Vice President, Hospital Operations

Kaiser Permanente; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaiser Permanente is seeking a Vice President of Hospital Operations to lead systemwide performance strategy and execution across the Oakland-based hospitals. The role drives enterprise initiatives, aligns clinical, financial, and operational priorities, and partners with Health Plan and Medical Groups to improve quality, access, and affordability.

The position requires a decade of progressive healthcare leadership, excellent executive communication, and a track record of transformative change.

Qualifications

• Ten years of progressive leadership in healthcare operations, strategy, government programs, or hospital operations.
• Eight or more years in senior leadership roles.
• Bachelor-level degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define and advance the national hospital operations strategy.
• Translate enterprise priorities into clear expectations for hospital performance and operations.
• Align strategy across Hospital Operations, Medical Groups, and Health Plan partners.
• Ensure strategy is grounded in scalability, standardization, and measurable outcomes.
• Partner with hospital operations, finance, quality, and care delivery leaders to improve performance across quality, utilization, access, and cost.
• Identify opportunities to standardize and scale best practices that improve operations, quality metrics, and member experience.
• Support hospitals in CMS audits, surveys, and regulatory oversight.
• Establish enterprise-level monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track performance and readiness.
• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders across Hospital Operations, Health Plan, Permanente Medical Groups, Finance, Quality, Compliance, and IT.
• Represent Hospital Operations in governance forums, strategy discussions, and cross-enterprise workgroups.
• Provide executive-level communication, presentations, and analysis to support senior leadership decisions.
• Facilitate alignment and shared accountability across regions and medical centers through governance and influence.

Skills

Executive communication

Change leadership

Strategic planning

Cross-functional leadership

Healthcare operations

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Job description

Job Summary:

The VP (Vice President) , Hospital Operations Strategy & Performance serves as a senior enterprise and operational leader responsible for advancing systemwide hospital performance strategy while ensuring execution at the medical center and regional level.

This role integrates:

*Enterprise strategy leadership (e.g., Hospital Operations, value-based performance, regulatory readiness), and

*Operational execution (e.g., hospital throughput, quality, workforce, and cost performance)

The leader acts as a critical connector across Hospital Operations, Health Plan, and Permanente Medical Groups, translating policy, payment models, and strategic priorities into measurable operational outcomes across hospitals.

Accountable for both:

*Designing systemwide strategies, and

*Driving operational performance through influence and (where applicable) direct hospital accountability,

this role ensures quality, affordability, access, and regulatory performance improve in a measurable, sustainable way.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Enterprise Hospital Strategy

• Define and advance the national hospital operations strategy

• Translate enterprise priorities into clear expectations for hospital performance and operations

• Align strategy across Hospital Operations, Medical Groups, and Health Plan partners

• Ensure strategy is grounded in scalability, standardization, and measurable outcomes

• Operational Alignment and Performance

• Works in partnership with hospital operations, finance, quality, and care delivery leaders to improve hospital operations performance across quality, utilization, access, and cost.

• Identifies opportunities to standardize and scale best practices that improve Hospital operations, quality metrics, and member experience.

• Supports hospitals in preparing for and responding to CMS audits, surveys, and regulatory oversight

• Establishes enterprise-level monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track hospital operational performance and readiness.

• Communication and Relationship Management

• Builds trusted relationships with senior leaders across Hospital Operations, Health Plan, Permanente Medical Groups, Finance, Quality, Compliance, and IT.

• Represents Hospital Operations in hospital-related governance forums, strategy discussions, and cross-enterprise workgroups.

• Provides executive-level communication, presentations, and analysis to support informed decision-making by senior leadership.

• Facilitates alignment and shared accountability across regions and medical centers through structured governance and influence.

• Leadership and Change Management

• Leads complex, cross-functional initiatives requiring coordination across multiple entities without direct authority.

• Acts as a change agent to support hospitals and regions

• Promotes a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and data-driven decision-making.

• Ensures that operational, clinical, and financial perspectives are integrated into Hospital strategy and execution.

• Hospital Operations Performance

• Drive improvement in key operational domains

• Throughput and length of stay

• Capacity management and access

• Quality and patient safety

• Workforce performance and productivity

• Joint Operating Committees: structure, partnerships, best practices

• Partner with market COOs to ensure consistent execution and accountability

• Identify and address systemwide performance gaps

Basic Qualifications:

Experience

• Minimum ten (10) years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare operations, strategy, government programs, or hospital operations.

• Minimum eight (8) years of experience.

Education

• Bachelors Degree required.

License, Certification, Registration

• N/A

Additional Requirements:

• Experience leading complex, enterprise-level initiatives across hospitals, health plans, and physician organizations.

• Strong executive communication, analytical, and change leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters degree (Health Administration, Public Health, Business, Policy, or related field) preferred.

COMPANY: KAISER

TITLE: Vice President, Hospital Operations

LOCATION: Oakland, California

REQNUMBER: 1445262

External hires must pass a background check/drug screen. Qualified applicants with arrest and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with Federal, state and local laws, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran, or disability status.