Director, Perfusion and ECMO Services

UCHealth; Aurora (CO); On-site; USD 212,000 - 339,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision coverage

Tuition reimbursement

Employee wellness program

Job summary

UCHealth is seeking a Director of Perfusion and ECMO Services to lead strategic direction and operational excellence for perfusion and ECMO programs. The role partners with medical leadership and academic entities to advance clinical care, research, and performance.

This onsite position anchors cardiovascular and oncology support, with emphasis on safety and continuous improvement. The Director will oversee staffing, budgeting, quality metrics, and program growth while mentoring specialized

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• CCP certification through ABCP required.
• BLS and ACLS required.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive leadership experience in perfusion services.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic oversight for perfusion and ECMO services and budgeting.
• Leads clinical perfusion operations with adherence to evidence-based practice and patient safety.
• Recruits, mentors, and evaluates perfusion staff and ECMO specialists.
• Collaborates with physician leaders, surgical teams, nursing, and executives for multidisciplinary alignment.
• Ensures regulatory compliance, audits, quality improvement, and program accreditation.

Skills

Leadership

Perfusion leadership

Regulatory compliance

Clinical leadership

Decision making

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP)

BLS

ACLS

Job description

The Opportunity

This is an outstanding opportunity with one of the top academic medical centers in the country. This position will be a part of a high-performing, quality-focused senior leadership team in a results-driven, evolving health care system. The new Director, Perfusion and ECMO Services must lead the vision of "From Health Care to Health" by forging strong relationship with the University of Colorado academic enterprise to create an overall entity unparalleled in the United States today.

UCHlth Anschutz Inpt Pavilion, US:CO:Aurora, OR Administration

Pay: $101.97 - $163.16 / hour. Pay is dependent on applicant's relevant experience

Description

The Opportunity

This is an outstanding opportunity with one of the top academic medical centers in the country. This position will be a part of a high-performing, quality-focused senior leadership team in a results-driven, evolving health care system. The new Director, Perfusion and ECMO Services must lead the vision of "From Health Care to Health" by forging strong relationship with the University of Colorado academic enterprise to create an overall entity unparalleled in the United States today.

The Director, Perfusion and ECMO Services at University of Colorado Hospital provides strategic and operational leadership for perfusion and ECMO programs, ensuring high-quality patient care, clinical excellence, regulatory compliance, and alignment with organizational goals. This role oversees program operations, staffing, budgeting, quality improvement, and service growth while partnering with physicians, nursing, academic leaders, and executive stakeholders to advance innovation, research, and performance improvement initiatives. The Director develops and mentors specialized clinical teams, fosters a culture of safety and accountability, and ensures adherence to evidence-based practices. The ideal candidate brings strong leadership, financial and operational expertise, experience in high-acuity clinical environments, and a demonstrated commitment to quality, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

UCHlth Anschutz Inpt Pavilion, US:CO:Aurora, OR Administration

Pay: $101.97 - $163.16 / hour. Pay is dependent on applicant's relevant experience

This position is an onsite role and does not offer a hybrid or remote option

Summary

Provides leadership to set strategic direction, oversee operations, and ensure high quality, compliant delivery of perfusion and Extracorporeal Life Support (ECMO) services to support program growth and essential clinical support to Cardiac, Transplant, and Oncology programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Provides strategic oversight and operational leadership for perfusion and ECMO services, including program planning, service expansion, staffing models, budgeting, capital planning, and resource allocation aligned with organizational goals
• Leads and supports high-quality clinical perfusion operations across cardiovascular and ECMO programs, ensuring consistent performance standards, evidence-based practice, and patient safety
• Recruits, develops, mentors, and evaluates perfusion staff, including Perfusionists and Perfusion Assistants; supports training, education, and ongoing competency for ECMO specialists in partnership with clinical and educational leaders
• Collaborates closely with physician leaders, cardiac surgery, anesthesia, nursing, critical care, and executive stakeholders to ensure multidisciplinary alignment and readiness for highly specialized services
• Ensures continuous compliance with all regulatory, licensure, accreditation, and professional standards governing perfusion and ECMO services, and leads efforts related to audits, quality improvement, and program accreditation
• Partners with physician and academic leadership to support research, innovation, data analysis, and performance improvement initiatives related to perfusion and ECMO care
• Promotes a culture of accountability, safety, professional development, and continuous improvement within perfusion and ECMO services

