Sr. Director, Nursing, Perioperative Services - Relocation to Utica, NY

Mohawk Valley Health System; Connecticut; On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

The Mohawk Valley Health System is seeking a Senior Director of Nursing for Perioperative Services to provide strategic leadership for surgical services, operating rooms, and sterile processing. The role ensures safe, high‑quality patient care, regulatory compliance, and strong financial stewardship across perioperative operations.

Collaborating with the CNO and interdisciplinary leaders, the Senior Director drives performance, staff development, and quality improvements to enhance patient

Qualifications

• MSN or Master’s degree in a closely related field.
• 8 years of nursing experience including 5 years of progressive management.
• Strong leadership and change management skills.
• Financial and operational acumen.
• Deep understanding of clinical care processes and regulatory standards.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal abilities.
• Commitment to patient safety, quality outcomes, and professional nursing excellence.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and direction for assigned perioperative service areas to align with hospital strategy.
• Develops strategies to improve patient outcomes, efficiency, and workforce engagement.
• Partners with the CNO and leaders to drive nursing excellence and evidence-based practice.
• Ensures safe, high-quality care in compliance with policies and accreditation requirements.
• Monitors KPIs including quality, staffing, patient satisfaction, and budget performance.
• Manages operating and capital budgets and staffing models to ensure coverage and financial stewardship.

Skills

Leadership

Change management

Financial acumen

Regulatory knowledge

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Patient safety

Education

MSN or Master’s degree in a closely related field

Job description

The Senior Director of Nursing for Perioperative Services provides strategic and operational leadership for surgical services, operating rooms, and sterile processing at The Wynn Hospital. This role is accountable for ensuring safe, high-quality, efficient, and cost-effective patient care delivery across these areas. The Senior Director oversees clinical staff and nursing leaders, manages surgical suites, budgets, and resources, ensures regulatory compliance, and drives initiatives that enhance surgical patient outcomes, staff engagement, and operational performance.

Core Job Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategic Oversight

• Provides leadership and direction for assigned perioperative service areas to ensure alignment with the hospital’s mission, vision, and strategic goals.
• Develops and implements strategies to improve patient care outcomes, operational efficiency, and workforce engagement.
• Partners with the Chief Nursing Officer and interdisciplinary leaders to drive nursing excellence and evidence‑based practice.

Clinical Operations & Patient Care

• Ensures delivery of safe, high-quality, patient‑centered care in compliance with hospital policies, regulatory standards, and accreditation requirements.
• Collaborates with physicians, advanced practice providers, and ancillary departments to optimize patient flow, care coordination, and resource utilization.
• Monitors key performance indicators including quality metrics, staffing effectiveness, patient satisfaction, and budget performance.
• Develops, monitors, and manages operating and capital budgets for assigned departments.
• Evaluates staffing models and productivity to ensure financial stewardship and adequate coverage to meet patient needs.
• Responsible for efficient utilization of equipment and supplies to maintain high standards of care.

Regulatory Compliance & Quality Improvement

• Leads and facilitates evidence‑based practice and quality programs within assigned areas to reduce harm, improve outcomes and sustain performance excellence.
• Participates in ongoing regulatory and accreditation readiness, sustaining a working understanding of regulatory requirements, State Mandated Guidelines, and accreditation standards. Ensures areas of responsibility consistently meet these standards.
• Supports nursing education, competency assessment, and professional development activities to ensure ongoing staff competency.

Talent Development & Engagement

• Mentors and develops nurse managers and clinical leaders, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Promotes staff engagement, retention, and shared decision‑making through transparent communication and recognition programs.
• With the Leadership and Human Resources input, makes decisions on employee hires, performance reviews, transfers, promotions, salary changes, disciplinary actions, terminations and similar actions.Resolves grievances and other staff problems in a fair, timely and consistent manner also in partnership with HR.
• Participates in initiatives focused on patient safety, operational excellence, and quality improvement.
• Serves as a visible and accessible leader, modeling professional nursing practice and service excellence standards.
• Cultivates a culture that promotes and rewards professional growth, interdisciplinary collaboration, constructive communication, flexibility, teamwork, and customer service.
• Performs other duties as required.

Education/Experience Requirements

REQUIRED:

• MSN or Master’s degree in a closely related field.
• 8 years of nursing experience including 5 years of progressive management.
• Strong leadership and change management skills.
• Financial and operational acumen.
• Deep understanding of clinical care processes and regulatory standards.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal abilities.
• Commitment to patient safety, quality outcomes, and professional nursing excellence.

PREFERRED:

• Strong clinical knowledge of perioperative nursing, including oversight of operating room workflows, sterile processing, and surgical services.

Licensure/Certification Requirements

REQUIRED:

• Current RN license in New York.

PREFERRED:

• National Board Certification as a Nurse Executive (e.g. NEA-BC or CENP).
• Specialty certification in perioperative nursing, such as Certified Nurse, Perioperative (CNOR)

Disclaimer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, et al), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability.

Successful candidates might be required to undergo a background verification with an external vendor.