Heart Transplant Program Leader – Strategic Operations

UC San Diego; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 154,000 - 306,000; Full time

Job summary

UC San Diego Health seeks an Organ Transplant Program Manager to provide strategic, clinical, and operational leadership from referral to post‑transplant care. You will partner with medical, surgical, and administrative leaders to drive program growth, ensure regulatory compliance with UNOS, CMS, HRSA, and oversee resources, staffing, and performance metrics.

The ideal candidate has healthcare operations leadership, strong analyticals, and a track record of improving quality and financial

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in nursing from an accredited institution.
• Registered Nurse (RN) license issued by the State of California.
• Current UCSD BART certification, or BLS with commitment to obtain BART within six months.
• Seven (7+) years of progressive clinical experience, incl. 3+ years RN in transplant/ICU.
• Four (4+) years of formal leadership experience leading teams and managing change.
• Experience in healthcare operations, strategic planning, quality and regulatory compliance.
• Experience leading teams through change and fostering a growth mindset.
• Strong knowledge of CMS Conditions of Participation and UNOS/OPTN requirements.
• Experience partnering with physicians, administrators, and frontline staff.
• Workforce management knowledge including performance management in regulated environments.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily transplant operations across the care continuum.
• Oversee staffing, workflows, and resources to ensure efficiency and quality.
• Lead program growth, strategic expansion, and partnerships.
• Maintain compliance with UNOS, CMS, HRSA and accrediting bodies.
• Collaborate with leaders to optimize patient care coordination.

Skills

Program leadership

Regulatory compliance

Clinical operations

Staff development

Quality metrics

Budget management

Education

RN license (California)

Bachelor's degree in nursing

Tools

Epic

Phoenix

Job description

UC San Diego Health seeks an Organ Transplant Program Manager to provide strategic, clinical, and operational leadership from referral to post‑transplant care. You will partner with medical, surgical, and administrative leaders to drive program growth, ensure regulatory compliance with UNOS, CMS, HRSA, and oversee resources, staffing, and performance metrics.

The ideal candidate has healthcare operations leadership, strong analyticals, and a track record of improving quality and financial