Director, Tactical Operations

Guardian Dentistry Practice Management LLC; United States; On-site; USD 117,000 - 143,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary up to $130,000

Annual bonus up to 20%

401(k) company-matched retirement plan

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Job summary

Guardian Dentistry Partners is seeking a Director of Tactical Operations to own a rolling cohort of underperforming practices and run a structured, six‑month turnaround process. This hands‑on leadership role requires travel up to 75% and direct coaching of practice leadership to diagnose issues, build revamp plans, and execute improvements.

You will analyze financial performance, cost structures, staffing, and program adoption to identify root causes and drive measurable improvements across

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent experience preferred.
• 5+ years of operational leadership experience within a multi-site healthcare, dental services, retail healthcare, or service-based organization.
• Demonstrated success leading practice-level turnarounds, performance improvement initiatives, or operational transformation.
• Strong financial acumen — comfortable reading a P&L and translating variance into an action plan, not just a diagnosis.
• Exceptional coaching, communication, and relationship-building skills — this role lives in the field with practice leadership, not behind a desk.
• Highly adaptable and comfortable operating with ambiguity; each practice's problem looks different.
• Willingness to travel extensively (up to 75%)

Responsibilities

• Own a rolling cohort of underperforming practices (6–10 at a time) selected based on revenue and EBITDA variance against budget.
• Create action based on deep‑dive diagnostic analysis on each practice — financial performance, cost structure, staffing, patient volume, and program adoption — to identify the actual drivers of underperformance.
• Build a practice‑specific turnaround plan with clear milestones, and execute it directly over a 6‑month cycle.
• Provide hands‑on coaching and accountability to practice and office leadership throughout the turnaround.
• Partner with Regional Managers, Office Managers, and clinical/growth program leads to implement changes on the ground.
• Track performance against the plan monthly and report progress directly to the Chief Growth Officer.
• At the end of each 6‑month cycle, deliver a clear recommendation for every practice in the cohort: turned around, needs additional time, or should be considered for divestiture.
• Evaluate how well vendor and clinical growth programs are being adopted and utilized at each practice as part of the diagnostic, and fold that into the turnaround plan.
• Build repeatable diagnostic and turnaround frameworks so each new cohort moves faster than the last

Skills

Operational leadership

Financial acumen

Coaching

Communication

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or equivalent

Job description

Location: Guardian Corporate Guardian Dentistry Partners is entering a defining phase of growth as our network continues to expand through new partnerships and acquisitions. With that growth comes a hard truth: not every practice performs the way it should, and someone needs to own fixing that. At Guardian Dentistry Partners, we support a network of 200+ thriving practices across 15.5 states (shoutout, D.C.!). We’re also proud to have been named in the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies for the fourth consecutive year, ranking No. 2,915 overall and No. 14 among dental companies nationwide.

As Director, Tactical Operations, you will own a rolling cohort of Guardian's most underperforming practices — measured on revenue and EBITDA — and run a structured, hands‑on turnaround process for each one. You'll diagnose what's actually broken at the practice level, build a specific revamp plan, and execute it over a 6‑month window. When a cohort completes, a new group of underperforming offices rolls on. This is a standing role, not a one‑time project. This is a highly visible, execution‑driven role that requires significant travel and a hands‑on approach to leadership.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own a rolling cohort of underperforming practices (6–10 at a time) selected based on revenue and EBITDA variance against budget
• Create action based on deep‑dive diagnostic analysis on each practice — financial performance, cost structure, staffing, patient volume, and program adoption — to identify the actual drivers of underperformance
• Build a practice‑specific turnaround plan with clear milestones, and execute it directly over a 6‑month cycle
• Provide hands‑on coaching and accountability to practice and office leadership throughout the turnaround
• Partner with Regional Managers, Office Managers, and clinical/growth program leads to implement changes on the ground
• Track performance against the plan monthly and report progress directly to the Chief Growth Officer
• At the end of each 6‑month cycle, deliver a clear recommendation for every practice in the cohort: turned around, needs additional time, or should be considered for divestiture
• Evaluate how well vendor and clinical growth programs (Sunbit, Curodont/vVardis, TrueLark, Pearl AI) are being adopted and utilized at each practice as part of the diagnostic, and fold that into the turnaround plan
• Build repeatable diagnostic and turnaround frameworks so each new cohort moves faster than the last

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent experience preferred
• 5+ years of operational leadership experience within a multi‑site healthcare, dental services, retail healthcare, or service‑based organization
• Demonstrated success leading practice‑level turnarounds, performance improvement initiatives, or operational transformation
• Strong financial acumen — comfortable reading a P&L and translating variance into an action plan, not just a diagnosis
• Exceptional coaching, communication, and relationship‑building skills — this role lives in the field with practice leadership, not behind a desk
• Highly adaptable and comfortable operating with ambiguity; each practice's problem looks different
• Willingness to travel extensively (up to 75%)

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Base Salary: Up to $130,000
• Annual Bonus: Up to 20%, based on individual and company performance
• 401(k): Company‑matched retirement plan
• Benefits: Competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage

WHY THIS ROLE?

This role sits at the center of Guardian's growth story. Every practice you take on is a real problem with a real deadline — you'll diagnose it, fix it, and move to the next one. If you want to see the direct, measurable result of your work inside six months, and do it again with the next cohort, this is that role.

FLSA Status: Exempt

We are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, protected veteran status, disability status or other legally protected status. We will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities unless doing so would result in an undue hardship.

Completion of this form is voluntary and will only be used to report on candidate demographics. Nothing contained in this form will be accessible or used in hiring or other employment decisions. Information provided will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file for reporting purposes only.

Thank you for considering a career with us! We understand you have options and that each of you have specific interests and goals. We take pride in learning about what is important to you and why you are looking to make a career change. We look forward to exploring this potential opportunity with you and providing you with enough information to make an informed decision about the next step in your career.

We strive every day to provide the best possible experience for our patients. We believe strongly in our values that guide us towards unity and teamwork. Collectively we make an I.M.P.A.C.T that makes a difference. I-Integrity M-Mentorship P-Partnership A-Action C-Caring T- Transparency