Senior Director Department of Surgery

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Director Department of Surgery is a senior operational leader responsible for the day-to-day and strategic execution of clinical, operational, financial, and administrative functions across a multi-site, multi-specialty ambulatory platform within Brown University Health.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President and supporting the Department Chair, this role partners closely with the Chief of Surgery Vice President, Clinical Services, physician leaders, site leadership, and system stakeholders to ensure high-performing ambulatory operations aligned with enterprise strategy, quality standards, and financial goals.

Accountable for site-based leadership teams, the Senior Director is accountable for system-wide ambulatory performance within the department and service line, including patient access, wait times, throughput, patient experience, and financial outcomes. This role translates service line and enterprise strategies into operational plans, drives execution of key initiatives, and ensures consistent performance across sites, with a strong focus on access improvement, operational standardization, and program growth.

The Senior Director plays a critical role in strengthening alignment between ambulatory practices and hospital-based services to support program development, capacity expansion, and downstream utilization.

The Senior Director fosters a culture that promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, accountability, innovation, and professional growth, while consistently demonstrating and reinforcing Brown University Health’s CARE values—Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence—and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Brown University Health employees are expected to successfully role model the organization’s values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence, as these values guide our everyday actions with patients, customers and one another.

In addition to our values, all employees are expected to demonstrate the core Success Factors which tell us how we work together and how we get things done. The core Success Factors include:

Instill Trust and Value Differences

Patient and Community Focus and Collaborate

In addition, our leaders will demonstrate an aptitude for:

Ensure Accountability and Build Effective Teams

Drive Vision and Purpose and Optimize Work Processes

By applying core and leadership competencies, leaders help Brown University Health achieve its strategic goals.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Operational Leadership and Performance Management

• Provide operational leadership for ambulatory practices and clinical sites, ensuring consistent, efficient, and high-quality operations across multiple specialties and locations.
• Lead through a Director (s)  of Physician Practices, with accountability for performance across site directors, managers, and operational teams.
• Own system-level ambulatory performance, including access (e.g., new patient wait times), clinic utilization, throughput, patient experience, quality, and cost performance.
• Establish and monitor operational performance metrics, dashboards, and reporting to support data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Identify operational risks, barriers, and performance gaps; develop and implement corrective action plans in collaboration with clinical and administrative leadership.
• Escalate significant operational, financial, or performance issues to the Senior Vice President, Clinical Services, and Department Chair, with recommended action plans.

Strategic Execution and Practice Growth

• Partners with the SVP, Clinical Services, VP Clinical Services, and Department Chair to operationalize departmental and service line strategies.
• Lead the execution of approved strategic initiatives, growth plans, and programmatic expansions within surgical services.
• Identify opportunities for program development, referral optimization, and improved alignment with hospital-based services to support growth.
• Support practice integration and standardization efforts across sites, including workflows, policies, procedures, and operating models.
• Conduct workflow and process analyses to improve efficiency, capacity utilization, and staff productivity.

Financial and Resource Management

• Partner with finance and department leadership to support the development, management, and monitoring of operating and capital budgets for assigned practices and sites.
• Monitor financial performance, including charges, expense management, productivity, and variance analysis; recommend and implement improvement actions.
• Support contract management, vendor relationships, and resource planning to ensure cost-effective operations.
• Promote financial stewardship and responsible use of resources across the department.

Quality, Safety, and Patient Experience

• Ensure clinical operations support high standards of quality, safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Partner with quality, safety, and compliance teams to address performance improvement initiatives and regulatory requirements.
• Lead or support patient experience initiatives, including development of service excellence standards and monitoring of patient satisfaction trends.
• Ensure clinical documentation, reporting, and operational processes support quality outcomes and performance goals.

Leadership, Culture, and Talent Development

• Provide leadership and direction to directors, managers, supervisors, and operational staff within assigned areas.
• Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, performance management, coaching, and professional development of staff.
• Serve as a visible, engaged leader across clinical sites, promoting alignment with Brown University Health values and expectations.

Physician and Stakeholder Partnership

• Build strong, collaborative relationships with physician leaders, practice administrators, hospital leadership, and system partners.
• Serve as a trusted operational partner to physician leadership, supporting clinical effectiveness, access, and practice performance.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with stakeholders regarding operational priorities, performance, and change initiatives.

Change Management and Special Projects

• Lead and support complex operational projects and initiatives, ensuring timely execution and achievement of intended outcomes.
• Apply structured change management approaches to support adoption of new workflows, systems, and operating models
• Perform other duties as assigned to support the mission and strategic objectives of Brown University Health.

Required Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred.

Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Experience:

Minimum of seven (7) years of progressive leadership experience in clinical operations or physician practice management, preferably within a multi-site or academic health system.

Demonstrated experience partnering with physician leaders and managing complex clinical operations.

Experience with Epic or comparable electronic medical record systems strongly preferred.

Demonstrated success leading performance improvement, operational analytics, and change management initiatives.

Supervisory Responsibility:

Direct supervisory responsibility for Directors managers, supervisors, and other assigned operational staff; indirect oversight of multidisciplinary teams supporting surgical clinical operations.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:

Primarily office-based with regular presence in clinical and operational settings; requires travel between clinical sites. Requires sitting, standing, walking, and use of standard office equipment.

Pay Range:

$140,774.40-$232,273.60

EEO Statement:

Brown University Health is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and maintaining a work environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment.

Location:

593 Eddy Street - APC - N/A Providence, Rhode Island 02903

Work Type:

Mon-Fri 805

Work Shift:

Day

Daily Hours: 

8 hours

Driving Required:

No