• Director Operations - Department of Surgery

    UNC Health Care (Chapel Hill, NC)


    Description

    Become part of an inclusive organization with over 40,000 teammates, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of the unique communities we serve.

    Summary:

    The Director of Operations (DO) is a critical strategic and operational leader for the Department of Surgery, with direct oversight of faculty practice operations across perioperative, inpatient, and outpatient domains. Reporting to the Associate Chair for Administration (ACA), this role partners closely with the Chair, Executive Vice Chairs, and other departmental and health system leaders to **optimize clinical operations and to realize Department of Surgery strategic priorities** .

     

    The DO will work closely with the Executive Vice Chair of Clinical Operations, aligning department activities with systemwide initiatives, especially those related to access, throughput, documentation improvement, and clinical quality. The DO will work with faculty, advanced practice clinicians (APCs), trainees, nurses, and administrators to ensure operational consistency, transparency, and a focus on patient-centered care.

     

    This position demands a dynamic leader with exceptional communication skills, analytical insight, executive presence, and the ability to execute.

    Key Responsibilities:

    1)** **Strategic & Operational Leadership

    • Serve as a liaison between department operations and UNC Health enterprise strategies, including system-wide initiatives and Surgery strategic pillars.

    • Lead and support data-informed innovation efforts, operational performance tracking, and resource optimization.

    2)** **Program Oversight & Project Management

    • Drive high-priority initiatives:

    o Surgical Throughput & Access Improvements

    o Complex Wound and Enteral Access Services

    o Same Day Surgery & Limb Preservation Program Development

    o Cardiovascular Surgery Ambulatory Planning

    o AI Scribe and Clinical Documentation Optimization

    • Lead the execution of new or expanding programs, ensuring scalability and sustainability.

    3)** **Workforce Development & Clinical Team Support

    • Provide operational leadership for APC development initiatives, including the APC Career Ladder and Resident-APC Task Force.

    • Strengthen operational support for clinical faculty through infrastructure improvements and resource direction.

    • Guide the Department of Surgery Ambulatory Leadership Committee in advancing outpatient services.

    • Lead and manage team members focused on clinical operations and quality improvement.

    4)** **Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

    • Build and maintain trusted relationships with departmental, hospital, and system-level stakeholders.

    • Serve as a central point of accountability for operational initiatives and cross-functional collaboration.

    • Partner with Marketing and Communications teams to support high-priority service lines and patient outreach strategies.

    • Present complex operational challenges and opportunities in a clear, concise, and actionable manner to senior leadership.

     

    Other Information

    Education Requirements:

    • Bachelor's Degree in a related field.

    Licensure/Certification Requirements:

    • None required.

    Professional Experience Requirements:

    • A minimum of five (5) years of experience in practice operations, finance and/or clinical operations management.

    Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:

    • Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors. Ability to perform high level statistical analysis and be able to determine best sources and metrics for ongoing measurement to validate improvement. Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to influence, direct, and coach diverse groups.

    Job Details

    Legal Employer: STATE

     

    Entity: UNC Faculty Physicians

     

    Organization Unit: UNC P&A Surg Admin

     

    Work Type: Full Time

     

    Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

     

    Salary Range: $58.92 - $84.70 per hour (Hiring Range)

     

    Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

     

    Work Assignment Type: Hybrid

     

    Work Schedule: Day Job

     

    Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill

     

    Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: Yes

     

    This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

     

    Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

     

    UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email [email protected] if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.

     

    Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.