Clinical Operations Director Jobs in California
Clinical Operations Director jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, academic medical centers, and large integrated health systems, with openings at every level from newly promoted manager stepping into first director roles through seasoned executives overseeing multi-site programs. Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego account for the largest share of postings, anchored by employers such as Kaiser Permanente, Cedars-Sinai Health System, and Genentech. The most in-demand specialties in California are clinical trial operations, value-based care program management, and ambulatory care expansion. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 34+ Clinical Operations Director jobs
Description
PLEASE NOTE: THIS ROLE IS ONSITE IN EUREKA, CA
Calling All Esteemed Leaders! Are you a healthcare operations leader who excels in specialty clinic operations, strategic growth, physician partnership, and organizational performance? Do you thrive in complex, matrixed environments where operational excellence, financial stewardship, and coordinated patient care come together to advance clinical and strategic priorities? If so, we invite you to explore this leadership opportunity with Providence.
The Role
The Executive Director, Clinical Operations is accountable for leadership, direction, and administration of the Providence Medical Foundation clinics in Humboldt. This position is accountable for the outcomes of specialty clinics to ensure efficient, high-quality, coordinated, patient-focused care. The Executive Director, Clinical Operations leads Directors of Clinic Operations representing key specialties and programs.
This position works with cross-functional teams of the medical group, acute care, clinical programs, finance, and planning and strategy experts to develop and execute specific physician alignment, clinical and strategic relationships, and growth strategies for specialty clinics in service to regional and system metrics. The Executive Director, Clinical Operations is a key member of the Providence Medical Foundation Executive Team.
The position will also provide leadership for other initiatives as requested by Leadership.
Major Challenges
Understanding and appreciating the diversity of clinical specialties and practices and the unique culture of various physician groups and clinics.
Scope of responsibility and the rapid demand of multiple stakeholders.
Meeting the demand for services within a defined budget with appropriate staffing and resources in the face of ever-increasing cost constraints.
Balancing the sometimes-conflicting goals and objectives of multiple stakeholders representing multiple interests in our highly matrixed organization.
What You'll Do
Principal Position Accountabilities
Provide overall direction and leadership to medical offices. Assure compliance with the laws, rules and standards of regulatory bodies and accreditation agencies.
Responsible for clinic operations including workforce strategies, budgeting, access, financial performance, achievement of service metrics, and management of teams and deliverables.
Work with local and regional teams across ministries to identify and scope appropriate growth opportunities.
Collaborate with primary care, Clinical Programs, Value Teams, acute care, division and system leadership, central services, and other services and departments to provide programs and services in response to the community's needs and to our strategies. Direct various projects related to growth, service and operational excellence.
Provide relevant operational feedback to and from providers, clinic leadership and staff involved in operations and programs; recommend and influence strategic and tactical programs.
Guide and support clinic leadership in developing goals and annual operating budgets for assigned clinics and ensure that individual clinics are operating within budget guidelines and are meeting stated quality and productivity objectives.
Participate in budget/space/capital planning related to clinics. Monitor metrics including revenue, payor mix, productivity and expenditures.
Hire, train, guide, evaluate and provide leadership for clinic Directors of Operations and clinic manager(s) to support the infrastructure needs of day-to-day operations of the clinics. Develop and support programs that support DEI initiatives and goals and encourage a diverse workforce.
Lead and/or provide support for other strategic priorities on an as-needed basis.
Represent specialty clinics as a government, business and community liaison.
Represent specialty clinics on key committees and boards within Providence.
What You'll Bring
Education & Credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Business, Healthcare Administration or related field.
Master's Degree in Business Administration/Healthcare Administration or related field (preferred).
Experience & Expertise
7 years of management experience; experience in progressively responsible roles with demonstrated leadership experience and strong project/change management skills (preferably within Healthcare).
Experience working in a large matrixed organization including experience with operations, finance, quality, risk and business growth and development.
Must have worked directly with healthcare leadership including physicians.
7 years of experience working with community and business leaders, physicians and other clinical leaders, finance and operations leaders and executives.
Experience in building new business, developing and managing people and teams, designing and/or re-inventing systems and structures and aligning teams and individuals around priorities.
Experience with developing and monitoring financial and operational accountability and reporting systems.
Professional & Leadership Capabilities
Strategic Thinking & Planning
- Experience in developing strategic and business plans, budgets and proforma .
Operational Understanding and Effectiveness
Strong negotiation experience and proven track record in successfully developing and executing negotiation strategies for significant and complex relationships.
Skilled in CAP, Lean and complex project management.
Public presentation and communication skills.
