Senior Regional Vice President, Quality & Performance Excellence

Easterseals Southern California transforms lives every day. For over a century, Easterseals has championed inclusion and independence—delivering essential services such as early childhood programs, autism services, employment, and independent living support to more than 29,000 people each year. Overview of Position Senior Regional VP (SRVP), Quality Performance Excellence provides strategic leadership for service quality, performance excellence, and compliance across Autism Services. The role sets the vision, standards, and operating approach for quality assurance, performance monitoring, continuous improvement, and regulatory adherence, ensuring a coordinated, data‑informed framework across Clinical Services, Network Provider, and Operations teams. In partnership with senior leadership and Enterprise Risk Management, the SRVP drives consistency, accountability, and sustained improvement in service delivery, documentation integrity, and organizational readiness. The position demonstrates a strong commitment to ESSC’s mission and values by supporting a high‑quality, person‑centered service environment. Essential Functions Leads the Quality Performance Excellence (QPE) function for Autism Services, establishing a unified approach to quality assurance, compliance, quality improvement, and process optimization across clinical services, network providers, and operational teams. Establishes and governs service line quality standards and measurement frameworks, defining expectations for service quality, documentation integrity, compliance, and operational execution. Owns associate performance standards, partnering with Clinical Services, Network Provider, and Operations leadership to ensure that standards are realistic, measurable, and consistently applied. Oversees compliance with payor, contractual, regulatory, and accreditation requirements, translating external requirements into internal policies, operational guidelines, tools, and practice. Directs quality assurance, compliance, and accreditation programs, including audit strategy, cadence, scope, methodology, tools, and quality control expectations. Ensures organizational readiness for external audits and reviews, coordinating planning, documentation integrity, response preparation, and cross‑functional execution in partnership with Clinical Services, Operations, Network Provider, and Enterprise Risk Management. Leads root‑cause analysis and remediation governance for quality or compliance gaps, including corrective action planning, escalation pathways, prevention strategies, and sustained verification that issues are resolved and do not recur. Monitors regulatory, payor, and contractual changes, ensuring timely communication, policy updates, procedural changes, documentation updates, and adoption across impacted teams. Builds and maintains a data‑informed quality strategy, including standard definitions, reporting practices, dashboards, performance insights, and transparency needed to inform leadership decision‑making and improvement prioritization. Leads continuous quality improvement and process redesign initiatives, using data analysis, audits, and stakeholder feedback to drive measurable improvements in service consistency, efficiency, and outcomes. Partners closely with teams to ensure audit findings, quality gaps, and new standards are translated into effective training, tools, and capability‑building supports. Builds and leads a high‑performing Quality Performance Excellence team, defining functional lanes (QA, compliance monitoring, quality improvement, associate performance), ensuring adequate capacity, and establishing clear operating rhythms for execution, reporting, and accountability. Maintains awareness of emerging best practices and evolving standards relevant to autism services quality, compliance, and performance improvement, applying insights to strengthen internal systems. Performs other duties as assigned in support of Autism Services quality, compliance, performance consistency, and organizational effectiveness. Education Master’s degree or higher is required from an accredited college or university in one of the following fields: behavior analysis, psychology, speech‑language pathology, occupational therapy, healthcare administration, public health, organizational leadership, or a related field. Active clinical licensure or certification required (e.g., Board‑Certified Behavior Analyst, Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Speech‑Language Pathologist, Licensed Occupational Therapist, or other comparable clinical license appropriate to autism or behavioral health services). Professional certifications related to quality, compliance, or performance improvement strongly preferred (e.g., healthcare quality or patient safety certifications such as CPHQ, process improvement or continuous improvement certifications such as Lean, Six Sigma, or similar, and Organizational Behavior Management or performance improvement certifications). Equivalent combinations of advanced education, clinical licensure, certifications, and progressive leadership experience may be considered. Experience Minimum fifteen (15) years of progressive experience in healthcare, behavioral health, human services, or a related field, with demonstrated responsibility for quality, compliance, performance improvement, or clinical operations. At least seven (7) years of leadership experience in roles with increasing scope and complexity, including responsibility for setting standards, leading teams, and driving system‑level improvement initiatives. Demonstrated experience leading quality assurance and compliance functions, including oversight of audits, monitoring programs, payor and regulatory requirements, and remediation of identified gaps across multi‑site or distributed service environments. Proven experience designing and implementing performance and quality improvement systems, translating requirements, data, and findings into measurable improvements in service quality and operational effectiveness. Experience partnering with clinical leadership and service teams to define realistic and meaningful performance expectations, assess adherence in practice, and strengthen consistency and accountability in service delivery. Demonstrated success leading cross‑functional initiatives involving clinical services, operations, training, risk management, and other stakeholders to improve performance and mitigate risk. Experience building, leading, and scaling teams, including managing senior leaders or subject‑matter experts and establishing clear roles, operating rhythms, and accountability structures. Experience working within highly regulated environments, maintaining awareness of evolving standards, contractual obligations, and best practices, and ensuring organizational readiness and sustained compliance. Expected Number of Direct Reports Up to eight; includes managing associates. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Demonstrated ability to establish, govern, and sustain quality and compliance standards within complex, highly regulated healthcare or human services environments. Strong knowledge of clinical quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and performance monitoring practices applicable to autism or behavioral health services. Proven ability to translate requirements, audit findings, and data insights into clear expectations, operational processes, and measurable performance outcomes. Strong partnership skills with Clinical Services, Operations, Network Provider teams, and Enterprise Risk Management. Leadership and change‑management skills for guiding teams and leaders through improvement efforts while maintaining trust and momentum. Excellent written and verbal communication capabilities for presenting complex quality and compliance information to senior leaders, clinical teams, and external stakeholders. Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and data systems, dashboards, and reporting tools. Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and judgment capabilities for informed decision‑making in ambiguous or high‑risk situations. Commitment to multicultural settings, obtaining criminal record/fingerprint clearance, and maintaining driving record with appropriate insurance. Ability to travel throughout Southern California and pass required medical examination and drug testing. Physical Requirements (ADA) Carrying/Lifting: Occasional / 0-10 lbs. Standing: Occasional / Up to 3 hours per day Sitting: Constant / Up to 8 hours per day Walking: Occasional / Up to 3 hours per day Travel: Up to 50 % of time Repetitive Motion/Activity: Keyboard activity, telephone use, writing Visual Acuity: Ability to view computer monitor and read newsprint Environmental Exposure: Regular duties involve or may require unplanned tasks involving blood, body fluids, or tissues. #J-18808-Ljbffr