Director Service Line Operations

Advocate Health; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Advocate Health is seeking an experienced operations leader to integrate clinical and administrative work across care locations. You will drive service line performance, ensure budget adherence, and remove barriers to improve patient outcomes and cost of care.

The role requires strong strategic thinking, collaboration with clinicians and executives, and a track record in workforce and workflow optimization. The position is on-site in Charlotte, NC with travel as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare or related field required.
• Typically requires 7 years of operational leadership experience.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with data-driven mindset.
• Proven ability to translate priorities into actionable operational plans.
• Ability to collaborate with clinicians, executives, and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Directs clinical and administrative operations across care locations to execute priorities.
• Establishes plans, performance expectations, and routines with service line leadership.
• Monitors budgets, identifies risks and variances, and directs corrective actions.
• Leads workforce planning, staffing, and development through frontline leaders.
• Partners with clinician leadership to align operations with clinical priorities.
• Drives continuous improvement focused on quality, safety, and patient experience.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Operational leadership

Financial acumen

Lead through managers

Relationship building

Executive presence

Diversity & inclusion

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare or related field

Job description

Responsible for integrating clinical and administrative operations and executing strategic initiatives across a defined set of practices within a service line while enhancing teammate and clinician engagement. Ensures consistent execution of specialty priorities by leading and aligning the managers responsible for frontline teams to improve patient outcomes, reduce cost of care, and optimize service line operations. Serves as the primary operational integrator with direct operational authority exercised in partnership with the service line leadership team to remove barriers, align workflows, and drive reliable performance across care locations. Accountable for operational execution, adherence to approved operating and labor budgets, and proactive identification of risks, trends, and corrective actions in advance of budget variances.

Major Responsibilities

Operational Integration & Performance

• Directs clinical and administrative operations across assigned care locations to ensure consistent execution of service line, divisional, and enterprise priorities.
• Exercises direct operational authority, in partnership with the service line leadership team, toestablishoperational plans, set performance expectations, and implement management routines across practices.
• Accountable for adherence to approvedoperatingand labor budgets,monitoringoperational performance,identifyingrisks and variances, and directing corrective actions to achieve financial and operational targets.
• Drives integration across care settings and specialties to improve access, capacity, growth, and operational consistency.
• Monitors key performance indicators, including throughput, quality, experience, and financial metrics, and leads operational response to performance trends and location-based initiatives.

Leadership of Frontline Management

• Provides direct leadership to managers and supervisors, including coaching, development, and performance management, in partnership with Advocate Health Acute, Ambulatory, and Virtual Nursing and other groups as needed.
• Establishes clear leadership expectations and holds frontline leaders accountable for operational performance, quality, teammate engagement, and patient experience.
• Directs recruitment, onboarding, development, and resolution of teammate concerns through frontline leaders tomaintaina strong and effective work environment.
• Ensurescompliance with organizational policies, regulatory requirements, and standards of performance across assigned areas.

Clinician Partnership & Engagement Support

• Partners with clinician leadership and the service line leadership team to align operational execution with clinical priorities and care delivery needs.Exercises direct operational authority to remove barriers, coordinate stakeholders, and implement workflow, scheduling, and resource decisions that support clinician effectiveness and patient care.
• Supports clinician recruitment, onboarding, retention, and engagement through operational leadership and administrative coordination, while clinician leadershipretainsaccountability for clinician practice and professional standards.
• Optimizescoverage models, scheduling, and resource allocation across sites in partnership with enterprise, divisional, local, and clinician leaders.

Quality, Improvement & Workforce Oversight

• Leadscontinuous improvement efforts focused on quality, safety, access, efficiency, and patient experience, including root cause analysis, corrective action planning, and follow-through onperformance gaps.
• Usesdata, benchmarking, and performance reviews toidentifyrisks, improvement opportunities, and operational priorities across assigned locations.
• Directs workforce planning, staffing models, recruitment support, and performance expectations through frontline leaders using Advocate Health and Clinical Services operating standards.
• Designs and directs the work of assigned areas, including talent development, succession planning, feedback, recognition, and performance improvement.
• Ensures understanding of and compliance with the organization’s Code of Ethical Conduct and applicable policies, regulations, and laws.
• Designs and directs the work of the assigned area(s) of responsibility. Selects, coaches, and develops teams, settingobjectivesthat align with organizational strategy to inspire and motivate the teams. Manages organizational talent through performance management, succession planning, and development. Designs and directs processes by which team and individual performance are recognized, feedback is consistently delivered, and performance is systematically improved.
• Develops and/or recommendsoperating andcapital budgets and controls expenditures within approved budgetobjectives.
• Responsible for understanding and adhering to the organization's Code of Ethical Conduct and for ensuring that people actions, and the actions of employees supervised,comply withthe policies, regulations, and laws applicable to the organization's business.

Minimum Job Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s DegreeinHealthcareorrelated fieldrequired.

Certification / Registration / License

• N/A

Experience

• Typicallyrequires7years of experience inoperationalleadership roles.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Strategic thinking with the ability to translate service line priorities into operational plans and measurable results.
• Strong operational leadership, execution, and performance improvement skills across complex healthcare environments.
• Financial, analytical, and problem-solving acumen, including use of data toidentifyrisks, trends, and improvement opportunities.
• Ability to lead through managers,establishaccountability, and drive results through clear expectations, coaching, and change management.
• Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills, with the ability to partner effectively with clinicians, executives, and cross-functional teams.
• Executive presence and strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and tofosteringan engaged, high-performing work environment.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Frequent local travel tovariouscare settings
• Clinician meetings may occur before or after normal business hours
• Be available for development needs and attendto unplanned needs of the team
• Exposed to normal office environment

Preferred Job Requirements

Preferred Education

• Master'sdegree preferred.

Preferred Certification / Registration / License

• Clinicalcertification, licensure, Fellow status, orpreviousclinical experience preferred

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.