Self starter with personal values compatible with Providence .
Strategic Thinking & Planning
- Ability to collect, analyze and present data and research with credibility to both inform decisions and help build the case for change to support the execution of a decision(s). Ability to communicate in both written and oral form of highly complex information that will allow leaders to make the appropriate decisions; ability to design, develop and implement highly complex expansion possibilities.
Operational Understanding and Effectiveness
- Understands core business processes and operations. Strong negotiation skills. Demonstrated ability to navigate politically sensitive discussions and implement creative solutions to achieve shared objectives. Ability to work and succeed in a highly matrix organization.
Functional Competencies
- Possess and leverages senior-level organizational development, change management, communication, and project management skills and competencies to proactively and effectively drive outcomes. Can build shared vision, accelerate alignment, and rapidly adopt and drive enablers to success.
Initiating and Influencing
- In the role of change agent, educates, influences, and encourages decision makers at all levels, in groups and individually, about change processes, effectiveness, and process improvement. Effectively advocates for involvement and commitment from all levels to initiatives associated with organizational evaluation and improvement. Ability to direct and motivate leaders who are not direct reports. Researches and identifies potentially improved structures, processes, methodologies for high performance through reading, networking, educational activities, etc.
Teamwork and Cooperation
- Models effective team membership for others in the System. Encourages team cooperation and fosters the development of trust. Actively facilitates and supports team decisions. Takes initiative to resolve conflict. Contributes in concrete ways to an effective and satisfying work environment.
Problem Solving and Decision-Making
- Demonstrates the ability to deal with complexity. Consistently makes sound decisions that reflect thorough consideration of alternatives and creative solutions that influence change. Maintains an awareness of and is sensitive to the impact of decisions on others.
Flexibility and Response to Change
- Demonstrates the ability to deal with ambiguity. Supports and promotes new or evolving procedures and routines. Participates actively in the change process and offers suggestions for new approaches.
Quality of Work
- Manages time effectively. Anticipates problems and takes corrective action prior to completing the task.
Customer Service
- Anticipates and takes personal responsibility for customer satisfaction. Leads by example. Consistently goes out of the way to listen, understand, and respond to the needs of others in a sensitive manner. Difficult or unusual contacts are repeatedly handled with success.
Personal Effectiveness
- Is viewed by others as a leader. Demonstrates high credibility and capacity to drive change. Handles failures constructively. Is responsive and service-oriented. Ability to provide leadership as a servant leader. Ability to work in a stressful environment, while maintaining a calm demeanor.
Achievement Motivation
- Sets challenging objectives and works against self-defined standards of excellence to continually improve personal performance. Self-directed.
Communications
- Exceptional oral (presentation) and written communication. Must be able to communicate to a wide variety of audiences. Listens with sensitivity and openness. Actively seeks constructive feedback and remains open and receptive to it. Maintains and presents messages in a logical and well-organized manner. Anticipates the information needs of others.
Why Join Us?
Specialty Clinic Leadership: Provide leadership, direction, and administration for specialty clinics across Providence Medical Foundation.
Strategic Growth: Work across the medical group, acute care, clinical programs, finance, planning, and strategy to identify and execute growth opportunities.
Operational & Financial Impact: Lead clinic operations, workforce strategies, access, budgeting, financial performance, service metrics, quality, and productivity.
Executive Partnership: Serve as a key member of the Providence Medical Foundation Executive Team while partnering with physicians, clinical leaders, community leaders, and executives.
Ready to Shape the Future of Healthcare?
If you are an experienced healthcare operations leader with expertise in specialty clinic operations, strategic growth, physician partnership, and organizational transformation, we encourage you to apply and help advance efficient, high-quality, coordinated, patient-focused care across Providence Medical Foundation.
The full pay range is listed in accordance with applicable law. Final compensation will be determined based on qualifications, experience, organizational compensation alignment, and the approved hiring department budget for the position. This position may also be eligible for incentive compensation and benefits.
About Providence
At Providence, our strength lies in Our Promise of “Know me, care for me, ease my way.” Working at our family of organizations means that regardless of your role, we’ll walk alongside you in your career, supporting you so you can support others. We provide best-in-class benefits and we foster an inclusive workplace where diversity is valued, and everyone is essential, heard and respected. Together, our 120,000 caregivers (all employees) serve in over 50 hospitals, over 1,000 clinics and a full range of health and social services across Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington. As a comprehensive health care organization, we are serving more people, advancing best practices and continuing our more than 100-year tradition of serving the poor and vulnerable.
