Associate Director - Clinical Operations - Healthcare

About the role

• Job Family: Strategy & Transformation Consulting (Payer Provider)
• Travel Required: Up to 75%+
• Clearance Required: None

What You Will Do

The Associate Director, Performance Transformation, supports profitable growth within the Healthcare Payer and Provider Optimization group. This role leads the design and delivery of integrated optimization programs (clinical, operational, and financial) that improve performance for hospitals and health systems.

The Associate Director manages multi-workstream engagements to scope, timeline, and budget; partners with clients and Guidehouse specialty teams; and delivers measurable outcomes across performance improvement, supply chain, workforce and non-labor productivity, clinical operations, shared services, and revenue management.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality consulting services for clients within the Guidehouse Healthcare Payer and Provider Practice.
• Provide healthcare industry expertise and management consulting support across client engagements.
• Build and maintain account relationships with key client decision-makers.
• Identify priority issues and develop practical, client-specific solutions.
• Provide delivery assurance across engagements, ensuring quality, consistency, and stakeholder alignment.
• Coach and mentor team members on client assignments and within account teams.
• Demonstrate visible leadership within the account and the broader practice.
• Lead consulting projects to deliver contract outcomes, project plans, and executive expectations by influencing key decision-makers and stakeholders.

Role Expectations

• Demonstrate flexible, positive communication and relationship-building skills across all levels of Guidehouse and client organizations (including surgeons, anesthesiologists, hospital executives, and ancillary staff).
• Develop, track, and manage performance metrics across clinical and non-clinical operations.
• Translate project outputs into clear financial results across multiple concurrent initiatives; strong quantitative orientation required.
• Apply structured methodologies and strong project leadership; prior subject matter expertise or PMO experience preferred.
• Communicate with impact through strong writing and presentation skills; industry thought leadership (e.g., articles, white papers, speaking engagements) preferred.
• Demonstrated success selling and delivering transformational solutions to large health systems.
• Adapt to change and help others align to evolving strategies, goals, and plans.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint with the ability to independently produce client-ready deliverables; MS Project experience preferred.

W hat You Will Need

• Bachelor's degree required; nursing or other clinical degree from an accredited institution preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in hospital operations (e.g., clinical operations, performance improvement, labor and non-labor optimization, physician operations, or provider-focused financial operations).
• Deep knowledge of hospital and health system operations.
• Ability to benchmark and analyze data to redesign operational processes, improve efficiency, and establish standard work.
• Ability to conduct research, interpret analytics, and develop actionable recommendations; working proficiency in Microsoft Office required.
• Consulting experience delivering complex, multi-site operational change and clinical improvement programs on aggressive timelines.
• Strong client leadership and business development skills, including identifying opportunities and selling add-on work.
• Willingness to travel extensively (up to 75%).

What Would Be Nice To Have

• Self-motivated and committed to continuous learning; consistently produces high-quality work.
• Comfortable presenting findings to hospital executives and recommending solutions aligned to leading practices.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with clinician-based departments and diverse stakeholders (physicians, nurses, executives, and ancillary staff).
• Understanding of complex IT and technology-enabled solutions that improve efficiency, quality, and throughput of care.

Pay and benefits

The annual salary range for this position is $155,000.00-$259,000.00. Compensation decisions depend on a wide range of factors, including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, security clearances, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.

What We Offer

Guidehouse offers a comprehensive, total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and a flexible benefits package that reflects our commitment to creating a diverse and supportive workplace.

Benefits include

• Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays
• Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus
• Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Basic Life & Supplemental Life
• Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Student Loan PayDown
• Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities
• Skills Development & Certifications
• Employee Referral Program
• Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach
• Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program
• Mobility Stipend