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Western Dental

Offers affordable dental care through clinics

Vice President of Operations

Full-TimeDeadline 9/29/27
$275k - $300k
Expert
Bachelor's, MBA
Sacramento, CA, USA
In PersonTravel over 50% of the time to clinics and offices.
Business & Strategy

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in Business, Healthcare Administration, or a related field is required.
  • At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare operations, including at least two years of multi-site P&L ownership, is required.
  • A proven track record of improving patient experience and operational efficiency, driving growth strategies, and enhancing profitability is required.
  • Experience working cross-functionally within matrixed organizations, ideally supporting both field and corporate leadership, is required.
  • Willingness and ability to travel more than 50% of the time to clinics and offices is required.
  • Executive communication and presentation skills are required.
  • Strong analytical thinking and the ability to translate strategy into action are required.
  • Ability to lead through influence, with or without direct authority, is required.
  • Adaptability and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment are required.
Responsibilities
  • Own and elevate the end-to-end patient experience across the region, embedding a patient-first lens into operational decisions and market priorities.
  • Drive measurable improvements in patient satisfaction, reviews, retention, and referrals through disciplined execution and service innovation.
  • Ensure every patient touchpoint, from access and scheduling to treatment completion and follow-up, reflects convenience, empathy, and clinical confidence.
  • Lead, coach, and hold accountable a team of 5–6 Directors of Operations to deliver consistent, high-quality execution across 75–120 clinics.
  • Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, and operating cadence to ensure alignment, speed, and accountability at scale.
  • Serve as the senior operator for the market, setting the tone for performance, urgency, and ownership.
  • Design and implement scalable systems, workflows, and standards that improve efficiency, consistency, and patient experience across all locations.
  • Translate strategy into clear execution plans, ensuring initiatives are implemented with rigor and sustained over time.
  • Identify and remove operational barriers that limit growth, access, or quality of care.
  • Own full regional P&L, driving revenue growth, margin expansion, and strong unit-level economics.
  • Optimize labor, productivity, and cost structures while maintaining high standards of patient care and experience.
  • Partner closely with revenue cycle and finance teams to improve collections, throughput, and overall financial performance.
  • Evaluate growth opportunities through operational readiness, patient access, and long-term value creation.
  • Build, develop, and retain a high-performing operations team grounded in accountability, patient-centricity, and continuous improvement.
  • Create a culture of ownership and performance where leaders are empowered and expected to deliver results.
  • Strengthen the leadership bench through active coaching, succession planning, and talent development.
  • Ensure all clinics operate in full compliance with regulatory requirements and company standards.
  • Maintain focus on patient safety, clinical quality, and risk mitigation across the market.
  • Establish and rigorously manage key performance indicators across patient experience, operational execution, and financial outcomes.
  • Use data, field insights, and patient feedback to drive continuous, measurable improvement across the region.
  • Inspect performance consistently and take swift action to address gaps and accelerate results.
Desired Qualifications
  • Dental or dental service organization experience is strongly preferred.
  • An MBA, MHA, or similar advanced degree is preferred.

About the company

Western Dental provides dental and orthodontic care through a large network of clinics spanning 20 states, with a focus on affordability and access. It operates as a Dental Support Organization (DSO), centralizing administrative and operational tasks for affiliated clinics and enabling scale. The company historically offered

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Orange, California

Founded

1903

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • April 24, 2026 Bloomberg said Sonrava hired Lincoln to explore asset sales.
  • May 4, 2026 lenders completed a $1.1B+ recapitalization with $100M liquidity.
  • September 2026 openings in San Pedro and Woodland show continued de novo growth.

What critics are saying

  • California's 2025-26 Proposition 56 rollback threatens Denti-Cal funding and 50 closures.
  • Sonrava's 2026 lender-led restructuring proves chronic leverage and ongoing asset-sale dependence.
  • Bonkowski v. Western Dental, filed July 22, 2025, keeps care-quality litigation active.

