Director of Behavioral Health Visa Sponsorship Jobs in North Carolina
Director of behavioral health visa sponsorship jobs in North Carolina are concentrated at health systems like Atrium Health, Duke Health, and UNC Health, as well as community mental health organizations across Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, and Asheville. North Carolina's growing behavioral health infrastructure and state-funded initiatives create steady demand for senior clinical leadership with sponsorship.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Associate Director, Care Advocacy provides strategic and operational leadership for behavioral health care advocacy, navigation, and member support programs, with direct leadership responsibility for Elite and Premier. This leader is accountable for the performance, quality, service delivery, workforce management, and operational outcomes of Care Advocacy teams serving commercial, government, and specialty behavioral health populations.
The role collaborates closely with clinical, operations, product, network, technology, compliance, quality, client management, and finance partners to advance operational excellence, regulatory compliance, member engagement, and behavioral health outcomes. The Associate Director leads managers and professional staff and translates organizational strategy into disciplined execution that supports growth, transformation, affordability, quality, and an exceptional member experience.
You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely *from anywhere within the U.S. but will require minimal travel.
Primary Responsibilities:
-
Operational Leadership
-
Provide strategic and operational leadership for Care Advocacy, Navigation, EAP, and/or Behavioral Health teams
- Drive performance against service level, accessibility, productivity, quality, and member satisfaction objectives
- Ensure operational readiness for new clients, products, programs, and implementations
- Maintain accountability for day-to-day operations, escalations, and timely issue resolution
-
Champion continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen efficiency, effectiveness, and member outcomes
-
People Leadership
-
Lead and develop managers, supervisors, and senior professional staff
- Build leadership capability and maintain robust succession plans
- Advance employee engagement, retention, and professional development
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and inclusion
-
Guide workforce planning and staffing strategies to align capacity with business demand
-
Behavioral Health Strategy
-
Translate enterprise and business-segment priorities into actionable operational plans
- Partner with senior leadership to advance behavioral health transformation initiatives
- Support strategic growth opportunities and the implementation of new service models
- Identify and evaluate opportunities to improve member access, engagement, and clinical outcomes
-
Strengthen integration across clinical and non-clinical member support services
-
Client and Stakeholder Engagement
-
Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to deliver on client commitments and business objectives
- Represent operations in client meetings, operational reviews, audits, and performance discussions
- Deliver executive-level reporting, insights, and recommendations
-
Cultivate strong cross-functional partnerships to accelerate decision-making and results
-
Performance and Analytics
-
Leverage operational dashboards, analytics, and reporting to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities
- Monitor and improve key performance indicators, including:
- Service Level
- Speed to Answer
- Abandonment Rate
- Occupancy
- Productivity
- Quality Scores
- Clinical Outcomes
- Member Satisfaction
- Net Promoter Scores
- Utilization and Engagement Metrics
-
Apply data-driven insights to inform decisions and advance operational performance
-
Quality, Compliance, and Regulatory Oversight
-
Ensure adherence to behavioral health policies, accreditation standards, and applicable regulatory requirements
- Maintain operational readiness for audits, accreditation activities, and compliance reviews
- Partner with Legal, Compliance, Quality, and Clinical teams to develop and execute corrective action plans
-
Ensure compliance with applicable state and federal requirements and behavioral health program standards
-
Transformation and Innovation
-
Lead the implementation of new processes, technology solutions, and operating models
- Advance digital transformation and AI-enabled solutions that enhance member experience and operational efficiency
- Promote adoption of innovative approaches to behavioral health navigation and care advocacy
- Lead complex, cross-functional initiatives across Behavioral Health Solutions
You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Master's degree in Nursing, Social Work, Psychology, or a related field
- Clinical licensure (LCSW, LPC, LMFT, RN, Psychologist, or equivalent)
- 3+ years of leadership experience managing leaders, supervisors, or professional staff
- Behavioral health industry experience
- Experience leading healthcare, care advocacy, case management, behavioral health, navigation, EAP, customer service, or clinical operations teams
- Demonstrated experience managing operational performance metrics and workforce planning
- Proven ability to lead large-scale operational initiatives and organizational change
- Solid analytical, communication, presentation, and stakeholder management capabilities
- Ability to travel as needed
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience supporting large employer, commercial, government, or specialty behavioral health programs
- Experience with contact center operations, navigation models, care management, and clinical operations
- Experience leading transformation, automation, AI, or digital health initiatives
All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy.
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $112,700 - $193,200 annually based on full-time employment
Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.
At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.
UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.
INTRODUCTION
Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Associate Director, Care Advocacy provides strategic and operational leadership for behavioral health care advocacy, navigation, and member support programs, with direct leadership responsibility for Elite and Premier. This leader is accountable for the performance, quality, service delivery, workforce management, and operational outcomes of Care Advocacy teams serving commercial, government, and specialty behavioral health populations.
The role collaborates closely with clinical, operations, product, network, technology, compliance, quality, client management, and finance partners to advance operational excellence, regulatory compliance, member engagement, and behavioral health outcomes. The Associate Director leads managers and professional staff and translates organizational strategy into disciplined execution that supports growth, transformation, affordability, quality, and an exceptional member experience.
You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely *from anywhere within the U.S. but will require minimal travel.
