Director, Physician Compensation

Atlantic Health; Morristown (NJ); On-site; USD 231,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Atlantic Health in Morristown, New Jersey seeks a Director of Compensation and Contracting to provide strategic leadership for physician compensation programs and provider employment contracting across the system. You will oversee design, implementation, analysis, and governance to ensure alignment with market competitiveness, regulatory requirements, and financial sustainability.

You will serve as a key advisor to executive leadership, physician leaders, legal counsel, and finance, guiding

Qualifications

• Proven leadership of physician compensation programs.
• Experience advising executive leadership and legal counsel.
• Strong knowledge of Stark Law, AKS, IRS requirements.
• Ability to develop budgets and forecasting for compensation.
• Collaborates effectively with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and administration of physician compensation programs.
• Oversee contract lifecycle management and negotiations.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Direct financial modeling and budgeting for physician compensation.
• Lead the Compensation and Contracting team and partner with stakeholders.

Skills

Physician compensation strategy

Contract negotiation

Regulatory compliance

Financial analysis

Leadership

Job description

Position Summary

The Director Compensation and Contracting is responsible for the strategic leadership, administration, and governance of physician compensation programs and provider employment contracting across the organization. The role oversees the design, implementation, analysis, and management of physician compensation arrangements and employment arrangements to ensure alignment with organizational objectives, market competitiveness, regulatory requirement and financial sustainability.

The Director serves as a key advisor to executive leadership, physician leaders, legal counsel, finance, and operational stakeholders regarding provider compensation strategy, contract administration, retention, productivity, and fair market value compliance. The role supports employed physicians across the various sites, ambulatory practices, specialty service lines and affiliated physician groups.

Essential Functions

Physician Compensation Strategy

• Lead the development, implementation, and administration of physician compensation programs.
• Ensure compensation models align with organizational goals, strategic priorities, physician engagement, quality outcomes, productivity, and financial performance.
• Evaluate and recommend compensation methodologies, including productivity-based and administrative compensation arrangements.
• Conduct market analyses utilizing national physician compensation surveys and industry benchmarks.
• Develop recommendations regarding physician recruitment offers, retention strategies, leadership stipends, call coverage arrangements, medical directorships, and incentive programs.
• Monitor physician compensation trends and emerging healthcare industry practices.

Contracting and Provider Agreements

• Direct the review, development, negotiation support, and administration of physician employment agreements and compensation-related contract provisions.
• Partner with Legal, Physician Recruitment, Finance, and Operational Leadership to facilitate timely contract execution.
• Oversee contract lifecycle management, including renewals, amendments, compensation modifications, and terminations.
• Ensure physician contracts accurately reflect approved compensation arrangements and organizational policies.
• Maintain contract templates, standards, and governance processes.

Compliance and Governance

• Lead bi-weekly compliance meetings with Committee to ensure physician compensation arrangements comply with applicable federal and state regulations, including Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, IRS requirements, and other healthcare regulatory standards.
• Collaborate with Compliance and Legal departments to support audits, investigations, and regulatory reviews.
• Establish governance processes for physician compensation review, approval, and documentation.
• Oversee fair market value and commercial reasonableness assessments for physician compensation arrangements.
• Maintain compensation policies, procedures, and approval workflows.

Financial Analysis and Reporting

• Direct financial modeling and compensation analyses supporting physician employment, recruitment retention, and strategic growth initiatives.
• Develop physician compensation budgets and forecasting methodologies.
• Monitor physician compensation expense trends and productivity performance.
• Prepare executive-level reports, presentations, dashboards, and recommendations for senior leadership and governing committees.
• Analyze provider productivity, quality, and incentive performance metrics.

Leadership and Team Management

• Lead and develop the Physician Compensation and Contracting team.
• Establish departmental goals, performance expectations, and operational priorities.
• Promote continuous improvement, process optimization, and operational excellence.
• Foster strong partnerships with physician leaders, service line executives, human resources, legal, finance, compliance, and operational teams.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for physician compensation and contracting matters throughout the organization.

Salary Range: $230,899–$319,761 base salary only; excludes leadership incentive.