Associate Director, Ambulatory Operations (Nurse)

Overview

The Associate Director, Ambulatory Operations provides operational leadership for an assigned group ofCommUnityCare health centers. Reporting to the Director, Ambulatory Operations or Sr. Director, AmbulatoryOperations, based on the assigned reporting structure, this role works through site administrators, practicemanagers, and site-level leaders to ensure consistent day-to-day execution of access, patient flow, staffing, qualitysupport, patient experience, and operational performance expectations.This role is responsible for implementing established clinic-network standards, monitoring site-level performance,resolving day-to-day operational issues, and escalating broader portfolio-level or structural barriers to the Director,Ambulatory Operations or Sr. Director, Ambulatory Operations, based on the assigned reporting structure. TheAssociate Director partners with Nursing, Clinical Services, Access, Financial Eligibility, and other support functionsto maintain reliable clinic workflows and support high-quality patient services.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

 

Lead Assigned Health Center Operations: Oversee day-to-day operational performance for an assigned group ofhealth centers, ensuring consistent workflows, patient flow, access, staffing alignment, patient experience, andoperational reliability.Supervise Site-Level Leadership: Provide leadership, coaching, and performance management to assigned siteadministrators, practice managers, and other site-level operational leaders.Implement Operational Standards: Implement clinic-network standards, workflows, policies, and proceduresestablished through the Director and Sr. Director structure; identify site-level barriers and recommend processimprovements.Monitor Site-Level Performance: Use dashboards, Epic data, KPIs, access metrics, staffing data, and operationalreports to monitor performance, identify trends, and develop site-level action plans.Support Staffing and Resource Alignment: Monitor staffing levels, schedules, and resource needs across assignedhealth centers; recommend adjustments to the Director based on patient volume, access needs, staffing models,and operational demand.Support Budget and Financial Performance: Monitor budget performance, productivity, revenue-cycle workflows,patient charges, and operational variances for assigned sites; provide variance explanations and recommendationsto the Director.Resolve Day-to-Day Operational Issues: Address site-level operational barriers related to access, staffing, patientflow, compliance, workflows, patient experience, and support services; escalate broader portfolio-level orstructural issues to the Director.Support Access and Care Delivery Improvements: Partner with Access, Nursing, Clinical Services, MedicalDirectors, Financial Eligibility, Revenue Cycle, and other support teams to improve appointment access, patientflow, team-based care, quality support, and care coordination.Support Operational Readiness: Support implementation and readiness activities for approved clinic expansions,renovations, new programs, service changes, access initiatives, and enterprise priorities within assigned healthcenters.Support Quality, Safety, and Regulatory Standards: Ensure assigned health centers follow applicable regulatory,accreditation, infection prevention, Joint Commission, CLIA, standing delegation order, emergency preparedness,and organizational standards in partnership with clinical and nursing leaders.Support Process Improvement: Use Lean, Six Sigma, PCMH, and other process improvement tools, as appropriate,to support operational efficiency, patient experience, patient engagement, access, and care deliveryimprovements.Develop and Engage Teams: Support staff engagement, leadership development, performance management,retention, and a culture of accountability, service, and continuous improvement across assigned health centers.Partner Across Functions: Work collaboratively with Associate Directors, Directors, Nursing Leadership, ClinicalLeadership, Medical Directors, and other key stakeholders to support service quality, operational consistency, dataintegrity, and efficient resource utilization.Support Community and Patient Relationships: Interact respectfully and collaboratively with patients, families,staff, and community partners, supporting positive relationships and alignment with CommUnityCare’s mission andservices.Perform other duties as assigned.

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

 

Strong knowledge of ambulatory healthcare operations, clinic workflows, access, patient flow,staffing models, patient experience, quality support, and performance improvement. Ability to lead site-level operational leaders and maintain accountability for day-to-day performanceacross assigned health centers. Ability to interpret dashboards, Epic data, KPIs, staffing data, access metrics, and operational reportsto identify trends, resolve issues, and support corrective action. Strong understanding of regulatory, accreditation, infection prevention, emergency preparedness,and organizational standards applicable to ambulatory health center operations. Working knowledge of budget monitoring, staffing alignment, productivity, revenue-cycle workflows,patient charges, and operational variance review. Effective project management skills, including the ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and followthrough on multiple initiatives and deadlines. Ability to collaborate effectively with Directors, Associate Directors, Nursing Leadership, ClinicalLeadership, Medical Directors, Access, Financial Eligibility, Revenue Cycle, Human Resources, andother support functions.Ability to build and lead high-performing teams; provide clear direction, coaching, support, andaccountability to assigned leaders and staff. Strong problem-solving, judgment, communication, and decision-making skills. Ability to be flexible and adaptable to change while supporting operational readiness, continuousimprovement, and staff engagement. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

 

 

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

Bachelor's Degree (higher degree accepted) in Business, Health Administration, Nursing, Public Health or related field -Required

 

Work Experience:

5 years of related experience in ambulatory, medical office, clinic operations, or healthcare operations, including at least 3 years in a management or supervisory capacity -Required **and**

Demonstrated experience and proficiency with tools, technology, and systems typically found in a healthcare environment, including Microsoft Office Suite, patient record systems, EMR systems, dashboards, and operational reporting tools

 

Experience in a primary care group practice, FQHC, PCMH, integrated care delivery system, or ambulatory care setting -Preferred

Knowledge of budget, billing, finance, revenue cycle, managed care rules and regulations, and healthcare operations -PreferredExperience working in or supporting specialty clinic operations -PreferredMembership in a professional organization such as Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) or American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), or related certification -Preferred