Senior Director of Clinical Operations & Education
Stanford Medicine Partners
Newark, CA
Stanford Medicine Partners (SMP) is seeking an exceptional healthcare leader to serve as the Senior Director of Clinical Operations & Education.
This is a unique opportunity for a strategic, results-oriented leader to shape the future of a high-performing medical foundation known for clinical excellence, physician leadership, and patient-centered care. SMP has built a longstanding reputation for delivering outstanding healthcare while fostering a collaborative and innovative care environment.
As Senior Director of Clinical Operations & Education, you will partner closely with clinical and senior leadership to optimize clinical education, operations, and supply chain. This role will play a pivotal role in expanding access to care, enhancing the patient and provider experience, and advancing SMP's mission while strengthening its position as a leading community-based healthcare organization.
A Brief Overview
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Senior Director of Clinical Operations and Education serves as a senior leader responsible for advancing clinical practice excellence across Stanford Medicine Partners.
This role provides enterprise oversight of clinical operations, clinical education, and clinical supply chain. As a recognized leader in ambulatory clinical practice, the Senior Director is accountable for evaluating, standardizing, and improving clinical operations to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements while advancing patient safety, quality outcomes, service excellence, and financial performance.
The Senior Director operates as a strategic partner to executive leadership, including the ACMO, CFO, COO and Clinical Operations Committee, to design, standardize, and scale clinical programs across the network. This leader ensures alignment of clinical workflows, education, and supply utilization while supporting the organization's broader strategic, operational, and financial goals.
Locations
Stanford Medicine Partners
What you will do
Clinical Supply Chain & Cost Optimization
- Leads enterprise clinical supply chain strategy in partnership with the ACMO, medical group leadership, and Supply Chain Manager.
- Identifies opportunities to standardize medical supplies and pharmaceuticals across clinics to reduce variation and improve quality and cost performance.
- Drives non-labor expense optimization, including product utilization, vendor alignment, and value analysis initiatives.
- Leads evaluation of clinical products and clinical technologies, ensuring alignment with clinical efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and operational goals.
- Builds physician and leadership consensus on supply standardization and utilization strategies.
Clinical Education & Workforce Capability
- Oversees the Clinical Education function, including leadership of the Director of Clinical Practice Education.
- Develops and implements a comprehensive clinical education program designed to improve competency, performance, and care delivery across clinical staff (RN, LVN, MA, PSR, and others).
- Establishes enterprise standards for onboarding, ongoing training, and competency validation.
- Ensures education supports regulatory compliance, clinical quality goals, and operational initiatives (e.g., EPIC optimization, POC testing, workflow changes).
- Aligns education strategy with system-wide clinical priorities and workforce needs.
Clinical Operations Standardization & Quality Integration
- Partners with Operations and Quality leadership to ensure clinical workflows, procedures, and protocols are aligned with standard work and evidence-based practices.
- Leads system-wide efforts to reduce unwarranted variation across clinics through standardization, LEAN methodologies, and continuous improvement.
- Develops and implements policies and procedures aligned with regulatory and organizational requirements.
- Ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and accreditation standards.
- Drives integration of patient safety, regulatory compliance, and quality performance into all clinical operations.
Enterprise Clinical Program Leadership
- Serves as executive lead for high-impact clinical initiatives requiring multi-site coordination and implementation.
- Leads planning, execution, and scaling of clinical programs across the network.
- Directs clinical transformation, workflow redesign, and operational integration.
- Establishes success metrics, monitors outcomes, and drives continuous improvement post-implementation.
- Oversees and manages the CLIA program.
Strategic Leadership & Governance
- Serves as a strategic thought leader for ambulatory clinical programs across Stanford Medicine Partners.
- Partners with the Clinical Operations Committee to identify, prioritize, and implement new clinical programs and innovations.
- Provides data-driven recommendations to executive leadership to improve clinical performance, cost efficiency, and care delivery.
- Contributes to Stanford Operating System (SOS) goals and broader organizational strategy.
- Influences alignment across clinical and administrative leadership in a highly matrixed environment.
Clinical Operations Leadership
- Directs the Manager of Supply Chain, Director of Clinical Education and partners closely with other key departments, including Operations, Quality, Infection Control, and Environmental Health and Safety.
- Promotes team building, open communication, and a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Financial & Operational Management
- Accountable for divisional budget and financial performance.
- Identifies opportunities to reduce costs and enhance revenue without compromising quality of care.
- Partners with finance and operations to align operational decisions with financial goals.
- Supports capital planning, equipment decisions, and facility development as needed.
Regulatory, Safety & Compliance
- Ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations governing ambulatory clinical practice.
- Maintains standards related to scope of practice, patient safety, and care delivery.
- Identifies risks and implements mitigation strategies.
- Participates in Environment of Care and Emergency Management committees and initiatives.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
- Builds strong relationships with physicians, leadership, and cross-functional partners.
- Facilitates collaboration across departments to achieve operational and clinical goals.
- Serves as liaison between clinical operations, supply chain, quality, and executive leadership.
- Drives consensus in complex, matrixed environments.
Core Leadership Expectations
- Promotes teamwork, communication, Just Culture, and engagement across the organization.
- Applies LEAN principles to problem-solving and performance improvement.
- Supports employee development, coaching, and performance management.
- Maintains a culture of service excellence aligned with C-I-CARE standards.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in clinical services management in a mid to large size ambulatory or hospital setting.
- Demonstrated experience leading multi-site operations, program implementation, and performance improve initiatives.
- CA-RN (Registered Nurse)
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, or Business Administration preferred.
- Experience in academic medical center or integreated health system environment strongly preferred.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Deep knowledge of federal and California regulatory requirements (BRN, LVN, Title 22, CMS, TJC, NCQA, Medi-Cal).
- Expertise in ambulatory clinical operations, workflow design, and standardization.
- Experience in clinical supply chain strategy and cost management.
- Strong leadership, communication, and consensus-building skills.
- Ability to operate effectively in a matrixed, physician-led organization.
- Experience leading large-scale initiatives and change management efforts.
- Knowledge of LEAN Six Sigma methodologies and continuous improvement.
- Strong financial and operational acumen.
These principles apply to ALL employees:
Commitment to Providing an Exceptional Patient & Family Experience
Stanford Medicine Partners sets a high standard for delivering value and an exceptional experience for our patients and families. Candidates for employment and existing employees must adopt and execute C-I-CARE standards for all of patients, families and towards each other. C-I-CARE is the foundation of Stanford’s patient-experience and represents a framework for patient-centered interactions. Simply put, we do what it takes to enable and empower patients and families to focus on health, heling and recovery.
Pay: $85.47 - $113.27 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid sick time
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
- Wellness program
Work Location: In person