Posted are the minimum and the maximum wage rates on the wage range for this position. The successful candidate's placement on the wage range for this position will be determined based upon relevant job experience and other applicable factors. These amounts are the base pay range; additional compensation may be available for this role, such as shift differentials, standby/on-call, overtime, premiums, extra shift incentives, or bonus opportunities.
Providence offers a comprehensive benefits package including a retirement 401(k) Savings Plan with employer matching, health care benefits (medical, dental, vision), life insurance, disability insurance, time off benefits (paid parental leave, vacations, holidays, health issues), voluntary benefits, well-being resources and much more. Learn more at providence.jobs/benefits.
Applicants in the Unincorporated County of Los Angeles: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Unincorporated Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
Requsition ID: 466724
Company: Providence Jobs
Job Category: Clinical Administration
Job Function: Clinical Support
Job Schedule: Full time
Job Shift: Day
Career Track: Leadership
Department: 7520 ADMINISTRATION CA HERITAGE SERVICES
Address: CA Santa Rosa 185 Sotoyome St
Work Location: St Joseph Health Medical Grp-Sotoyome Santa Rosa
Workplace Type: On-site
Pay Range: $95.99 - $171.60
The amounts listed are the base pay range; additional compensation may be available for this role, such as shift differentials, standby/on-call, overtime, premiums, extra shift incentives, or bonus opportunities.
Description
PLEASE NOTE: THIS ROLE IS ONSITE IN EUREKA, CA
Calling All Esteemed Leaders! Are you a healthcare operations leader who excels in specialty clinic operations, strategic growth, physician partnership, and organizational performance? Do you thrive in complex, matrixed environments where operational excellence, financial stewardship, and coordinated patient care come together to advance clinical and strategic priorities? If so, we invite you to explore this leadership opportunity with Providence.
The Role
The Executive Director, Clinical Operations is accountable for leadership, direction, and administration of the Providence Medical Foundation clinics in Humboldt. This position is accountable for the outcomes of specialty clinics to ensure efficient, high-quality, coordinated, patient-focused care. The Executive Director, Clinical Operations leads Directors of Clinic Operations representing key specialties and programs.
This position works with cross-functional teams of the medical group, acute care, clinical programs, finance, and planning and strategy experts to develop and execute specific physician alignment, clinical and strategic relationships, and growth strategies for specialty clinics in service to regional and system metrics. The Executive Director, Clinical Operations is a key member of the Providence Medical Foundation Executive Team.
The position will also provide leadership for other initiatives as requested by Leadership.
Major Challenges
Understanding and appreciating the diversity of clinical specialties and practices and the unique culture of various physician groups and clinics.
Scope of responsibility and the rapid demand of multiple stakeholders.
Meeting the demand for services within a defined budget with appropriate staffing and resources in the face of ever-increasing cost constraints.
Balancing the sometimes-conflicting goals and objectives of multiple stakeholders representing multiple interests in our highly matrixed organization.
What You'll Do
Principal Position Accountabilities
Provide overall direction and leadership to medical offices. Assure compliance with the laws, rules and standards of regulatory bodies and accreditation agencies.
Responsible for clinic operations including workforce strategies, budgeting, access, financial performance, achievement of service metrics, and management of teams and deliverables.
Work with local and regional teams across ministries to identify and scope appropriate growth opportunities.
Collaborate with primary care, Clinical Programs, Value Teams, acute care, division and system leadership, central services, and other services and departments to provide programs and services in response to the community's needs and to our strategies. Direct various projects related to growth, service and operational excellence.
Provide relevant operational feedback to and from providers, clinic leadership and staff involved in operations and programs; recommend and influence strategic and tactical programs.
Guide and support clinic leadership in developing goals and annual operating budgets for assigned clinics and ensure that individual clinics are operating within budget guidelines and are meeting stated quality and productivity objectives.
Participate in budget/space/capital planning related to clinics. Monitor metrics including revenue, payor mix, productivity and expenditures.
Hire, train, guide, evaluate and provide leadership for clinic Directors of Operations and clinic manager(s) to support the infrastructure needs of day-to-day operations of the clinics. Develop and support programs that support DEI initiatives and goals and encourage a diverse workforce.
Lead and/or provide support for other strategic priorities on an as-needed basis.
Represent specialty clinics as a government, business and community liaison.
Represent specialty clinics on key committees and boards within Providence.
What You'll Bring
Education & Credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Business, Healthcare Administration or related field.
Master's Degree in Business Administration/Healthcare Administration or related field (preferred).
Experience & Expertise
7 years of management experience; experience in progressively responsible roles with demonstrated leadership experience and strong project/change management skills (preferably within Healthcare).