Primary Responsibilities:
-
Operational Leadership
-
Provide strategic and operational leadership for Care Advocacy, Navigation, EAP, and/or Behavioral Health teams
- Drive performance against service level, accessibility, productivity, quality, and member satisfaction objectives
- Ensure operational readiness for new clients, products, programs, and implementations
- Maintain accountability for day-to-day operations, escalations, and timely issue resolution
-
Champion continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen efficiency, effectiveness, and member outcomes
-
People Leadership
-
Lead and develop managers, supervisors, and senior professional staff
- Build leadership capability and maintain robust succession plans
- Advance employee engagement, retention, and professional development
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and inclusion
-
Guide workforce planning and staffing strategies to align capacity with business demand
-
Behavioral Health Strategy
-
Translate enterprise and business-segment priorities into actionable operational plans
- Partner with senior leadership to advance behavioral health transformation initiatives
- Support strategic growth opportunities and the implementation of new service models
- Identify and evaluate opportunities to improve member access, engagement, and clinical outcomes
-
Strengthen integration across clinical and non-clinical member support services
-
Client and Stakeholder Engagement
-
Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to deliver on client commitments and business objectives
- Represent operations in client meetings, operational reviews, audits, and performance discussions
- Deliver executive-level reporting, insights, and recommendations
-
Cultivate strong cross-functional partnerships to accelerate decision-making and results
-
Performance and Analytics
-
Leverage operational dashboards, analytics, and reporting to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities
- Monitor and improve key performance indicators, including:
- Service Level
- Speed to Answer
- Abandonment Rate
- Occupancy
- Productivity
- Quality Scores
- Clinical Outcomes
- Member Satisfaction
- Net Promoter Scores
- Utilization and Engagement Metrics
-
Apply data-driven insights to inform decisions and advance operational performance
-
Quality, Compliance, and Regulatory Oversight
-
Ensure adherence to behavioral health policies, accreditation standards, and applicable regulatory requirements
- Maintain operational readiness for audits, accreditation activities, and compliance reviews
- Partner with Legal, Compliance, Quality, and Clinical teams to develop and execute corrective action plans
-
Ensure compliance with applicable state and federal requirements and behavioral health program standards
-
Transformation and Innovation
-
Lead the implementation of new processes, technology solutions, and operating models
- Advance digital transformation and AI-enabled solutions that enhance member experience and operational efficiency
- Promote adoption of innovative approaches to behavioral health navigation and care advocacy
- Lead complex, cross-functional initiatives across Behavioral Health Solutions
You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Master's degree in Nursing, Social Work, Psychology, or a related field
- Clinical licensure (LCSW, LPC, LMFT, RN, Psychologist, or equivalent)
- 3+ years of leadership experience managing leaders, supervisors, or professional staff
- Behavioral health industry experience
- Experience leading healthcare, care advocacy, case management, behavioral health, navigation, EAP, customer service, or clinical operations teams
- Demonstrated experience managing operational performance metrics and workforce planning
- Proven ability to lead large-scale operational initiatives and organizational change
- Solid analytical, communication, presentation, and stakeholder management capabilities
- Ability to travel as needed
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience supporting large employer, commercial, government, or specialty behavioral health programs
- Experience with contact center operations, navigation models, care management, and clinical operations
- Experience leading transformation, automation, AI, or digital health initiatives
All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy.
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $112,700 - $193,200 annually based on full-time employment
Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.
At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.
UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.
Director of Behavioral Health Job Roles in North Carolina
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Search Director of Behavioral Health Jobs in North CarolinaDirector of Behavioral Health Jobs in North Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions
Which visa types realistically fit director of behavioral health roles in North Carolina?
The H-1B visa is the most common path, covering specialty occupations that require a directly related bachelor's degree or higher. Directors of behavioral health typically hold master's or doctoral degrees in social work, psychology, counseling, or public health, which satisfy the specialty occupation requirement. The EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based green cards are also viable for permanent sponsorship, usually requiring PERM labor certification filed by the employer.
Which companies sponsor visas for director of behavioral healths in North Carolina?
Large integrated health systems are the most consistent sponsors. Duke Health, UNC Health, Atrium Health, and Novant Health have established HR infrastructure and legal teams experienced with H-1B and employment-based green card filings. Community mental health centers, nonprofit behavioral health networks, and state-contracted providers in North Carolina also sponsor for senior leadership roles, though sponsorship capacity varies significantly by organization size.
Which cities in North Carolina have the most director of behavioral health sponsorship jobs?
Charlotte and the Research Triangle area, covering Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, hold the highest concentration of behavioral health leadership roles with sponsorship. Durham benefits from proximity to Duke Health and UNC Health systems. Asheville is a growing hub for behavioral health services in western North Carolina. Greensboro and Winston-Salem also have active hiring through Cone Health and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.
How to find director of behavioral health visa sponsorship jobs in North Carolina?
Migrate Mate lists director of behavioral health roles in North Carolina filtered to employers with verified visa sponsorship history, so you can focus on organizations that have sponsored comparable positions before. Searching by role and state on Migrate Mate surfaces active openings at health systems, nonprofit behavioral health networks, and community mental health organizations across Charlotte, the Triangle, and Asheville without sifting through employers unlikely to sponsor.
Are there state-specific factors that affect director of behavioral health sponsorship in North Carolina?
North Carolina has expanded behavioral health investment through Medicaid transformation and regional crisis response initiatives, increasing demand for senior clinical directors at managed care organizations and community providers. The state's strong university pipeline through UNC Chapel Hill, Duke, and NC State also means many employers are accustomed to hiring internationally trained professionals. However, smaller county-level mental health authorities may have limited experience navigating federal sponsorship requirements, so employer size and HR capacity matter.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored director of behavioral health jobs in North Carolina?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.