What are the responsibilities and job description for the Executive Director, PHP/IOP position at Atlantic Health Strategies?
Executive Director | Brookfield, WI | Full-Time | On-Site
About Wisconsin Behavioral Health
Wisconsin Behavioral Health is a mission-driven organization expanding access to quality behavioral healthcare. With a commitment to evidence-based, recovery-oriented programming, Wisconsin Behavioral Health is launching a new PHP/IOP program in Brookfield, Wisconsin and is seeking experienced operational leadership to bring it to life.
The
Opportunity
In this full-time, on-site role, the Executive Director will lead the launch of a new PHP/IOP program from the ground up. This position is responsible for operational execution across facility readiness, licensure, staffing, referral development, and early-stage program stabilization.
As the senior on-site leader, you will coordinate closely with outsourced HR, compliance, and IT partners while maintaining full accountability for operational performance. This role is ideal for a clinically-informed, hands-on healthcare operator who has worked directly within behavioral health programs, brings structure to ambiguity, and can successfully move a program from empty building to licensed, staffed, open, and admitting.
This position does not require clinical licensure and includes no direct clinical responsibilities.
What You'll Do
- Lead operational readiness for a new PHP/IOP program, including facility setup, workflow development, staffing ramp-up, and launch sequencing.
- Serve as the on-site operational lead during state licensure and payer credentialing processes.
- Hire, onboard, and manage non-clinical and program staff aligned with licensure timelines and census projections
- Develop and execute referral relationship strategies and community outreach prior to opening and throughout early operations
- Own census management, staffing efficiency, scheduling optimization, and operational KPIs post-launch
- Partner with outsourced HR, compliance, and IT teams while retaining accountability for execution and issue resolution
- Maintain financial discipline during start-up, ensuring budget adherence and resource optimization
- Act as the primary on-site point of contact for ownership, regulators, vendors, and referral partners.
Why Join
Us at Wisconsin Behavioral Health
- A high-impact opportunity to build and lead a program launch with significant operational ownership
- A visible leadership role with direct influence on program success and growth
- A dynamic start-up environment designed for operators who enjoy building from the ground up
- Mission-driven work expanding access to quality behavioral healthcare in the community
Requirements
What You Bring
Required:
- At least 5 years of direct, hands-on experience in behavioral health operations, including time spent working within PHP, IOP, or outpatient behavioral health programs at the program or facility level
- Firsthand familiarity with day-to-day behavioral health workflows — clinical team structures, treatment schedules, group programming logistics, and patient flow — gained through direct program involvement, not solely executive oversight
- Proven success launching, scaling, or stabilizing behavioral health programs, with preference for candidates who have been actively involved in execution, not just strategic direction
- Demonstrated ability to build teams and operate effectively without pre-existing infrastructure
- Strong working knowledge of behavioral health staffing models, census-driven economics, payer expectations, and regulatory requirements as applied in a clinical program environment
- Experience collaborating with outsourced operational partners while maintaining accountability
- Strong financial and operational management capabilities
- Exceptional organizational, leadership, communication, and decision-making skills
- Full-time, on-site availability in Brookfield, Wisconsin
- Bachelor's degree required
Preferred:
- Master's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, or a related field
Note: Candidates whose experience is primarily corporate or multi-site executive leadership without hands-on program involvement may not be the right fit for this role.
Benefits
Compensation and Benefits
$85,000 to $115,000 annually, commensurate with experience and start-up leadership scope. Performance-based incentives may be available based on launch milestones and operational outcomes.
This is a direct hire with Wisconsin Behavioral Health. Atlantic Health Strategies is recruiting on their behalf.
Salary : $85,000 - $115,000