Chief Dental Officer

Chief Dental Officer

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The Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) seeks an accomplished and visionary leader to serve as Chief Dental Officer (CDO). Reporting directly to the Dean and serving as a member of the School's executive leadership and cabinet, the CDO provides strategic leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for all clinical operations of the School of Dentistry, including predoctoral (DDS), graduate specialty clinics, faculty practices, and hospital-based clinical programs. The CDO is accountable for advancing the School's clinical mission in patient care, education, quality, safety, compliance, and financial sustainability, while ensuring full alignment with academic priorities, accreditation standards, and the health system environment. The Chief Dental Officer manages the business of our clinical enterprise.

This new leader joins the IU School of Dentistry at a pivotal moment for the clinical enterprise. Over the next 5 years there will be implementation of a new PACS and a new patient information system, new Special Care Clinic for adults with disabilities and a new facility to house the OMFS residency program. All of these will rely on collaboration internally and with external partners. This role serves as the School's senior clinical executive, leading the integration of clinical education, patient care delivery, and faculty practice across diverse settings, and representing the School internally and externally on matters related to clinical strategy and performance.

The successful candidate will have a strong background in running a multidisciplinary medical/dental operation of $20-$50M in annual revenue as a business, with a primary focus on quality patient care, clinic workflows, and strategic initiatives to increase/maximize revenue. Relevant previous experience includes CEO/COO of a large group practice with multiple locations/service lines or a dental service organization (DSO). Direct reports include the assistant dean of clinical education, the assistant dean of clinical operations, the associate dean and director of dental informatics and digital health, the director of clinical operations, director of Clinical staff, the Director of Clinical Revenue Cycle (dotted line) and the chief infection prevention officer. Key partners include the Chief Fiscal Officer, the Director of Facilities and Auxiliary Services, the Compliance and Privacy Officer, the Associate Dean for Education and Academic Affairs, the Associate Dean for Hospital Affairs, and the chairs of the academic departments who lead clinical faculty who work and teach in the IUSD clinics.

Scope of Responsibilities

• All School of Dentistry clinical operations, including: Predoctoral (DDS) comprehensive care and specialty clinics Graduate and postgraduate specialty clinics Faculty practice operations Hospital-based dental and oral and maxillofacial surgery programs Community-based and extramural clinical education sites Clinical faculty and staff practice environments Clinical quality, safety, compliance, and risk management Clinical financial performance, access, utilization, and growth

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Provide visionary leadership for the clinical mission of the School of Dentistry, ensuring integration of patient care excellence with educational outcomes and faculty engagement. Develop and execute a comprehensive clinical strategy aligned with the School's strategic plan, accreditation requirements, and institutional priorities for education, research, and service. Lead long-range planning for clinical programs, facilities, technologies, and workforce needs.
• Clinical Operations Oversight: Direct and coordinate all clinical enterprises across DDS, graduate, faculty, and hospital-based settings. Ensure efficient, effective, and standardized clinical operations while allowing appropriate differentiation among programs. Oversee clinic scheduling, space utilization, staffing models, and clinical workflows to optimize educational value and patient access.
• Quality, Safety, and Compliance: Establish and maintain a robust clinical quality and patient safety framework across all clinics. Ensure compliance with all regulatory, accreditation, infection control, billing, documentation, and risk management requirements. Promote continuous quality improvement and evidence-based clinical practice.
• Financial and Performance Stewardship: In collaboration with the Chief Fiscal Officer, provide executive oversight of clinical financial performance, including revenue cycle integrity, cost management, and productivity. Partner with finance, operations, and department leadership to ensure sustainable clinical margins that support the School's academic mission. Use data analytics and performance dashboards to monitor access, productivity, outcomes, and patient experience.
• Academic and Educational Integration: Ensure that clinical operations support high-quality clinical education for DDS, allied dental, and graduate programs. Collaborate closely with Academic Affairs, department chairs, and program directors to align clinical experiences with curricular and competency requirements. Support innovation in clinical education, including digital dentistry, interprofessional care, and emerging care models.
• Faculty and Staff Leadership: In collaboration with the Chair of Comprehensive Care and Allied programs, lead, mentor, and evaluate clinical leaders, including assistant deans, clinic directors, and faculty leaders. Foster a culture of professionalism, accountability, collaboration, and inclusion within clinical environments. Partner with Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs on recruitment, development, evaluation, and succession planning for clinical faculty leadership.
• External and Institutional Engagement: Advance strategic partnerships that enhance clinical education, patient care, and institutional reputation. Represent the School nationally in forums related to academic dentistry, clinical education, and health system integration.

Our Commitment

As the state's premier urban research institution, Indiana University is committed to having for all a welcoming campus community that informs academic excellence. We seek candidates whose research, teaching, and community engagement efforts contribute to heterogeneous, robust, and collaborative learning, working, and patient care environments for all of our students, employees, and patients. IUSD offers a dynamic learning environment for faculty, in which teaching, research, clinical care, and community service are core to our mission through our School-owned clinics and educational programs in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Our main facility includes a state-of-the-art 45,000–square-foot James J. Fritts DDS Clinical Care Center on the IU-Indianapolis campus, adjacent to local hospitals and part of an urban academic health center. In 2026, we will open our newly renovated Delta Dental Special Care Clinic to enhance our ability to train oral health professionals and provide care for patients with disabilities, including those with complex craniofacial disorders and medical complexity in an interdisciplinary setting.

Basic Qualifications - Required Qualifications

• DDS, DMD, or equivalent dental degree
• Eligible for unrestricted dental license in Indiana
• Record of progressive leadership in academic dentistry, health systems, or complex clinical enterprises
• Demonstrated experience overseeing multi-site or multi-program clinical operations
• Strong understanding of dental education, accreditation, faculty practice, and hospital-based care
• Proven ability to lead strategic change, manage complexity, and align clinical and academic missions

Key Competencies

• Strategic and systems thinking
• Executive leadership and change management
• Financial acumen and operational excellence
• Collaborative leadership across academic, clinical, and administrative domains
• Commitment to quality, safety, equity, and patient-centered care

Department Contact for Questions - Questions regarding the position can be directed to: Dr. Lisa Lang Executive Associate Dean View email address on click.appcast.io

Additional Qualifications - Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in health administration, business, public health, or education (MBA, MHA, MPH, EdD, or similar)
• Experience as an associate/senior associate dean, chief dental officer, department chair, or comparable executive role
• Experience working within large academic health centers, public health or large group practice organizations, or integrated health systems

Salary and Rank - Rank and salary will be based on the applicant's credentials and experience. Review of applicants will begin immediately with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2027, or sooner.

Review of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Candidates should submit the following supporting documents: A signed letter of intent describing leadership experience and qualifications. Curriculum vitae. Names and contact information for professional references. When requested, submitted reference letters must be provided on letterhead with the referee's signature.