Senior Director Clinical Quality and Policy

Delta Dental Ins.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 190,254 - 439,724; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Delta Dental Ins. is seeking a Senior Director of Clinical Quality & Policy in San Francisco, California. This role involves providing clinical leadership for a transforming dental health plan, ensuring evidence-based care and management of quality strategies.

The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in clinical quality, utilization management, and transformational leadership within healthcare environments. Strong communication and strategic thinking skills are essential for influencing senior leaders and driving quality outcomes.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in healthcare with a Bachelor's degree; 3+ years management.
• Experience in clinical quality, utilization management, and clinical review.
• Active, unrestricted dental license, or ability to obtain licensure.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational oversight for clinical quality functions.
• Develop and govern clinical protocols and standards of care.
• Drive strategy, innovation, and transformation in clinical care.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Clinical leadership

Data analysis

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Education

DDS or DMD required

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Data analytics tools

Job description

Overview

The Senior Director of Clinical Quality & Policy provides enterprise clinical leadership for a transforming dental health plan, ensuring that clinical policy, quality strategy, and utilization management are grounded in evidence-based care, data-driven decision-making, and whole-person health outcomes. This role is responsible for key clinical functions including Utilization Management, Clinical Review, and Clinical Quality, shaping the organization’s clinical positioning in the marketplace, and supporting integrated care models that connect oral health to whole-person health. The leader works as a peer executive across clinical, operational, and enterprise stakeholders to influence enterprise priorities, provider engagement, quality outcomes, and market differentiation.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational oversight for Utilization Management, Clinical Review, and Clinical Quality functions.
• Influence provider strategy by translating clinical standards, policy expectations, and quality priorities into clear guidance and engagement approaches.
• Shape the organization’s clinical positioning in the marketplace through thought leadership, external credibility, provider engagement, and strategic partnerships.
• Develop and govern dental clinical protocols, standards of care, and evidence-based guidelines. Ensure clinical policies reflect best practices, emerging science, and oral-systemic health principles. Chair or co-chair clinical policy governance forums and translate policy into clear clinical intent for utilization management and quality programs.
• Advance continuous Clinical Quality Improvement—focus on outcomes, effectiveness, variation reduction, and continuous improvement. Oversee programs that monitor member outcomes, safety, and care appropriateness, using data and analytics to identify opportunities to improve performance, care efficiency, and member experience. Serve as a consensus builder for shared clinical and quality objectives.
• Drive strategy, innovation, and transformation by aligning dental clinical strategy with broader business goals (growth, integrated care) and contributing to medical-dental integration and whole-person care initiatives.
• Lead and develop teams across clinical policy, dental directors, utilization management clinical staff, and clinical quality oversight. Represent Delta Dental of California and affiliated companies with industry partners as a trusted clinical voice.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• 12+ years with Bachelor’s degree; 3+ years management

Additional Experience

• DDS or DMD required
• Active, unrestricted dental license, or ability to obtain licensure if required
• Minimum of 10 years of transformational leadership experience in dental, managed care, health plan, payer, or related healthcare environments
• Significant experience in clinical quality, utilization management, clinical review, and clinical policy
• Experience in both direct clinical care and administrative leadership
• Experience applying evidence-based practice, clinical research, or literature to policy, quality, or care model decisions
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and work effectively across a complex, matrixed organization
• Strong strategic thinking and ability to translate clinical expertise into business and operational impact
• Senior-level leadership experience in clinical quality, clinical policy, utilization management, or related roles within a health plan or healthcare organization
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence, build consensus, and lead through change

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of managed care principles
• Verbal and written communication skills
• Dental background and knowledge of dental managed care
• Strong organizational and retention skills
• Attention to detail and ability to handle multiple concurrent tasks
• Presentation and negotiation skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to coordinate activities over large service areas
• Ability to interface with all levels of management and business partners
• Analytical and problem-solving skills at both strategic and functional levels

Compensation and Benefits

Base Pay Information: The national base pay range at the end is a good-faith estimate of what Delta Dental may pay for new hires. Pay may vary based on KSAs, related experience, education, and location. Pay Grade 27. $190,254.00 - $439,724.00.

About Us and Compliance

Delta Dental is an equal opportunity employer. This position requires a background check. Proof of eligibility to work in the United States must be provided if selected for hire.