Senior Director of Operations and Patient Experience

Community Dental Care; Maplewood (MN); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Community Dental Care, Minnesota’s largest dental provider, seeks a Senior Director of Operations and Patient Experience to lead patient access, front-end revenue-cycle, and service standards across five clinics. You will drive continuous improvement, collaborate with finance and clinical teams, and leverage technology to enhance efficiency and patient care.

The role requires strategic and hands-on leadership, strong change-management skills, and a track record of elevating patient experience in

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business, public health, or related field is required.
• 7+ years of progressive healthcare operations leadership experience, preferably in dental, community health, nonprofit, safety-net, or mission-driven settings.
• Experience leading multiple locations and geographically distributed teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and hands-on leadership for patient experience and front-end revenue-cycle operations across all five clinic locations.
• Establish patient experience service standards to promote access, responsiveness, and a positive experience.
• Lead front-end revenue-cycle operations including scheduling, registration, eligibility, authorizations, and patient payments.
• Partner with Finance, Billing, Clinical, and HR leaders to improve reimbursement and collections.
• Monitor operational and revenue-cycle KPIs and drive data-driven improvements.

Skills

Healthcare ops

Revenue cycle

People leadership

Data-driven

Change management

Education

Bachelor’s in healthcare

Master’s preferred

Tools

EHR systems

Analytics platforms

Automation tools

Job description

Join our team as Senior Director of Operations and Patient Experience! This senior leadership role provides strategic and hands-on leadership across Community Dental Care’s five dental clinics. The Senior Director of Operations and Patient Experience leads efforts to strengthen operational excellence, patient access and experience, revenue-cycle performance, people development, and technology-enabled improvement.This role ensures the patient journey - from scheduling and registration through treatment completion and payment - is efficient, consistent, accessible, and patient-centered. The ideal leader is equally comfortable working at the strategic level and engaging directly with clinic teams to identify problems, implement solutions, and measure results.Who We AreCommunity Dental Care is Minnesota's largest provider of comprehensive dental care for people of all ages on public programs. We operate five clinics across the state, including the Twin Cities, Rochester, and Buffalo.ResponsibilitiesProvide strategic and hands-on leadership for patient experience and front-end revenue-cycle operations across all five clinic locationsPartner with organizational leadership to support patient experience, access, growth, and financial sustainabilityOptimize scheduling, registration, recalls, waitlists, cancellations, and patient follow-up to maximize patient access and clinic capacityEstablish patient experience service standards that promote access, responsiveness, clear communication, accurate patient information, and a positive patient experienceDevelop systems to monitor patient feedback, identify opportunities for improvement, and ensure timely follow-up and resolutionEnsure processes effectively support patients facing financial, transportation, language, technology, or other barriers to careLead front-end revenue-cycle operations, including scheduling, registration, eligibility and benefits verification, authorizations, patient and insurance information intake, claims submission, and patient payment processesPartner with Finance, Billing, Clinical, and other leaders to address barriers to reimbursement and collections and improve revenue-cycle performanceEstablish and monitor operational and revenue-cycle KPIs; use data to identify trends, drive accountability, and measure resultsCreate a culture of continuous improvement by identifying bottlenecks, duplication, errors, and unnecessary administrative workStandardize best practices and develop clear workflows, policies, and standard operating procedures across all clinicsLead cross-functional improvement initiatives from assessment through implementation and measurement, engaging frontline employees in identifying problems and developing solutionsIdentify and implement opportunities to use technology, automation, AI, analytics, and other tools to improve efficiency, accuracy, productivity, and patient experiencePartner with IT and organizational leadership to evaluate and implement technology solutions while ensuring appropriate training, change management, and responsible use of AI and automationLead, coach, and develop team members and managers to improve performance, accountability, and customer serviceEstablish clear goals, expectations, and consistent management practices while supporting employee engagement, training, retention, career development, and succession planning in partnership with HRBuild a culture that balances accountability, employee support, teamwork, and service excellenceEnsure operational practices comply with applicable federal and Minnesota requirements, payer requirements, contracts, and organizational policiesPartner with Clinical and Compliance leaders on quality, patient safety, privacy, documentation, audits, and risk managementServe as a key member of the leadership team and translate organizational strategy into measurable operational prioritiesPartner with Clinical, Finance, HR, IT, and other leaders on organizational planning, growth, infrastructure, and process improvementsRecommend investments in people, technology, infrastructure, and processes that support a scalable, patient-centered, and financially sustainable operating modelTravel regularly among Community Dental Care’s five Minnesota locationsQualificationsBachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business, public health, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered7+ years of progressive healthcare operations leadership experience, preferably in dental, community health, nonprofit, safety-net, or other mission-driven healthcare settingsExperience leading multiple locations and geographically distributed teamsStrong understanding of healthcare revenue-cycle operations, including scheduling, registration, eligibility, claims, denials, collections, and accounts receivableDemonstrated success improving processes and implementing standardized workflows across multiple sitesExperience developing and managing clinic managers and frontline teamsStrong understanding of patient access, scheduling, productivity, and patient experienceAbility to use data and KPIs to drive decisions, accountability, and continuous improvementExperience implementing technology, automation, or other tools to improve operationsStrong communication, change-management, problem-solving, and organizational skillsPreferred QualificationsMaster’s degree in healthcare administration, business, public health, or a related fieldDental practice operations or dental revenue-cycle experienceExperience with Medicaid/public programs and uninsured or self-pay populationsExperience in an FQHC, community dental program, nonprofit, or safety-net healthcare organizationExperience with dental practice management and EHR systemsExperience implementing AI, automation, RPA, analytics, or other emerging technologies in healthcareExperience leading operational transformations, clinic openings, or organizational growthSkills & AbilitiesSystems thinker who understands how operations, staffing, clinical workflows, technology, revenue cycle, and patient experience intersectStrong leadership, coaching, mentoring, and people-development skillsStrong process improvement and project management skillsAbility to analyze operational data and performance metrics to identify problems and measure resultsStrong change-management and problem-solving skillsAbility to build collaborative relationships across departments and locationsAbility to use technology, automation, and AI pragmatically to improve work and reduce administrative burdenExcellent communication, organization, and customer-service skillsWhat We OfferThese benefit highlights are just a glimpse of our total rewards package, which includes a wide range of benefits and resources designed to support our employees both personally and professionally.Meaningful work where your contributions make an impact, supported by a collaborative team committed to growth and successComprehensive medical, dental, and life insurance coveragePaid time off and holiday pay to support work-life balance401(k) retirement plan with a generous company matching contributionAbout UsAt Community Dental Care, we provide high-quality dental care in a caring, culturally respectful manner. Our team of more than 300 employees is committed to our mission and seeks to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. We value our staff and equip them with the tools and training needed to be successful.Community Dental Care is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recognize that our diversity makes us stronger and empowers us to serve our patients in a culturally sensitive manner.