Director of Family Care

Job Description

Job Description

Tennessee Donor Services is seeking a strategic, dynamic, and high-performing Director of Family Care to provide leadership for the organization’s family care and authorization strategy. This leader is accountable for building and sustaining a high-performing team that advances the mission of organ and tissue donation by maximizing appropriate donation opportunities and increasing authorization and transplantation outcomes.

The Director of Family Care provides strategic and operational leadership for the day-to-day management of family care and authorization activities while establishing clear expectations for performance, accountability, professional development, and compassionate service to donor families. This position serves as a key clinical leader within the organization and is responsible for translating organizational strategy into consistent practice and measurable results.

The successful leader will use data, frontline insight, and evidence-based practice to identify performance gaps, understand authorization patterns, remove barriers to donation, and develop strategies that improve outcomes. They will lead through influence and accountability, and create a culture in which every team member understands their role in accomplishing the mission.

This position works collaboratively across Tennessee Donor Services and the broader DCIDS organization to identify opportunities for improvement, share best practices, reduce unnecessary variation, and drive alignment in family care and authorization practices. The Director will partner closely with Clinical Operations, Hospital Services, Medical Directors, transplant partners, and other stakeholders to ensure that family care is integrated into the organization’s broader strategy to increase donation and transplantation.

Above all, the Director of Family Care is responsible for keeping the mission at the center of the department’s work: serving donor families with compassion and excellence while maximizing the potential of every gift of life.

COMPANY OVERVIEW AND MISSION

For over four decades, DCI Donor Services has been a leader in working to end the transplant waiting list. Our unique approach to service allows for nationwide donation, transplantation, and distribution of organs and tissues while maintaining close ties to our local communities. 

DCI Donor Services operates three organ procurement/tissue recovery organizations: New Mexico Donor Services, Sierra Donor Services, and Tennessee Donor Services. We also maximize the gift of life through the DCI Donor Services Tissue Bank and Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank.

Our performance is measured by the way we serve donor families and recipients. To be successful in this endeavor is our ultimate mission. By mobilizing the power of people and the potential of technology, we are honored to extend the reach of each donor’s gift and share the importance of the gift of life.

We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. With the help of our employee-led strategy team, we will ensure that all communities feel welcome and safe with us because we are a model for fairness, belonging, and forward thinking.

Key responsibilities this position will perform include: 

Mission, Strategy & Performance

• Provides strategic and operational leadership for Family Care, ensuring department priorities, resources, and practices directly support the mission of increasing organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
• Establishes clear performance expectations and accountability for authorization, family care, and other key department outcomes.
• Regularly analyzes performance data, authorization patterns, case trends, and operational variation to identify opportunities, barriers, and strategies for improvement.
• Develops and executes action plans to improve authorization performance and maximize appropriate donation opportunities.
• Uses data and frontline experience to continuously evaluate and improve processes, eliminating unnecessary complexity and enabling staff to focus on the work that most directly advances the mission.
• Holds self and others accountable for measurable results while maintaining the highest standards of compassion, ethics, professionalism, and donor-family service.
  
  
  

Leadership & Culture

• Builds and leads a high-performing Family Care team through thoughtful recruitment, selection, onboarding, development, retention, recognition, and succession planning.
• Creates a culture of trust, accountability, professional ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Develops staff and emerging leaders through intentional coaching, mentoring, rounding, feedback, and individualized development plans.
• Establishes clear roles, expectations, and decision-making authority while empowering staff to exercise appropriate professional judgment and autonomy.
• Addresses performance and behavioral concerns promptly and directly, creating clarity around expectations and accountability.
• Models the organization’s values and demonstrates visible, mission-focused leadership during periods of change and operational challenge.
  
  
  

Authorization & Family Care Excellence

• Ensures consistent, high-quality execution of family care and authorization practices across all appropriate donor opportunities.
• Ensures staff are trained, competent, and proficient in their primary responsibilities and maintain the skills necessary to support donor families and effectively facilitate donation conversations.
• Identifies variation in practice and performance and implements targeted coaching, education, and process improvement to close gaps.
• Partners with clinical and operational leaders to identify missed opportunities and improve the coordination of the donation process.
• Ensures timely completion of donor evaluations, adherence to established standards, appropriate authorization practices, and continuous readiness to respond to donation opportunities.
  
  
  

Change & Organizational Leadership

• Leads the implementation and adoption of organizational and clinical practice changes, ensuring staff understand the purpose, expectations, and impact of change.
• Engages frontline staff in process improvement and uses their expertise to identify practical solutions and improve execution.
• Communicates with clarity, consistency, and transparency, particularly during periods of organizational change.
• Anticipates resistance, addresses barriers, and maintains momentum toward desired outcomes.
• Collaborates across the three DCIDS OPOs to identify and spread effective practices, reduce unnecessary variation, and advance system-wide performance.
  
  
  

Collaboration & External Leadership

• Build strong partnerships with Clinical Operations, Hospital Services, Medical Directors, transplant partners, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders to advance donation opportunities.
• Participates in internal and external committees and represents the organization with credibility, professionalism, and a strong commitment to the mission.
• Serves as a visible ambassador for the organization’s mission, donor families, and the life-saving impact of organ and tissue donation.
  
  
  

Operational Accountability

• Ensures appropriate staffing and leadership coverage to support Family Care operations and donation opportunities 24/7.
• Ensures adherence to regulatory requirements, organizational policies, and established clinical and operational standards.
• Maintains operational readiness while continuously evaluating whether existing processes, staffing models, and workflows support the organization’s strategic priorities.
• Participate in leadership activities, case reviews, staff meetings, and other forums necessary to maintain clinical excellence and organizational alignment.
• Performs other duties as assigned in support of the organization’s mission.

 

The ideal candidate will have:

• Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams through significant organizational change.
• Proven ability to improve performance through data-driven decision-making.
• Strong understanding of organ and tissue donation, authorization, and donor-family care.
• 3-5 years OPO experience in authorization, leadership experience required.
• Valid Driver’s License with ability to pass MVR underwriting requirements.

We offer a competitive compensation package including:

• Up to 184 hours of PTO your first year
• Up to 72 hours of Sick Time your first year
• Two Medical Plans (your choice of a PPO or HDHP), Dental, and Vision Coverage
• 403(b) plan with matching contribution
• Company provided term life, AD&D, and long-term disability insurance
• Wellness Program 
• Supplemental insurance benefits such as accident coverage and short-term disability
• Discounts on home/auto/renter/pet insurance
• Cell phone discounts through Verizon
• Meal Per Diems when actively on cases

**New employees must have their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by their potential start date or be able to supply proof of vaccination.**

You will receive a confirmation e-mail upon successful submission of your application. The next step of the selection process will be to complete a video screening. Instructions to complete the video screening will be contained in the confirmation e-mail. Please note - you must complete the video screening within 5 days from submission of your application to be considered for the position.

 

 

DCIDS is an EOE/AA employer – M/F/Vet/Disability.