Regional Executive Director - Southern California

Emend Healthcare is an innovative and rapidly expanding behavioral health company in California. We seek a highly experienced and mission-driven Executive Director for Southern California. With 15 sites and a focus on significant growth, we require a dynamic leader to oversee day-to-day operations and strategic expansion. The ideal candidate will have direct, senior-level experience in managing substance abuse and mental health programs, with a proven ability to reduce AMA (against medical advice) discharges and improve the average length of stay (LOS). If you are a collaborative and strategic leader with a strong commitment to clinical quality, operational excellence, and organizational growth, we invite you to apply and help us expand our vital services across the region.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Optimize Length of Stay, Payor Mix and Average Daily Revenue of all Facilities, with a primary focus on the Montclair Facilities, to meet and exceed organizational benchmarks.
• Provide daily leadership and hands-on operational oversight of the Facilities to ensure efficient, high-quality service delivery.
• Oversee daily financial functions and collaborate with the Facilities leadership team to drive key performance indicators (KPIs) and achieve financial targets.
• Prioritize and uphold the highest standards of client care across all programs and services.
• Recruit, hire and supervise qualified department leaders; provide direct oversight of the Facilities’ leadership team.
• Inspire and lead the leadership team using performance metrics, fostering a culture of accountability and results-driven performance.
• Mentor leadership staff in alignment with the organization’s strategic goals and long-term vision.
• Provide input to the Board for the annual operating budget and strategic business plan and manage the Facilities in accordance with the annual operating budget and strategic business plan in coordination with senior leadership.
• Ensure full compliance with all regulatory and accreditation standards and requirements.
• Plan and implement ongoing staff development through in-service education and training programs.
• Train and mentor director-level staff in budgeting practices and effective position control strategies.
• Design and implement staff engagement and retention initiatives aimed at reducing industry-standard attrition rates.
• Assist the Board with the acquisition and integration of targets and growth initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Human Resources Department to promote and maintain a healthy and productive workplace and culture.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of all Facilities service lines, ensuring safe staffing levels and the delivery of effective patient care.
• Coordinate and maintain a 24/7 Administrator On-Call schedule to ensure continuous executive oversight.
• Facilitate daily operations meetings and lead weekly leadership sessions; support monthly operations reviews and performance discussions.
• Maintain and improve patient satisfaction scores through internal quality assessments and external reviews.
• Monitor and enhance quality of care, patient safety, and satisfaction among clients and referral sources.
• Exercise fiscal responsibility and manage Facilities expenses and staffing levels with a strong sense of ownership.

DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Oversee and support day to day operations and administration of assigned facilities to deliver the highest quality care for patients and their families.
• Oversight and responsibility of the P&L (budget), applicable metrics and key performance indicators 
• Design and implement business strategies to ensure organizational goals and targets are met/exceeded.
• Lead, develop, mentor, and inspire cross-functional leadership team responsible for providing guidance and direction to front-line teammates.
• Recruit top talent and provide new hires with the training, tools, and resources they need to be successful.
• Engage teams in the development of action plans that promote patient satisfaction, quality, and compliance, support approved growth, engage and retain teammates, and generate referrals, efficiencies, and improved productivity.
• Implement national standards in partnership with executive leadership.
• Partner with corporate teams and clinical nursing and medical leaders to remove barriers that negatively impact staffing, productivity, patient census, patient satisfaction, referrals, costs, revenue, and inhibit planned growth.
• Continually monitor Facilities compliance ensuring we meet state, federal and government regulatory agencies requirements. 
• Protect PHI in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards.
• Manage growth plans and Facilities expansion projects to ensure requirements are met prior to projected opening.
• Promote company in the community by building relationships with schools, medical offices, hospitals and actively networking with other behavioral health professionals. Maintain awareness of competition, proactively assessing Facilities-related strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5-7 years progressive leadership experience working in behavioral health or healthcare operations.
• Master’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration, human services, or a related field is preferred.
• A proven track record of successfully managing complex issues for vulnerable populations. 
• SUD experience required.
• Behavioral health hospital experience preferred.

COMPETENCIES, KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

• The ability to set clear and challenging goals while committing the organization to improved performance. 
• A collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence others into action and to think creatively about solutions.
• Experience developing and implementing effective operational and financial systems and controls. 
• A focus on culture, teammate engagement, improving retention and attracting top talent.
• Effective leadership skills and experience hiring, developing, and motivating a high performing team.
• Experience in developing/building B2B and community relationships that foster successful business outcomes.
• The ability to represent the mission, vision and culture of the organization to outside entities, individuals and stakeholders.
• Judgement and decision-making skills – must know how and when to ‘push-back’ on decisions and to make tough decisions to keep work moving forward.
• A high degree of learning agility and adaptability, able to adapt nimbly and lead others through complex situations.
• Experience leading teams in an environment that moves at a rapid pace, where change is common. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

•      Ability to lift up to 25 pounds.

•      Ability to walk up and down stairs during emergency drills or situations.

Notice: Emend Corporate Services LP doing business as “Emend Healthcare” (“Emend”) is an equal employment opportunity employer. Emend expressly prohibits any form of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual preference, age, or handicap. In the event that a job applicant or an employee is disabled, Emend will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation for the disability by modifying duties, equipment or facilities wherever possible. Emend’s policies of non-discrimination apply to all personnel and employment practices. Emend complies with all relevant and applicable provisions of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Emend expressly prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace. Emend is a Drug-Free Work Environment. Employees are expected to adhere to the Company’s drug-free work policies.