Founding Clinical Operations Lead

Awayward is building a robust modern healthcare platform for international travelers. We are seeking a Founding Lead of Clinical Operations to architect and execute the operational infrastructure of our global care delivery network. This is a high-impact role reporting directly to the CEO, responsible for leading the patient experience, building and managing our global provider recruitment and onboarding operations, and developing relationships with healthcare partners to ensure high-quality, fast, and compliant care delivery across borders. Responsibilities Build and manage a global provider network, overseeing the end-to-end recruitment, vetting, credentialing, and onboarding of high-quality international healthcare providers. Lead the development of Awayward's Care Navigator program, owning the end-to-end patient experience across scheduling, triage, and care coordination. Collaborate with the Medical Director and Clinical Advisors to design and implement rigorous Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), clinical protocols, and quality assurance frameworks. Develop and implement relationships and direct-billing partnerships with leading travel and hospitality partners. Operationalize clinical workflows, acting as the bridge between clinical teams and product engineering. Ensure regulatory compliance by maintaining up-to-date knowledge of international healthcare regulations, HIPAA, and data privacy standards. Drive provider engagement and performance, establishing KPIs to monitor response times, patient satisfaction, and adherence to medical best practices. Requirements 5+ years of experience in Clinical Operations, Provider Network Management, Provider Recruiting, or a related role within a digital health or virtual care environment. Proven track record of recruiting and onboarding clinicians, preferably with exposure to international or cross-border healthcare markets. Clinical or nursing background strongly encouraged. Experience developing clinical SOPs and workflows. Strong understanding of healthcare compliance, including credentialing standards, HIPAA, and virtual care regulations. Demonstrated ability to work autonomously in a fast-paced, remote startup environment. This is a full-time, in-person role based in Chicago, Illinois. Passion for travel and modernizing healthcare. Time Off: Competitive and highly encouraged time off, including paid vacation and sick leave. Holidays: Paid time off for major U.S. holidays. Equity: Strong equity ownership in an early and growing startup. Healthcare: Medical plan provided. Work From Anywhere Weeks: Dedicated work-from-anywhere weeks designed to ensure our team gets to travel. #J-18808-Ljbffr Awayward