Experience working in a large matrixed organization including experience with operations, finance, quality, risk and business growth and development.
Must have worked directly with healthcare leadership including physicians.
7 years of experience working with community and business leaders, physicians and other clinical leaders, finance and operations leaders and executives.
Experience in building new business, developing and managing people and teams, designing and/or re-inventing systems and structures and aligning teams and individuals around priorities.
Experience with developing and monitoring financial and operational accountability and reporting systems.
Professional & Leadership Capabilities
Strategic Thinking & Planning
- Experience in developing strategic and business plans, budgets and proforma .
Operational Understanding and Effectiveness
Strong negotiation experience and proven track record in successfully developing and executing negotiation strategies for significant and complex relationships.
Skilled in CAP, Lean and complex project management.
Public presentation and communication skills.
Self starter with personal values compatible with Providence .
Strategic Thinking & Planning
- Ability to collect, analyze and present data and research with credibility to both inform decisions and help build the case for change to support the execution of a decision(s). Ability to communicate in both written and oral form of highly complex information that will allow leaders to make the appropriate decisions; ability to design, develop and implement highly complex expansion possibilities.
Operational Understanding and Effectiveness
- Understands core business processes and operations. Strong negotiation skills. Demonstrated ability to navigate politically sensitive discussions and implement creative solutions to achieve shared objectives. Ability to work and succeed in a highly matrix organization.
Functional Competencies
- Possess and leverages senior-level organizational development, change management, communication, and project management skills and competencies to proactively and effectively drive outcomes. Can build shared vision, accelerate alignment, and rapidly adopt and drive enablers to success.
Initiating and Influencing
- In the role of change agent, educates, influences, and encourages decision makers at all levels, in groups and individually, about change processes, effectiveness, and process improvement. Effectively advocates for involvement and commitment from all levels to initiatives associated with organizational evaluation and improvement. Ability to direct and motivate leaders who are not direct reports. Researches and identifies potentially improved structures, processes, methodologies for high performance through reading, networking, educational activities, etc.
Teamwork and Cooperation
- Models effective team membership for others in the System. Encourages team cooperation and fosters the development of trust. Actively facilitates and supports team decisions. Takes initiative to resolve conflict. Contributes in concrete ways to an effective and satisfying work environment.
Problem Solving and Decision-Making
- Demonstrates the ability to deal with complexity. Consistently makes sound decisions that reflect thorough consideration of alternatives and creative solutions that influence change. Maintains an awareness of and is sensitive to the impact of decisions on others.
Flexibility and Response to Change
- Demonstrates the ability to deal with ambiguity. Supports and promotes new or evolving procedures and routines. Participates actively in the change process and offers suggestions for new approaches.
Quality of Work
- Manages time effectively. Anticipates problems and takes corrective action prior to completing the task.
Customer Service
- Anticipates and takes personal responsibility for customer satisfaction. Leads by example. Consistently goes out of the way to listen, understand, and respond to the needs of others in a sensitive manner. Difficult or unusual contacts are repeatedly handled with success.
Personal Effectiveness
- Is viewed by others as a leader. Demonstrates high credibility and capacity to drive change. Handles failures constructively. Is responsive and service-oriented. Ability to provide leadership as a servant leader. Ability to work in a stressful environment, while maintaining a calm demeanor.
Achievement Motivation
- Sets challenging objectives and works against self-defined standards of excellence to continually improve personal performance. Self-directed.
Communications
- Exceptional oral (presentation) and written communication. Must be able to communicate to a wide variety of audiences. Listens with sensitivity and openness. Actively seeks constructive feedback and remains open and receptive to it. Maintains and presents messages in a logical and well-organized manner. Anticipates the information needs of others.
Why Join Us?
Specialty Clinic Leadership: Provide leadership, direction, and administration for specialty clinics across Providence Medical Foundation.
Strategic Growth: Work across the medical group, acute care, clinical programs, finance, planning, and strategy to identify and execute growth opportunities.
Operational & Financial Impact: Lead clinic operations, workforce strategies, access, budgeting, financial performance, service metrics, quality, and productivity.
Executive Partnership: Serve as a key member of the Providence Medical Foundation Executive Team while partnering with physicians, clinical leaders, community leaders, and executives.
Ready to Shape the Future of Healthcare?
If you are an experienced healthcare operations leader with expertise in specialty clinic operations, strategic growth, physician partnership, and organizational transformation, we encourage you to apply and help advance efficient, high-quality, coordinated, patient-focused care across Providence Medical Foundation.
The full pay range is listed in accordance with applicable law. Final compensation will be determined based on qualifications, experience, organizational compensation alignment, and the approved hiring department budget for the position. This position may also be eligible for incentive compensation and benefits.
