Executive Director, Strategy and Operational Excellence

Job DescriptionJob DescriptionDescription: SummaryThe Executive Director, Strategy and Operational Excellence is a senior strategic operator who works closely with the Chief of Staff and COO to move the enterprise forward. This person is not a support function. They are an active driver of organizational priorities - someone who can take a complex, multi-stakeholder initiative, build the structure around it, and see it through to results without needing to be managed themselves. The role sits at the intersection of executive strategy and operational reality. On any given day, that might mean synthesizing data into a clear recommendation for the Chief of Staff and COO, driving accountability on a cross-functional initiative that has been stalling, working through a performance issue with an operational team, or developing the materials for an executive leadership review. The common thread is that this person brings clarity and momentum to whatever they touch. Experience in revenue cycle management is helpful but not the core requirement. What matters more is the ability to move fast in complex environments, earn credibility with executives and operational leaders alike, and consistently deliver. This person should be just as comfortable in a conversation with a CFO as they are reviewing a denial rate trend or facilitating a process improvement session with a front-line team. Requirements: Duties and ResponsibilitiesExecutive Partnership and Strategic Capacity• Knows, understands, incorporates, and demonstrates the Healthrise Core Values in all interactions with team members, clients, and stakeholders.• Act as a trusted partner to the Chief of Staff, taking direct ownership of priorities, initiatives, and workstreams so that executive bandwidth is protected and nothing important falls through the cracks.• Anticipate what the Chief of Staff and COO need before they ask for it - tracking open items, flagging risks, and moving work forward without waiting for direction.• Synthesize information from across the organization, distill what matters, and bring recommendations to the Chief of Staff and COO in a format that supports fast, well-grounded decision-making.• Prepare executive materials, briefing documents, and leadership presentations that are clear, accurate, and ready to use - not drafts that require another round of rework.• Manage the Chief of Staff's agenda, commitments, and follow-through cadence during high-demand periods, ensuring that enterprise priorities stay visible and active. Operational Leadership Across Markets• Work across health systems, medical groups, finance, and operational teams to ensure enterprise priorities translate into real action at the local level - not just alignment in the room, but follow-through in the field.• Drive operational consistency and performance improvement across markets, balancing enterprise-level standardization with the local nuance that makes execution actually work.• Identify root causes behind operational performance gaps, not just symptoms. Make sure accountability for corrective action is clear, documented, and tracked until the issue is resolved.• Maintain enough revenue cycle KPI fluency to hold credible conversations with finance and operational leaders, translate data into strategic direction, and assess whether performance improvement efforts are actually working.• Evaluate staffing models, workflow design, and technology utilization across markets and recommend changes that improve operational and revenue outcomes. Be willing to make those recommendations even when they are difficult. Strategic Initiative and Program Management• Independently manage multiple concurrent strategic and operational initiatives, providing clear structure, documentation, timelines, and communication for each - without requiring oversight to stay on track.• Coordinate across Patient Financial Services, Finance, Medical Groups, and Operations to keep cross-functional workstreams moving. Bring the right people together, clarify ownership, and hold the structure together when competing priorities threaten to pull it apart.• Anticipate where initiatives are likely to stall or go sideways. Raise risks early, come with a plan, and keep leadership ahead of operational and strategic challenges rather than reacting to them.• Lead change management efforts in complex, fast-moving environments. Be effective in ambiguity, sustain momentum through organizational transformation, and help teams stay focused when priorities are competing or shifting.• Design and implement governance frameworks for high-priority enterprise programs - cadences, reporting structures, decision rights, and escalation paths that create accountability without creating bureaucracy. Strategic Analysis and Decision Support• Conduct analytical assessments across operational, financial, and strategic domains to support prioritization and decision-making at the executive level - translating data and research into clear narratives and action-oriented recommendations.• Build and maintain performance dashboards and tracking frameworks that give leadership real visibility into what is working, what is not, and where intervention is needed across the enterprise portfolio.• Assess and make recommendations on staffing models, organizational structures, workflow design, and technology utilization - particularly in revenue cycle contexts - to drive sustainable performance improvement.• Develop business cases, strategic options analyses, and scenario planning frameworks that enable leadership to make confident, well-supported decisions even under uncertainty.• Define, monitor, and act on enterprise performance metrics across operational and strategic workstreams, with a clear view of what the numbers mean and what should change as a result. Leadership Alignment and Stakeholder Communication• Coordinate agendas, prepare materials, and ensure follow-through on commitments across enterprise and local leadership teams - so that meetings produce decisions and decisions produce action.• Build trusted, durable relationships with executives, clinical leaders, finance partners, and operational teams. Be someone people want to bring problems to, because they trust you will do something useful with them.• Communicate complex information clearly and concisely at all levels of the organization - from front-line operational teams to system executives - adapting the message to the audience without losing substance.• Navigate matrixed, multi-system environments and influence across organizational boundaries without formal authority. Know how to move things forward when you are not in the chain of command.• Performs other duties as assigned. QualificationsRequired• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Healthcare Administration, Finance, Operations, or a related field. Advanced degree (MBA, MHA, or equivalent) strongly preferred.• Minimum 7 years of experience in strategic operations, management consulting, enterprise program management, or a comparably complex cross-functional leadership role.• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple high-priority workstreams simultaneously with strong critical thinking, independent judgment, and consistent follow-through.• Proven track record of operating with high autonomy - taking ownership of outcomes, not just tasks, and sustaining momentum without needing to be managed closely.• Strong analytical and financial acumen with the ability to define, monitor, and draw action-oriented conclusions from enterprise performance metrics and financial data.• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills - able to translate complexity into crisp, clear insights and adapt the message for any audience, from front-line teams to a board room.• High executive presence and comfort operating in dynamic, matrixed, and ambiguous environments where structures and priorities shift frequently.• Demonstrated ability to build trusted partnerships across executive, clinical, operational, and finance teams - credible with people at every level of the organization.• Experience navigating and influencing across matrixed organizational environments, including health systems, medical groups, and multi-market operational structures.• Willingness and ability to travel regularly, including to Healthrise corporate headquarters in the Metro Detroit area and to client sites as needed.• Completion of regulatory and mandatory certifications as required. Preferred• Experience in healthcare revenue cycle management, health system operations, or a healthcare consulting environment with direct exposure to finance and operational performance improvement.• Prior experience serving as a Chief of Staff, Senior Director of Strategic Operations, advisor, or in a comparable executive-level operational leadership role.• PMP certification, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent credentials demonstrating structured program management and process improvement capability.• Experience with enterprise performance management platforms, data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau), and executive-level reporting frameworks.• Familiarity with Epic or other major EHR platforms sufficient to engage credibly with clinical and operational system stakeholders.• Track record of leading or contributing to organizational transformations, system integrations, or enterprise-scale change management efforts in healthcare or comparably complex environments. Physical Demands and Work Environment• Work Environment: Remote-based with regular travel to Healthrise corporate headquarters in the Metro Detroit area and to client sites. Travel expectations vary by period and initiative but should be anticipated as a consistent part of the role.• Physical Demands: Primarily desk-based with extended periods at a computer. Ability to travel by air or car as needed for site visits and leadership meetings.• Schedule: This role operates in a fast-moving, high-demand environment. Standard business hours apply, with flexibility required to meet executive and organizational needs. The right person for this role will not be watching the clock.