Director of Quality Assurance Operations

SUMMARY OF POSITION:

The Director of Quality Assurance Operations is a key leadership position responsible for ensuring the effective coordination, execution, and oversight of CalMHSA's managed care and clinical quality assurance operations. This role provides direct supervision to assigned staff, supports vendor and county partnerships, and ensures that projects, policies, and operational workflows move forward efficiently and in alignment with organizational goals.

Serving as both a strategic partner and operational leader, this position bridges the gap between executive direction and on-the-ground implementation. The incumbent supports oversight of vendor deliverables, ensures compliance with state and county requirements, and leads quality and policy integration efforts across departments. They serve as a professional and credible liaison to county partners, vendors, and other stakeholders—effectively representing CalMHSA's standards and supporting continuous system improvement.

This position also plays a pivotal role in managing new and emerging initiatives, including future projects undertaken on behalf of the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) or other statewide or contractual partners related to clinical operations, managed care, and county policy. By managing day-to-day operations and adapting to evolving organizational needs, this role enables directors to focus on strategic planning and system-level initiatives while ensuring that operational execution, staff supervision, and partner communication remain coordinated and responsive.

The role requires a highly organized, flexible, and collaborative professional with demonstrated executive-level supervisory experience, who thrives in dynamic and sometimes ambiguous environments, can manage complex and evolving projects without losing sight of strategic priorities, and communicates effectively across all levels of the organization.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include but are not limited to:

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of quality assurance and quality management activities, ensuring alignment with policy, regulatory, and clinical requirements.
• Develop and implement quality improvement strategies in collaboration with leadership and key staff.
• Coordinate and oversee managed care, quality improvement, clinical, compliance, and utilization-focused initiatives, ensuring timely, effective execution.
• Manage vendor and contractor relationships, including deliverable oversight, performance evaluation, and contract terms and conditions when applicable.
• Develop, maintain, and optimize workflows, tracking systems, tools, and processes that support operational efficiency and program effectiveness.
• Provide day-to-day management, guidance, and professional development support to QA and Compliance staff, including coaching, communication, and problem-solving.
• Identify operational challenges and recommend proactive, data-informed solutions to improve program operations and outcomes.
• Lead development and delivery of training initiatives and educational materials, serving as a subject matter expert in QA, policy, and compliance.
• Ensure that clinical and operational activities are aligned with state, county, and contractual requirements, coordinating across departments to integrate clinical best practices.
• Serve as a liaison and representative to county behavioral health departments, regulatory partners, and external workgroups, maintaining clear and responsive communication.
• Prepare concise reports, summaries, agreements, presentations, and other documents that support leadership decision-making and program transparency.
• Support organizational planning, performance measurement, and strategic initiatives, acting as a delegate for senior leadership when assigned.

BACKGROUND CHECK ELIGIBLE DUTIES:

Due to the nature of this role, which involves oversight of quality assurance and compliance operations, access to protected health information (PHI), supervision of clinical staff, vendor contract management, and partnership with county behavioral health departments and state agencies, this position requires successful completion of a background check.

REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree with a clinical license in the state of California
• Minimum of five (5) years of executive-level supervisory and leadership experience overseeing complex programs, multidisciplinary staff, and cross-functional initiatives in healthcare, managed care, or behavioral health administration.
• Experience leading quality improvement initiatives and developing a quality assurance program.
• Experience working within or in close partnership with county behavioral health systems at a manager or senior manager level, with demonstrated understanding of county operations, funding, and regulatory frameworks.
• Proven experience managing large-scale and complex projects from conception through implementation, including oversight of deliverables, staff, and performance outcomes.
• Demonstrated success in managing vendor relationships, interagency coordination, and performance monitoring across multiple stakeholders and contractual environments.

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES:

• Deep understanding of behavioral health systems, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to interpret data and research to develop practical, actionable solutions.
• Uses data insights to inform performance improvement, operational efficiency, and strategic decision-making.
• Skilled at interpreting and applying complex regulations, policies, and contractual requirements.
• Thrives in ambiguous or evolving environments by applying sound judgment, initiative, and problem-solving to keep work moving forward.
• Demonstrated professionalism and composure when managing challenging or sensitive situations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences and create clear, effective training and policy materials.
• Proven ability to design and deliver external-facing trainings and educational sessions for counties, vendors, and partners.
• Working knowledge of privacy principles and data protection practices, with the ability to interpret and apply them within behavioral health and managed care settings.
• Collaborative and adaptable leader who works effectively across teams and disciplines.
• Strategic thinker with strong project management and operational execution abilities.
• Highly organized and capable of managing multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Self-directed, proactive, and detail-oriented, maintaining clear communication with leadership and partners.

COMPUTER SKILLS: Demonstrate the ability to use a computer and applicable computer software effectively. Intermediate knowledge of Excel & Word, PowerPoint, Adobe, and Outlook.

LANGUAGE SKILLS AND MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Demonstrate the ability to read, comprehend, and respond appropriately through written or verbal form; demonstrate tactfulness when communicating including internal communication with staff members of all levels; ability to communicate with a variety of audiences effectively. Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all measure units, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

REASONING: Demonstrate the ability to effectively apply common sense and follow through to daily tasks; demonstrate the ability to work with little or no supervision; demonstrate excellent analytical and critical thinking skills; demonstrate the ability to efficiently conduct research and ask appropriate probing questions to complete necessary tasks.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and stand; use phone and headset; use hands, arms, finders to type; answer phones; write; use calculator; demonstrate strength to lift and carry materials weighing up to 10 pounds; demonstrate clear vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone.

SENSORY DEMANDS: The incumbent must spend long hours in intense concentration. The incumbent must also spend long hours on the computer entering information which requires attention to detail and high levels of accuracy.

MENTAL DEMANDS: There are a number of deadlines associated with this position, which may cause significant pressure. The incumbent must also attend to a wide variety of individuals regarding various topics/challenges.

REGULAR WORK SCHEDULE: Schedule varies depending on business needs; however, regular company business hours are 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday – Friday.