSN

Master’s in Nursing/Healthcare Administration

Tools

Epic ED

Job description

Lead one of the busiest, highest-impact Emergency Departments in the state as RN Director of Emergency Services. Big scope, big volume, big opportunity to shape the future of emergency care.

Full-Time, Permanent, Fully On-Site Southern Arizona

If you're ready to lead at scale — a 99,000+ visit Emergency Department, 200+ FTEs, and a department in the middle of exciting transformation — this is a role built for a seasoned ED leader who wants real impact. You'll oversee both the Main ED and Pediatric ED at a respected nonprofit, community-based medical center known for high-acuity care, strong physician partnerships, and a deep commitment to its community. This is one of the busiest EDs in the state, and the organization is looking for a leader who can bring it to the next level of performance and recognition.

Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic, operational, and clinical leadership across the Main ED, Pediatric ED, and associated fast-track/vertical care spaces, overseeing a combined team of 200+ FTEs (Main ED: 2 Managers, 4 Clinical Nurse Leads, 97 RNs; Pediatric ED: 1 Manager, 2 Clinical Nurse Leads, 30 RNs, plus techs, unit clerks, and support staff).
• Drive throughput excellence: triage, vertical care, provider-in-triage, and fast-track workflows, along with boarding management and surge/mass-casualty readiness.
• Own key performance metrics including LWBS, door-to-triage, door-to-provider, and diagnostic turnaround times.
• Lead cultural transformation alongside physical transformation — this role requires comfort managing significant change on multiple fronts simultaneously, including active department renovations.
• Build a culture of psychological safety, accountability, and strong frontline relationships with charge RNs, flow coordinators, and pod leaders.
• Own workforce strategy: recruitment, retention, traveler reduction, and staffing models aligned to acuity and volume.
• Champion the department's newly accredited new graduate RN program, ensuring strong onboarding and clinical transition support.
• Ensure regulatory readiness and compliance across EMTALA, ESI triage standards, OB triage workflows, and documentation requirements.
• Partner cross-functionally with inpatient nursing, hospital medicine, pediatrics, physicians, case management, and bed control to optimize system-wide patient flow.
• Own the ED budget, productivity targets, and resource/capital planning.

Qualifications:

• Current RN license (Arizona or compact) required.
• BSN required; Master's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, or related field strongly preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive leadership experience in Emergency Services, at the Director level (not Manager or Assistant Director) — this is essential given the scope and volume of this department.
• Demonstrated success leading operations in a high-volume, high-acuity ED.
• Certification in Emergency Nursing (CEN, CPEN) or Nursing Leadership (NE-BC, NEA-BC) preferred.
• Experience with Epic ED workflows and documentation preferred.
• Experience with department renovations, space redesign, or operational change during construction phasing is a strong plus.
• A leader who is steady under pressure, data-informed, and skilled at building trust with frontline staff during periods of change.

About the Hospital:

• A nonprofit, community-based medical center recognized as one of the busiest Emergency Departments in the state, seeing 99,000+ patients annually across the Main ED and Pediatric ED.
• Reports directly to the Associate Chief Nursing Officer overseeing Critical Care service lines.
• A department actively investing in its future: ongoing facility renovations, a newly accredited new graduate RN program, and a strong organizational commitment to elevating emergency care quality and national recognition.
• Known for strong physician partnerships, a comprehensive stroke and chest pain program, and a culture built on Five Safe Behaviors and shared accountability.
• Competitive salary range, commensurate with experience.
• Excellent employee benefits package, including affordable healthcare coverage.
• Access to local community perks and discounts.

Living in Southern Arizona:

• Over 300 days of sunshine a year, framed by five surrounding mountain ranges and dramatic desert landscapes.
• A lower cost of living compared to many major Southwest metros, with a relaxed, welcoming pace of life.
• A vibrant food scene recognized as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, with deep culinary roots and thriving local restaurants.
• Home to a major state university, bringing youthful energy, arts, and year-round events to the region.
• Easy access to hiking, biking, golf, and outdoor recreation nearly every month of the year, plus quick trips to Mexico, Phoenix, and Southern California.

This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the most respected, high-volume Emergency Departments in the region — shaping the experience of patients, families, and 200+ dedicated emergency clinicians. If you're a Director-level ED leader ready to bring vision, stability, and hands-on leadership to a department on the rise, we'd love to hear from you.