Center for Rheumatology

Location: Los Angeles, CA — onsite, with regular presence across all three locations (Los Angeles, Encino, North Hollywood) and as growth continues.

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer & Founder

Direct Reports: Site Office Managers & Operational Support Functions

Position Type: Full-Time, Executive Leadership Team

Compensation: $180,000 - $215,000

Position Overview

The Center for Rheumatology is one of Southern California's leading rheumatology practices, combining a busy multi-site clinical operation with an active research program of more than 25 ongoing clinical trials in lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and related conditions. We operate three Los Angeles–area locations with approximately 40 staff and 11 providers, and we are growing through both new location launches and the acquisition of independent practices. 

We are hiring our first Senior Director of Operations. This is a newly elevated role, created to build the operational backbone and management layer that will allow the practice to scale. The person in this seat will own day-to-day operations across all three sites (and future locations) and take full ownership of functions that currently run through the Founder/CEO, freeing him to focus on clinical care, growth, and long-term strategy. This is a hands-on, player-coach environment: we are deliberately not a bureaucracy, and this leader will build systems as readily as they direct them.

 The Senior Director of Operations will serve as a critical member of the executive leadership team, responsible for overseeing, optimizing, and scaling the clinical and administrative operations of the Center for Rheumatology. This role demands a seasoned operational leader who can balance high-level strategic planning with rigorous day-to-day execution across multiple clinical sites. The ideal candidate will drive operational excellence, implement robust technological and workflow solutions, ensure superior patient care delivery, and optimize financial performance to support the Center’s long-term growth and mission.

What Success Looks Like In The First Year

• A management operating system is in place — a defined operational scorecard, clear ownership by role, and a review cadence that runs reliably without the CEO driving it.
• The site leadership layer is strengthened and stable, with office administrators operating to a consistent standard across all three locations and front-line retention meaningfully improved.
• Prior authorization, inbound call handling, and follow-up scheduling are owned end-to-end, measured, and performing to defined service standards.
• The new-location launch model is documented, repeatable, and executed by this role rather than by the CEO.
• Pharmacy and dispensing operations are systematized under dedicated management, with the CEO moved from owner-operator to reviewer and approver.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Scaling

• Operational Strategy: Design, execute, and continuously improve clinical and business workflows to maximize efficiency, scale capacity, and maintain the highest standards of patient care.
• Growth & Expansion: Own the operational side of growth end to end — build and run a repeatable playbook for new location launches, including site readiness, staffing, provider onboarding, and ramp economics. Lead post-close operational integration of acquired practices, with an emphasis on preserving physician autonomy and clinical culture.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and clear communication across clinical staff, administrative teams, billing/finance, and HR.
• Talent & Recruiting: Partner with the CEO on provider recruitment and lead the operational hiring, onboarding, and development of site leadership and clinical support staff across all locations.

Clinical & Administrative Operations

• Workflow Optimization: Evaluate and streamline patient intake, scheduling, check-in/out, and clinical throughput to minimize wait times and maximize provider utilization. Build provider-level capacity models and demand-based staffing plans that smooth patient flow through the day.
• Technology & Systems Management: Oversee the optimization of healthcare IT systems, including Electronic Health Records (EHR), practice management software,
• and digital patient engagement tools.
• Supply Chain & Facilities: Manage vendor relationships, procurement protocols, and facility operations across all locations, ensuring full compliance with health and safety standards.
• Ancillary Services: Oversee in-house ancillary operations — laboratory, imaging, and infusion services — including scheduling, staffing, utilization, and quality standards.
• Pharmacy & Dispensing Oversight: Own the operational and financial performance of in-office dispensing and specialty medication supply. Lead the pharmacy manager, ensure inventory controls, ordering discipline, and margin reporting run to standard, and deliver monthly and quarterly reporting to the executive team.

Financial Performance & Revenue Cycle Management

• P&L Ownership: Hold accountability for site-level P&L performance across all locations. Build operating budgets, analyze cost structure and labor productivity, and drive margin improvement without compromising quality of care.
• Revenue Cycle Oversight: Collaborate closely with the billing and revenue cycle teams to optimize charge captures, reduce denials, and improve overall collection metrics.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Establish, track, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) regarding clinical volume, labor productivity, and operational profitability.
• Infusion & Buy-and-Bill Economics: Own the operational and financial performance of infusion services and buy-and-bill medication programs, including acquisition cost management, utilization, reimbursement, and margin.
• Payor Relationships: Support payor contracting and manage ongoing payor operational relationships, including credentialing, contract performance, and escalation.

Compliance, Quality, & Risk Management

• Ensure all clinical and business operations strictly adhere to federal and state healthcare regulations, including HIPAA, OSHA, and CMS guidelines.
• Lead quality improvement initiatives to ensure exceptional patient satisfaction and high-quality clinical outcomes.
  
  

Qualifications & Experience

• Experience: 10+ years of progressive healthcare operations leadership, including multi-site accountability. Background in physician practice, specialty medical group, or
• ambulatory settings strongly preferred. Experience in chronic disease, prior-authorization-intensive, or infusion-based specialties — rheumatology, oncology, gastroenterology, neurology, dermatology — is a distinct advantage.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent practical experience will be considered. MHA, MBA, or advanced clinical degree is a plus. MGMA/ACMPE board certification (CMPE or FACMPE) is highly valued.
• Proven Track Record: Demonstrated success scaling multi-site practice operations, owning operating budgets, and building management layers that hold. Experience developing office managers and site leaders into a consistent operating standard is particularly relevant.
• Technical Savvy: Deep familiarity with modern practice management systems, EHR platforms, and healthcare analytics tools. Experience evaluating, selecting, or
• implementing patient portal and patient engagement technology is a plus.
• Leadership Style: A hands-on, player-coach operator who is comfortable building  systems from scratch in a lean, fast-moving, low-bureaucracy environment. Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills, with proven ability to earn credibility with physicians.

Additional Details

• Travel: This role is based onsite in Los Angeles, with regular weekly presence across all three locations. Occasional additional travel will be required as the practice expands.
• The Center for Rheumatology is an equal opportunity employer.

Submit resumes and cover letters to: recruitment@centerforrheumatology.com

Posted - 8/21/2026