Director of Approach and Authorization

At HonorBridge, our mission is to build connections that save and heal lives through organ and tissue donation. Behind every donation decision is a family navigating one of life's most difficult moments. Those conversations require compassion, trust, expertise, and leadership.

We are seeking a Director, Approach & Authorization to lead the teams, strategies, and processes responsible for one of the most critical phases of the donation journey: supporting donor families through informed donation decisions and ensuring every opportunity is approached with excellence, respect, and care.

This is an opportunity for an experienced healthcare, donation, patient experience, or clinical operations leader to shape how donation conversations are conducted across our service area while developing high-performing teams dedicated to honoring donors and their families.

The Opportunity

The Director, Approach & Authorization provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for HonorBridge's approach and authorization continuum, including donation conversations, family engagement, authorization practices, donor risk assessment interviews (DRAI), team development, quality assurance, and performance improvement initiatives.

This leader will establish and advance best practices that ensure every donation conversation is conducted with compassion, professionalism, and consistency while supporting families in making informed decisions about organ and tissue donation.

You will bring together people, processes, training, quality systems, and data-driven strategies to improve authorization outcomes, strengthen the donor family experience, and ensure seamless coordination across the donation process. Working closely with Referral Optimization, Organ Services, Recovery Operations, Family Support, Hospital Development, and clinical leadership teams, you will help create an integrated experience that serves donor families while advancing HonorBridge's lifesaving mission.

Just as importantly, you will develop and support leaders and teams who regularly navigate emotionally complex situations, creating a culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, compassion, and service excellence.

What You'll Do

Lead the Approach & Authorization Strategy

• Provide strategic direction for HonorBridge's approach and authorization programs, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Establish and maintain standards for donation conversations, communication approaches, timing, family engagement, and transition processes across organ and tissue donation environments.
• Ensure authorization processes consistently support family-centered decision-making while maximizing donation opportunities.

Advance Quality and Performance

• Lead quality assurance, case review, outcome monitoring, and continuous improvement initiatives related to donation conversations and authorization practices.
• Analyze trends and performance data to identify opportunities for improvement and implement sustainable solutions.
• Oversee the Donor Risk Assessment Interview (DRAI) process to ensure quality, consistency, compliance, and accuracy.

Elevate the Donor Family Experience

• Provide strategic oversight of the family experience during the approach and authorization phase.
• Ensure families receive compassionate, culturally responsive, and consistent support throughout the donation decision-making process.
• Partner with Family Support leadership to evaluate feedback, identify improvement opportunities, and strengthen continuity of care for donor families.

Collaborate Across the Donation Continuum

• Partner closely with Referral Optimization, Organ Services, Recovery Operations, Hospital Development, Family Support, and other operational leaders.
• Improve communication, coordination, timing, and handoffs throughout the donation process.
• Monitor emerging practices, industry trends, and regulatory developments to advance organizational excellence.

Develop Leaders and Teams

• Lead, coach, and mentor managers and team members responsible for approach and authorization activities.
• Build a culture of accountability, service excellence, emotional intelligence, and continuous learning.
• Support workforce planning, succession development, and professional growth opportunities across the department.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Nursing, Social Work, Management, Communications, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in organ and tissue donation, authorization, family services, healthcare operations, patient/family engagement, or a related setting.
• Minimum of 5 years of leadership experience with responsibility for teams, programs, or functional areas.
• Demonstrated success leading teams responsible for complex, emotionally sensitive conversations and interactions.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience using data, quality metrics, and performance improvement methodologies to drive operational results.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Leadership, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience leading complex healthcare operations, donation programs, enterprise initiatives, or large-scale service functions.
• Knowledge of organ and tissue donation practices, authorization processes, family-centered care, and related regulatory requirements.

What Makes You Successful

You thrive in environments where empathy and operational excellence must coexist. You can confidently lead through complexity, support teams through challenging situations, and balance compassionate family care with organizational performance goals.

You are:

• A trusted and collaborative leader
• Skilled at coaching and developing others
• Data-driven and improvement-focused
• Emotionally intelligent and professionally resilient
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and change
• Passionate about serving families and advancing donation

Why HonorBridge?

At HonorBridge, every role contributes directly to our mission of building connections that save and heal lives. As Director, Approach & Authorization, your leadership will help shape the experiences of donor families while strengthening our ability to honor donor wishes and create more opportunities for transplantation and healing.

You'll have the opportunity to lead meaningful work, influence organizational strategy, develop exceptional teams, and make a measurable impact on the lives of donor families, transplant recipients, and communities we serve.