What makes Western Dental unique

  • Western Dental's 580+ offices in 20 states center on Medicaid-heavy, bilingual access.
  • Sonrava's 2022 Mid-Atlantic acquisition made it a coast-to-coast DSO.
  • Full-service dental-home model bundles general, orthodontic, implants, oral surgery in one visit.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Paid Vacation
  • Employee Assistance Program

Company News

Paul Hastings
May 4th, 2026
Paul Hastings advises lenders on Sonrava Health's $1.1B+ recapitalisation with $100M liquidity infusion

Paul Hastings has advised an ad hoc group of secured lenders in the out-of-court recapitalisation of PDS Holdco Inc., operating as Sonrava Health and Western Dental. The transaction restructured Sonrava's $1.1 billion-plus capital structure and provided a $100 million liquidity infusion. The consensual restructuring, supported by Sonrava, its former equity holders and lenders, reduced overall leverage and improved liquidity whilst positioning the business for sustainable growth. The Paul Hastings team was led by Financial Restructuring Group co-chair Jayme Goldstein, alongside partners Matthew Schwartz, David Hong, Alex Cross, Jeremy Evans, Gary Silber and Isaac Sasson.

Business Wire
Jul 7th, 2023
Yoojin Lee, DMD, rejoins Sonrava Health as Clinical Director for Colorado

Dr. Lee originally joined Sonrava Health affiliate Western Dental & Orthodontics in Bakersfield, California, as an Associate Dentist.

Dental Tribune
May 23rd, 2023
Henry Schein to enter Brazil’s dental implants market with acquisition of S.I.N.

MELVILLE, N.Y., USA: Henry Schein Inc. has launched the COVID-19 Resource Center, a web-based hub that provides industry-specific information to help ...

Business Wire
Feb 2nd, 2023
Western Dental Opens New Los Angeles County Office In San Pedro

ORANGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Western Dental Orthodontics, a member of the Sonrava Health family of wellness companies, today announced the opening of a new Los Angeles County office in San Pedro, California.Just minutes from the 110 freeway, the new office is conveniently located at 517 South Gaffey Street and shares a spacious parking lot with neighboring retailers, Rite Aid and Big 5 Sporting Goods. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the 2,413-square-foot dental office boasts a welcoming bilingual staff, a spacious reception area and 7 treatment rooms, including two dedicated to endodontic and pediatric dentistry.“Our new office is staffed with skilled professionals eager to serve the San Pedro community,” said Dr. Janice Cheng, Managing Dentist. “We are proud to be the latest of Western Dental’s 80 offices in Los Angeles County, each dedicated to increasing access to high-quality dental care and being a full-service dental home with general dentistry, orthodontics, oral surgery, dental implants and oral hygiene.”As one of the nation’s leaders in accessible, affordable oral health care and the leading orthodontics provider in the country, Western Dental accepts uninsured and privately insured patients, in addition to patients covered by the Medi-Cal Dental program (known as Denti-Cal) in more than 250 California offices.ABOUT WESTERN DENTALFounded with the purpose of making high-quality oral healthcare accessible to all and focused on wellness and prevention, Western Dental, with its supported affiliates, has been expanding access and equity of oral healthcare for nearly 120 years, in more than 270 offices across California, Arizona, and Nevada. As a full-service "dental home," Western Dental provides general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, implants, and oral surgery in offices designed to support consistent, high-quality care that meets the needs of a diverse patient population. To learn more about Western Dental or to find an office in your community, visit westerndental.com or call 1-800-6-DENTAL.ABOUT SONRAVA HEALTHSonrava Health is a national family of health and wellness companies – including differentiated dental office brands with more than 560 affiliated offices, dental and vision benefit plans, provider networks, and consumer products and services – focused on quality, value and innovation and built on a platform of unique and efficient technology

e-dental
Feb 2nd, 2023
Western Dental Opens New Los Angeles County Office In San Pedro

Western Dental, one of the nation's leaders in accessible, affordable oral health care, announced a first-of-its-kind research collaboration agreement with the University of California, San...