About Providence
At Providence, our strength lies in Our Promise of “Know me, care for me, ease my way.” Working at our family of organizations means that regardless of your role, we’ll walk alongside you in your career, supporting you so you can support others. We provide best-in-class benefits and we foster an inclusive workplace where diversity is valued, and everyone is essential, heard and respected. Together, our 120,000 caregivers (all employees) serve in over 50 hospitals, over 1,000 clinics and a full range of health and social services across Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington. As a comprehensive health care organization, we are serving more people, advancing best practices and continuing our more than 100-year tradition of serving the poor and vulnerable.
Posted are the minimum and the maximum wage rates on the wage range for this position. The successful candidate's placement on the wage range for this position will be determined based upon relevant job experience and other applicable factors. These amounts are the base pay range; additional compensation may be available for this role, such as shift differentials, standby/on-call, overtime, premiums, extra shift incentives, or bonus opportunities.
Providence offers a comprehensive benefits package including a retirement 401(k) Savings Plan with employer matching, health care benefits (medical, dental, vision), life insurance, disability insurance, time off benefits (paid parental leave, vacations, holidays, health issues), voluntary benefits, well-being resources and much more. Learn more at providence.jobs/benefits.
Applicants in the Unincorporated County of Los Angeles: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Unincorporated Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
Requsition ID: 466724
Company: Providence Jobs
Job Category: Clinical Administration
Job Function: Clinical Support
Job Schedule: Full time
Job Shift: Day
Career Track: Leadership
Department: 7520 ADMINISTRATION CA HERITAGE SERVICES
Address: CA Santa Rosa 185 Sotoyome St
Work Location: St Joseph Health Medical Grp-Sotoyome Santa Rosa
Workplace Type: On-site
Pay Range: $95.99 - $171.60
The amounts listed are the base pay range; additional compensation may be available for this role, such as shift differentials, standby/on-call, overtime, premiums, extra shift incentives, or bonus opportunities.
See All 34 Clinical Operations Director Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsClinical Operations Director Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Clinical Operations Director Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
- Medical Devices
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in clinical operations director jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in nursing, health administration, or a related clinical field required
- Minimum five to seven years of progressive clinical or healthcare operations management experience
- Demonstrated experience managing multi-site or multi-department clinical programs in California settings
- Proficiency with electronic health record systems such as Epic or Cerner
- Knowledge of California Department of Public Health regulations and Joint Commission accreditation standards
- Master's degree in health administration, business administration, or clinical specialty strongly preferred
Clinical Operations Director Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a clinical operations director in California?
Most clinical operations directors in California build toward the role through a combination of a bachelor's degree in a clinical or health administration field, several years of frontline clinical or operational experience, and progressive management responsibility. Many California employers, particularly large health systems and biotech firms, prefer candidates with a master's in health administration or business administration. Credentials such as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives or a Project Management Professional designation strengthen applications considerably in the California market.
Which companies hire clinical operations directors in California?
Employers hiring clinical operations directors in California right now include Revolution Medicines, Exelixis, and Providence, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of October 2026. California's concentration of integrated health systems, academic medical centers, and biotechnology headquarters means hiring is spread across both traditional hospital employers and life sciences companies managing clinical trial operations.
Which California cities have the most clinical operations director jobs?
Redwood City, San Diego, and Alameda have the most clinical operations director openings in California. The Bay Area and Los Angeles dominate because of their density of large health systems, biotech and pharmaceutical headquarters, and academic medical centers, while San Diego draws consistent demand from its established life sciences corridor, particularly among companies managing multi-site clinical trial programs.
Are there remote clinical operations director jobs in California?
Yes, but they are less common than in purely desk-based fields, since clinical operations directors often oversee on-site teams, facility compliance, and patient care workflows that require regular physical presence. About 47% of clinical operations director openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of October 2026, and those that are tend to involve clinical trial oversight, program development, or administrative functions that can be managed without daily on-site attendance.
How can I get hired as a clinical operations director in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is moving into a clinical operations manager or program coordinator role first, which large California health systems such as Kaiser Permanente and Dignity Health regularly post as a step below director level. Gaining experience in quality improvement, care coordination, or ambulatory operations gives you the cross-functional exposure California employers look for when promoting to director. Completing a master's in health administration through a California institution and pursuing a healthcare management certification can offset limited direct leadership experience for strong internal candidates.
Where can I find and apply to clinical operations director jobs in California?
You can find and apply to clinical operations director jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings updated regularly. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly to each one.
See All 34 Clinical Operations Director Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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