Requirements

Candidate Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) through the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP)
• Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) through the American Heart Association
• Minimum 5 years' progressive leadership experience in perfusion services within a complex clinical or academic healthcare setting

Skills and Traits

• Experience supporting clinical research, outcomes tracking, data analysis, or academic development related to perfusion or ECMO services
• Prior experience leading or supporting ECMO programs in tertiary or quaternary care environment
• Demonstrated leadership and decision-making skills in complex, high-acuity clinical environments
• Strong strategic, financial, and operational management capabilities
• Ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary clinical, academic, and executive teams
• Clear and effective communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage diverse stakeholders
• Commitment to quality, safety, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement
• Experience developing, mentoring, and retaining highly specialized clinical staff

At UCHealth, We Improve Lives

Employees are our number one asset.

UCHealth promotes a culture that invests in professional success and personal well-being through a comprehensive total rewards program.

Recognition

• Performance bonus: UCHealth offers an Annual Performance Bonus to recognize employee contributions to our success in quality, patient experience, organizational growth, and financial goals.
• Performance-based pay increase: The Annual Merit Pay Increase recognizes work performance that meets or consistently exceeds performance standards documented through UCHealth's established evaluation process and accounts for increased experience, skills and cost of living.
• Market reviews: All UCHealth positions are reviewed annually to ensure UCHealth base pay aligns with market standards. Base pay rates are adjusted as needed to stay market competitive.

Health and well-being

• Medical, dental and vision coverage.
• Access to 24/7 mental health and well-being support for employees and dependents.
• Discounted gym memberships and fitness resources.
• Free Care.com membership.
• Voluntary benefits such as accident insurance, critical illness insurance, group legal plan, identity theft protection, pet insurance, auto and home insurance, and employee discount programs.
• Time away from work: Paid time off (PTO), paid family and medical leave (inclusive of Colorado FAMLI), leaves of absence.
• Employer-provided basic life and accidental death and dismemberment coverage with buy-up coverage options.
• Employer-provided short-term disability and long-term disability.

Retirement and savings

• 403(b) plan with employer matching contribution.
• Additional 457(b) plan may be available.
• Flexible spending accounts for health care and dependent day care; health savings account available when enrolled in high-deductible (HD) medical plan.

Education and career growth

• UCHealth provides access to academic degrees and certificate programs to promote professional and personal growth.
• Up to 100% of tuition, books and fees paid for by UCHealth for specific educational degrees.
• Other programs may qualify for up to $10,000/year pre-paid by UCHealth or up to $5,250/year in the form of tuition reimbursement.
• Access to LinkedIn Learning, which offers thousands of virtual courses and seminars, and internal professional development opportunities.
• Employees have access to free assistance navigating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and submitting their federal student loans for forgiveness.
• Eligibility for some programs is based on an employee's scheduled work hours.

We improve lives. In big ways through learning, healing, and discovery. In small, personal ways through human connection. But in all ways, we improve lives.

UCHealth always welcomes talent. This position will be open for a minimum of three days and until a top applicant is identified.

UCHealth recognizes and appreciates the rich array of talents and perspectives that equal employment and diversity can offer our institution. As an equal opportunity employer, UCHealth is committed to making all employment decisions based on valid requirements. No applicant shall be discriminated against in any terms, conditions or privileges of employment or otherwise be discriminated against because of the individual's race, color, national origin, language, culture, ethnicity, age, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender, veteran status, socioeconomic status, or any other characteristic prohibited by federal, state, or local law. UCHealth does not discriminate against any qualified applicant with a disability as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act and will make reasonable accommodations, when the do not impose an undue hardship on the organization.

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