Director of Care Operations
Career GuideKey Responsibilities
- Own daily care delivery operations across sites, regions, or programs
- Set operational goals and track performance against service and quality targets
- Build staffing models and schedules to match demand and reduce gaps in coverage
- Partner with clinical leaders to standardize care workflows and escalation paths
- Improve patient or member experience through process fixes and team coaching
- Manage operational budgets and identify cost savings without lowering care quality
- Develop and document operating procedures for consistent execution
- Lead hiring, training, coaching, and performance management for operations teams
- Coordinate cross functional work with clinical, finance, technology, and compliance teams
- Monitor safety, incident reporting, and corrective action plans
- Support audits, licensing needs, and regulatory readiness
- Report results to executives using clear metrics and narrative updates
- Drive continuous improvement projects and remove bottlenecks in service delivery
- Manage vendors and third party partners when care services are outsourced
- Plan for growth, new site launches, or program expansions
Top Skills for Success
Operational Leadership
People Management
Process Improvement
Performance Management
Stakeholder Management
Communication
Budget Management
Workforce Planning
Capacity Planning
Scheduling Strategy
Service Quality Management
Patient Experience Management
Care Workflow Design
Incident Management
Regulatory Compliance
Quality Improvement
Risk Management
Data Fluency
Dashboard Reporting
Change Management
Career Progression
Can Lead To
Senior Director of Care Operations
Vice President of Care Operations
Head of Care Delivery
Director of Clinical Operations
Director of Patient Experience
General Manager of Care Services
Transition Opportunities
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Experience Officer
Operations Strategy Lead
Program Management Director
Healthcare Operations Consultant
Director of Value Based Care Operations
Common Skill Gaps
Often Missing Skills
Advanced Workforce ForecastingCost Accounting BasicsContract ManagementClinical Quality MetricsRegulatory ReadinessRoot Cause AnalysisCare Model StandardizationOperations Data AnalysisCross Site Operating RhythmVendor Performance Management
Development SuggestionsBuild a simple operating scorecard that includes volume, staffing, quality, safety, and experience measures. Lead one end to end improvement project each quarter with clear baseline metrics and a measured result. Partner with finance to learn unit costs and the key drivers behind labor and utilization. Practice audit readiness by running internal checks and closing gaps with documented actions.
Salary & Demand
Median Salary Range
Entry LevelUSD 110,000 to 145,000
Mid LevelUSD 140,000 to 185,000
Senior LevelUSD 175,000 to 240,000
Growth Trend
Demand is steady to growing, driven by expansion of outpatient care, home based care, value based care models, and a stronger focus on patient experience and operational efficiency. Hiring is strongest in organizations scaling care programs across multiple locations.Companies Hiring
Major Employers
Kaiser PermanenteUnitedHealth GroupCVS HealthHumanaCenteneElevance HealthHCA HealthcareCommonSpirit HealthProvidenceMayo ClinicCleveland ClinicDaVitaFresenius Medical CareAmedisysLHC GroupAddus HomeCareOak Street HealthOne MedicalTeladoc Health
Industry Sectors
Health systemsHospital networksOutpatient clinicsHome healthHospice carePrimary care groupsBehavioral health providersHealth insurance plansCare management organizationsTelehealth providersSenior living and post acute careDialysis and infusion servicesDigital health startups
Recommended Next Steps
1
Create a one page operating dashboard with weekly metrics and owners2
Audit current staffing and scheduling practices to reduce coverage gaps3
Document the top ten care workflows and standardize handoffs4
Implement a structured cadence for team huddles, escalations, and reviews5
Run a patient or member feedback review and prioritize the top three pain points6
Partner with compliance to map high risk processes and strengthen controls7
Build a 90 day plan focused on quality, staffing stability, and cost control8
Collect quantified results from improvements for your resume and promotion case