Director, Service Line Decision Support

Hackensack Meridian Health; Woodbridge Township (NJ); On-site; USD 196,000 - 239,000; Full time

Job summary

Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey seeks a Director, Service Line Cost Accounting to lead cost accounting, DSS, and enterprise performance management, bridging clinical operations and executive strategy.

The role oversees cost allocation, financial modeling, and reporting for service lines, mentors the Decision Support team, and partners with senior leaders to improve profitability and data quality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Mathematics, Healthcare Administration, or related field.
• Minimum of 7+ years in decision support, financial planning, budgeting, data analytics, or strategy development.
• Minimum of 3 years leading teams.
• Experience with AI and adaptability to new systems.

Responsibilities

• Oversee decision-support and cost-allocation platforms to model costs.
• Produce monthly P&L statements for service lines using advanced costing.
• Lead cost accounting functions, providing P&L, modeling, and analytical templates.
• Mentor Decision Support managers and staff; oversee DSS cost accounting system.
• Update DSS EPM structure with General Ledger changes; reconcile to statements and departments.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Analytical thinking

AI readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting/Math/Healthcare Administration

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Google Suite

MS Office

Job description

Overview

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better.

At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community.

Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

The Director, Service Line Cost Accounting, often called Director of Decision Support, is a senior healthcare finance leader who manages the cost-accounting system to calculate the profitability of hospital-specific clinical services and physician practices. It bridges clinical operations and executive strategy to drive positive service line financial performance. Responsible for implementing, overseeing, managing staff, and providing leadership in maintaining Hackensack Meridian Health's (HMH) Network-wide Decision Support System (DSS) Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) platform. Engages and supports HMH Service Line operational leaders and associated Business Units by providing analyses and reports. This position is also responsible for developing DSS training programs to ensure maximum utilization of the system.

**Experience with Strata Jazz preferred

Responsibilities

A day in the life of a Director, Service Line Cost Accountingat Hackensack Meridian Health includes:

• Oversees decision-support and cost-allocation platforms to model costs at the charge-code and patient levels.
• Produces monthly Profit & Loss (P&L) statements for distinct medical service lines (e.g., cardiology, orthopedics) using Strata Jazz advanced costing methodologies.
• Provide leadership in decision support by planning, coordinating, and executing cost accounting functions and providing P&Ls, financial modeling, and analytical templates for all service line teams, business units, and other designated areas.
• Provide leadership in supporting service line teams and business unit leaders by interacting, engaging, and recommending design analysis and process improvement and cost containment initiatives.
• Conducts and develops analyses of service lines and newly proposed programs and existing programs and submits reports and analyses to management.
• Provide leadership in overseeing and mentoring Decision Support manager(s) and respective team.
• Provide leadership in overseeing DSS cost accounting system, including but not limited to:
  • a) Maintain product standards and reconciliation process for variable direct labor & supply cost for each cost category monthly.
  • b) Develop and maintain product standard updating schedule (monthly) and meet with key revenue-generating and ancillary departments to assure accuracy of products and standards.
  • c) Maintain indirect cost allocation methodology (step-down) including departmental statistics and auditing.
  • d) Maintain the coordination of updating the charge description (monthly) as it relates to product standards and new products.
• Update the DSS EPM structure with any changes in the general ledger (PeopleSoft), including but not limited to:
  • a) Reconciliation of Decision Support EPM to General Ledger Source System
  • b) Reconciliation of Decision Support EPM to Financial Statements.
  • c) Reconciliation of Decision Support EPM to Departments.
  • d) Maintains the Chart of Accounts, that include adding direct/indirect cost centers, inactivating cost centers, and adding accounts.
• Provides recommendations on improvements in source systems to improve accuracy and reduce maintenance effort.
• Works with senior management and department directors to educate and obtain feedback and guidance for system improvement.
• Directs and advises data management resources as needed to improve data quality and value, and utilizes their skills to assist in achieving objectives. 12. Implements and monitors cost accounting procedures and manages cost and revenue systems and methods for designated areas.
• Analyzes direct and indirect costs and determines proper allocation for recording cost elements; develops and improves methods of calculating and controlling cost.
• Conducts and develops analytical templates to quantify internal operational processes (internal planning) as proposed by management and provides findings and recommendations for improvement.
• Works with clinical leadership to quantify and report on clinical resource utilization, including cost and reimbursement, and provide findings and recommendations for improvement and for report generation.
• Works with Managed Care department on an ongoing basis to develop analytical templates to determine contract profitability (contract modeling), including, but not limited to, profit & loss and contribution margin analysis.
• Works with Strategic Planning/Business Development area to develop analytical templates and provide analytical support.
• Assists Strategic Planning/Business Development area in incorporating new and existing programs and business (forecasting and projections) in the long-range plans.
• Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.

Qualifications

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• A bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Mathematics, Healthcare Administration, or other related field.
• Minimum of 7+ years' experience in one of the following disciplines: decision support, financial planning, budgeting, data business intelligence analytics, and/or strategy development.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience leading teams.
• Demonstrated ability to adjust and be agile to new systems and platforms such as Artificial Intelligence.
• Experience with an Academic Health Care Network.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficient computer skills that include but are not limited to Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office platforms.

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Preferred:

• Master's degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business Analytics is strongly encouraged.

Starting Minimum Rate

Minimum rate of $217,464.00 Annually

Job Posting Disclosure

HMH is committed to pay equity and transparency for our team members. The posted rate of pay in this job posting is a reasonable good faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role at the time of posting in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Act and does not reflect the full value of our market-competitive total rewards package. The starting rate of pay is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guarantee of a specific offer. Posted hourly rates may be stated as an annual salary in the offer and posted annual salaries may be stated as an hourly rate in the offer, depending on the level and nature of the job duties and credentials of the candidate. The base compensation determined at the time of the offer may be different than the posted rate of pay based on a number of non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to: Labor Market Data: Compensation is benchmarked against market data to ensure competitiveness. Experience: Years of relevant work experience. Education and Certifications: Level of education attained, including specialized certifications, credentials, completed apprenticeship programs or advanced training. Skills: Demonstrated proficiency in relevant skills and competencies. Geographic Location: Cost of living and market rates for the specific location. Internal Equity: Compensation is determined in a manner consistent with compensation ranges for similar roles within the organization. Budget and Grant Funding: Departmental budgets and any grant funding associated with the job position may impact the pay that can be offered. Some jobs may also be eligible for performance-based incentives, bonuses, or commissions not reflected in the starting rate. Certain positions may also be eligible for shift differentials for work performed on evening, night, or weekend shifts. In addition to our compensation for full-time and part-time (20+ hours/week) job positions, HMH offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and retirement benefits.