Executive Director, Professional & Academic Services

aa067; Duarte (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Hope is seeking an Executive Director, Professional and Academic Services to lead administrative operations across 11 academic departments and two centers in Southern California. You will partner with Chairs and Directors to align strategy, governance, and resources, enhancing academic, research, and clinical performance.

Your role requires a strong track record in healthcare administration, budget and grant oversight, and stakeholder management to drive growth and accountability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, science, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of business management in academic research or healthcare.
• 7–10 years of progressively responsible management experience.
• Experience with budget development, grants, space planning, and personnel management.
• Strong knowledge of management and accounting in research/healthcare.
• Ability to analyze complex data and develop actionable solutions.
• Proven ability to lead through multiple layers of management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• MBA or MHA preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership for administrative operations across departments and centers.
• Partner with Department Chairs and Center Directors on priorities and resources.
• Establish governance structures, expectations, and performance measures.
• Oversee academic and faculty affairs, including research administration and appointments.
• Direct departmental financial performance across budgets, grants, philanthropy and more.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, integration, and retention of physicians.
• Oversee physician practice performance including access, productivity and quality.
• Sponsor business plans and improvement initiatives for care delivery and productivity.
• Mentor department administrators and foster accountability and collaboration.
• Guide space, facilities, technology, and infrastructure planning.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic partner

Governance & metrics

Budget management

Grant management

Personnel management

Data analysis

Communication skills

Independent work

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, science, or related field

Master’s degree, MBA, or MHA preferred

Job description

Join the transformative team at City of Hope, where we're changing lives and making a real difference in the fight against cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and treatment facilities in Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix. Our dedicated and compassionate employees are driven by a common mission: To deliver the cures of tomorrow to the people who need them today.

The Executive Director, Professional and Academic Services is a senior administrative leader within the Physician Enterprise responsible for advancing the strategic, operational, academic, research, financial, and administrative priorities of academic departments and centers. Serving as the primary administrative executive partner to Department Chairs and Center Directors, this leader will drive performance, strengthen infrastructure, guide resource decisions, and ensure alignment with institutional strategy and Physician Enterprise goals. This highly visible position collaborates with senior clinical, administrative, and system leaders to support coordinated decision-making, disciplined execution, and measurable results across 11 academic departments and two centers.

As a successful candidate, you will:

• Provide executive leadership and accountability for administrative operations across multiple academic departments and centers.
• Serve as a strategic partner to Department Chairs and Center Directors, advising on priorities, performance, resources, risks, and growth opportunities.
• Establish governance structures, operating expectations, and performance measures that strengthen clinical, academic, research, financial, and administrative outcomes.
• Oversee academic and faculty affairs, including research administration, faculty appointments, promotions, mentorship, development, and institutional compliance.
• Direct departmental financial performance across operating budgets, grants, philanthropy, research compensation, clinical revenue, and other funding sources.
• Lead the administrative strategy for physician and physician-scientist recruitment, onboarding, integration, and retention.
• Provide executive oversight of physician practice performance, including access, productivity, quality, professional billing, APP utilization, clinical trial accrual, and operational effectiveness.
• Sponsor business plans, resource proposals, and improvement initiatives that advance care delivery, physician program performance, academic productivity, and organizational effectiveness.
• Mentor and develop department administrators and other administrative leaders while fostering accountability, collaboration, and high performance.
• Guide space, facilities, technology, equipment, and infrastructure planning in support of institutional growth and operational priorities.

Your qualifications should include:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, science, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of business management experience in an academic research or healthcare environment.
• Seven to 10 years of progressively responsible management experience.
• Demonstrated experience with budget development, grant management, space planning, and personnel management.
• Strong knowledge of management and accounting principles within a research, scientific, medical, or healthcare environment.
• Ability to analyze complex administrative and financial data, develop meaningful reports, and create effective solutions to short- and long-term business challenges.
• Proven ability to lead through multiple layers of management and influence senior physician and administrative leaders.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and organizational communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, establish priorities, identify issues, and ensure effective follow-through.
• Master’s degree, MBA, or MHA preferred.

City of Hope employees’ pay is based on the following criteria: work experience, qualifications, and work location.

City of Hope is an equal opportunity employer.

To learn more about our Comprehensive Benefits, please.