Director, Tactical Operations

Location: Guardian Corporate

Guardian Dentistry Partners is entering a defining phase of growth as our network continues to expand through new partnerships and acquisitions. With that growth comes a hard truth: not every practice performs the way it should, and someone needs to own fixing that.

At Guardian Dentistry Partners, we support a network of 200+ thriving practices across 15.5 states (shoutout, D.C.!). We're also proud to have been named in the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies for the fourth consecutive year, ranking No. 2,915 overall and No. 14 among dental companies nationwide.

As Director, Tactical Operations, you will own a rolling cohort of Guardian's most underperforming practices - measured on revenue and EBITDA - and run a structured, hands-on turnaround process for each one. You'll diagnose what's actually broken at the practice level, build a specific revamp plan, and execute it over a 6-month window. When a cohort completes, a new group of underperforming offices rolls on. This is a standing role, not a one-time project.

This is a highly visible, execution-driven role that requires significant travel and a hands-on approach to leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Own a rolling cohort of underperforming practices (6-10 at a time) selected based on revenue and EBITDA variance against budget
• Create action based on deep-dive diagnostic analysis on each practice - financial performance, cost structure, staffing, patient volume, and program adoption - to identify the actual drivers of underperformance
• Build a practice-specific turnaround plan with clear milestones, and execute it directly over a 6-month cycle
• Provide hands-on coaching and accountability to practice and office leadership throughout the turnaround
• Partner with Regional Managers, Office Managers, and clinical/growth program leads to implement changes on the ground
• Track performance against the plan monthly and report progress directly to the Chief Growth Officer
• At the end of each 6-month cycle, deliver a clear recommendation for every practice in the cohort: turned around, needs additional time, or should be considered for divestiture
• Evaluate how well vendor and clinical growth programs (Sunbit, Curodont/vVardis, TrueLark, Pearl AI) are being adopted and utilized at each practice as part of the diagnostic, and fold that into the turnaround plan
• Build repeatable diagnostic and turnaround frameworks so each new cohort moves faster than the last

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent experience preferred
• 5+ years of operational leadership experience within a multi-site healthcare, dental services, retail healthcare, or service-based organization
• Demonstrated success leading practice-level turnarounds, performance improvement initiatives, or operational transformation
• Strong financial acumen - comfortable reading a P&L and translating variance into an action plan, not just a diagnosis
• Exceptional coaching, communication, and relationship-building skills - this role lives in the field with practice leadership, not behind a desk
• Highly adaptable and comfortable operating with ambiguity; each practice's problem looks different
• Willingness to travel extensively (up to 75%)

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: Up to $130,000
• Annual Bonus: Up to 20%, based on individual and company performance
• 401(k): Company-matched retirement plan
• Benefits: Competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage

Why This Role?

• This role sits at the center of Guardian's growth story.
• Every practice you take on is a real problem with a real deadline - you'll diagnose it, fix it, and move to the next one.
• If you want to see the direct, measurable result of your work inside six months, and do it again with the next cohort, this is that role.

FLSA Status: Exempt

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