Executive Director | Safety Net

Akido Labs; California (MO); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Akido Labs is seeking an Executive Director to lead their Safety Net Service Line in California. This role involves overseeing programs that provide essential healthcare services, managing a team of leaders, and ensuring high-quality care across the state.

The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in healthcare leadership, a deep understanding of Medi-Cal, and proven success in scaling programs effectively.

Salary range for this position is $200,000 – $250,000 USD, reflecting the critical nature of the role.

Qualifications

• 10+ years leading teams in healthcare or social services, with 4+ years managing managers.
• Deep familiarity with Medi-Cal, CalAIM ECM, and community supports.
• Systems builder with experience scaling workflows and processes for staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Safety Net Service Line in California, managing a statewide team.
• Ensure compliance and audit readiness while delivering high-quality care.
• Drive growth, financial targets, and develop a budget for the program.

Skills

Leadership in healthcare

Data-driven decision making

Relationship building

Understanding Medi-Cal and CalAIM

Excellent communication skills

Education

Master’s in Social Work, Public Health, or related field

Job description

Akido builds AI-powered doctors. Akido is the first AI-native care provider, combining cutting‑edge technology with a nationwide medical network to address America’s physician shortage and make exceptional healthcare universal. Its AI empowers doctors to deliver faster, more accurate, and more compassionate care.

Serving 500K+ patients across California, Rhode Island, and New York, Akido offers primary and specialty care in 26 specialties—from serving unhoused communities in Los Angeles to ride‑share drivers in New York.

Founded in 2015 (YC W15), Akido is expanding its risk‑bearing care models and scaling ScopeAI, its breakthrough clinical AI platform. Read more about Akido’s $60M Series B. More info at Akidolabs.com.

The Opportunity

We’re looking for an Executive Director to lead our Safety Net Service Line in California. The Safety Net service line includes our Street Medicine Program, our Enhanced Care Management (ECM) operations, our Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program, and our housing operations. You’ll manage and develop a team of leaders across California who will in turn oversee program managers and large frontline teams of Community Health Workers, Housing Navigators and other support staff who are delivering critically needed care. You’ll also be the statewide point for Health Plan partners, ensuring compliance, audit readiness, and high‑quality care - while staying grounded in field realities through direct patient care. You will be responsible for growing these critically needed services to many more patients in many more regions of California and managing an eight figure P&L.

What you’ll do

Lead People & Culture:

• Oversee a team of regional leaders and central service line leaders to ensure high quality and drive growth.
• Drive performance excellence through Directors and Program Managers: initiate and sign off on key strategic and operational initiatives from key hires to training and operational protocols to budgeting.
• Run all hands meetings, stay connected to the front lines, and keep patients at the center; putting in place systems and building relationships to address field barriers (e.g., vehicle access, safety concerns, workload/burnout) and continually improve operations, staff and patient satisfaction.
• Partner clinical leadership to deliver the highest quality care to our patients and continually advance the use of technology to reach more patients and make services more sustainable.
• Model and grow Akido’s core values—Respect, Empathy, Teamwork—across the state.

Grow a Critically Needed Program through Systems that Scale:

• Hit growth and financial targets (e.g., total patients served, staff productivity, hiring, and margin)
• Partner with regional, clinical and central leaders to design and oversee workflows, processes, and protocols that allow us to scale quality and performance across the state.
• Use data to coach directors and PMs: weekly dashboards, variance reviews, and action plans to unblock performance.
• Build and own relationships with key Community Based Organization (CBO) partners to help serve more patients and open up new markets.
• Own the P&L and budget development for this fast growing line of business in partnership with network and finance leadership

Own Health-Plan–Facing Work & Compliance:

• Lead critical meetings with Health Plan partners for ECM and Community Supports; maintain strong relationships with plan leaders
• Partner with contracting and network leaders to build strong relationships with plans and optimize contracts.
• Own overall grievance and Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) and compliance efforts to ensure good standing with plans and regulators.

Stay Grounded in the Field:

• Dedicate time to work with direct patient care staff, meet patients, and advance our mission.

Who you are

• 10+ years leading teams in healthcare, social services, or adjacent safety‑net settings; 4+ years managing managers.
• Deep familiarity with Medi‑Cal, CalAIM ECM & Community Supports, and field‑based care for people experiencing homelessness, SMI/SUD, justice‑involved, or medically complex adults.
• Systems builder who builds protocols, workflows, and processes that can scale quality and performance from 50 staff to 500+ staff.
• Data‑driven operator who sets goals, inspects results, and operationalizes improvements.
• Excellent communicator who builds trust with staff, Health Plans, and community partners.
• Health‑plan/compliance and health policy familiarity
• Advanced training (Master’s in Social Work, Public Health, or related field); SUD/harm‑reduction training, or clinical licensure (MD, DO, PA, NP, LCSW, LSW, RN) a plus.
• Comfortable spending significant time in the field.

Salary range: $200,000 – $250,000 USD

Akido Labs, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage qualified applicants of every background, ability, and life experience to contact us about appropriate employment opportunities.