The Operations Director, Livewell is responsible for leading the successful launch, operational ramp, and long-term success of Livewell's de novo veterinary hospitals across an assigned region. This role partners closely with Clinical Operations, Real Estate, Construction, Finance, Marketing, Recruiting, IT, and other home office teams to bring new hospitals from concept to sustained operational excellence.
The Operations Director serves as both a builder and an operator. Success in this role requires the ability to lead multiple hospital openings simultaneously, recruit and develop exceptional Hospital Managers and founding veterinarians, drive financial performance, and create scalable operational processes that support Livewell's continued growth.
In addition to leading an assigned portfolio of hospitals, this leader is expected to continuously improve the systems, playbooks, and partnerships that allow Livewell to open great hospitals faster and more effectively.
General Management Responsibilities
- Recruit, hire, develop, coach and retain a team of 10–20 Livewell Hospital Managers while building leadership capability across the organization.
- Provide timely coaching, performance feedback and career development for Hospital Managers.
- Lead the operational success of assigned hospitals through startup, stabilization, growth and eventual transition into the legacy operating model.
- Partner with Clinical Operations and Recruiting to identify, recruit, onboard and support Founding DVMs throughout the pre-opening and ramp period.
- Build strong partnerships between Hospital Managers, Founding DVMs and Regional Medical Directors to establish high-performing hospital cultures from day one.
- Partner effectively with your Regional Medical Director partner to achieve exceptional medical quality, client experience, team engagement and financial performance.
- Drive consistent execution of the Livewell client experience through Livewell Quality Index (LQI) standards, operational audits and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Foster strong relationships across home office departments to ensure seamless execution of new hospital openings and ongoing operational support.
- Ensure hospitals maintain compliance with OSHA, DEA and all applicable local, state and federal regulations.
-
Operational Leadership & Project Management
- Lead the cross-functional execution of Livewell's development pipeline by aligning Operations, Clinical, Construction, Marketing, IT, Finance and Recruiting teams to deliver successful hospital openings.
- Manage multiple concurrent hospital openings while balancing operational priorities across an assigned portfolio.
- Influence without direct authority across multiple departments to remove obstacles, maintain project momentum and deliver exceptional results.
- Develop and improve scalable operational processes, playbooks and best practices that increase the efficiency and consistency of future hospital openings.
- Monitor operational milestones, key performance indicators and project timelines, proactively identifying risks and driving corrective action when necessary.
- Deliver accurate reporting and business updates to senior leadership while maintaining accountability for execution across multiple initiatives.
-
Financial Leadership
- Own the operational and financial performance of assigned hospitals throughout their growth and stabilization.
- Manage labor, operating expenses and revenue growth while balancing investment with long-term profitability.
- Utilize operational and financial data to identify trends, prioritize opportunities and make informed business decisions.
- Partner with Finance to develop annual operating budgets and monitor financial performance against established goals.
- Communicate financial performance, business priorities and operational objectives effectively with hospital leadership, veterinarians and executive leadership.
- Drive accountability around inventory management, expense control, cash handling and operational efficiency.
-
Leadership Expectations
Successful Operations Directors are expected to:
- Thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment where priorities evolve quickly.
- Build trust and influence across multiple departments and levels of leadership.
- Lead with a builder's mindset, continuously improving systems rather than simply operating within existing ones.
- Balance strategic thinking with a willingness to roll up their sleeves and solve day-to-day operational challenges.
- Develop future leaders by investing in Hospital Managers and creating strong leadership pipelines.
- Demonstrate strong business acumen while never losing sight of the client, patient and team member experience.
-
Success in this role is measured by:
- Successful execution of new hospital openings.
- Hospital performance during the first 12–18 months.
- Recruitment and retention of Hospital Managers and Founding DVMs.
- Development of future operational leaders.
- Financial performance against plan.
- Continuous improvement of the Livewell operating model.
-
Required Education & Experience
- Multi-site operational leadership experience required; veterinary, healthcare or other multi-unit service industry experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated success leading teams within a fast-paced, growth-oriented organization.
- Proven experience recruiting, developing and coaching high-performing leaders.
- Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, interpreting P&Ls and driving operational performance.
- Exceptional organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
- Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills with the ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the organization.
- Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority and successfully lead cross-functional initiatives.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach to decision making.
- High learning agility, adaptability and bias toward action.
- Willingness to travel extensively across multiple states (75%) to support hospital openings, leadership development and operational needs.
As part of the Mission Pet Health family, you get the stability of a local practice backed by the comprehensive benefits and resources of a larger network. The focus is on investing in you, so you can focus on what you love.
Note: Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support you at every stage. Eligibility for specific benefits varies based on your role and hours worked.
A competitive hourly rate or salary based on your experience and role.
We offer comprehensive coverage options including Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance, along with access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for all teammates.
Plan for your future with our 401k retirement options and additional financial protection benefits like Life Insurance and Disability coverage.
We support your career goals with opportunities for professional development, including educational assistance for qualified teammates to enroll in AVMA-accredited veterinary technician programs.
Join a nationwide community of over 20,000 veterinary professionals who share a passion for collaboration, career growth, and sharing best practices.
Enjoy discounted veterinary care for your own pets, access to an online discount platform, and free 24/7 access to doctors through Teladoc.
Mission Pet Health was founded by veterinarians on the belief that local practices thrive with clinical autonomy, collaboration, and medical excellence. The organization provides world-class support to its 850+ hospital teams on a hyper-local basis so they can focus on what matters most: the medicine, their patients, and their team culture. Learn more at missionpethealth.com.
Driving the award-winning culture are the WAG values – Work Together, Amaze, and Grow. Mission Pet Health is veterinarian-led, people-focused, and on a mission to be the best place to work in veterinary medicine. We are proud to be recognized as a 2025 "Most Loved Workplace," ranked #2 in America's Top 100 and #1 in veterinary care.
Reasonable Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation. Please contact [email protected] with your request and contact information.
EEO Statement: Mission Pet Health is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
