Clinical Director for Ophthalmology Practice

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

The Clinical Director provides strategic, operational, and clinical leadership across five multi-specialty Ophthalmology and Optometry locations. This role ensures consistent delivery of high-quality patient care, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and a positive patient and staff experience. The Clinical Director also oversees the Surgical Department and works closely with the Surgical Manager to ensure seamless coordination between clinic operations, surgical scheduling, and perioperative workflows. The Clinical Director serves as the primary liaison between clinical teams, providers, administrative leadership, and cross‑departmental partners, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and clinical excellence standards.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical Operations Leadership

• Oversee daily clinical operations across all locations, ensuring efficient patient flow, timely care delivery, and adherence to clinical protocols.
• Develop, implement, and maintain standardized clinical workflows, SOPs, and quality benchmarks.
• Ensure consistent execution of best practices in Ophthalmology and Optometry care, including diagnostic testing, imaging, triage, and surgical coordination.
• Partner with providers to identify operational barriers and implement solutions that enhance patient care and provider efficiency

Surgical Department Oversight

• Provide leadership and operational oversight for the Surgical Department, ensuring alignment between clinic operations and surgical services.
• Collaborate closely with the Surgical Manager to optimize pre‑operative, post‑operative, and testing workflows.
• Support surgical scheduling, patient preparation, and communication processes to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and a positive patient experience.
• Monitor surgical KPIs, including case volume, cancellations, readiness, and throughput, and develop improvement plans as needed.
• Ensure compliance with all surgical-related regulatory requirements, safety standards, and documentation expectations.

Team Management & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop clinical staff including technicians, scribes, photographers, and clinical leads.
• Oversee staffing models, schedules, and cross‑location coverage to ensure adequate support for providers and patient volume.
• Conduct performance evaluations, coaching, corrective action, and professional development planning.
• Support onboarding and training programs for new clinical staff, ensuring competency in all required skills and technologies.

Quality, Compliance & Patient Safety

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including HIPAA, OSHA, CMS, and state optometry/ophthalmology requirements.
• Maintain high standards of infection control, safety protocols, and clinical documentation.
• Monitor and improve clinical quality metrics, patient satisfaction scores, and provider support indicators.
• Lead incident reporting, root-cause analysis, and corrective action planning.

Provider Relations & Support

• Serve as the primary operational partner to Ophthalmologists and Optometrists, ensuring their clinic days run smoothly and efficiently.
• Coordinate with surgeons and surgical schedulers to optimize pre‑op, post‑op, and testing workflows.
• Address provider concerns promptly and implement sustainable solutions.

Cross‑Department Collaboration

• Work closely with Optical, Front Office, Billing/RCM, and Call Center leadership to ensure seamless patient experience across the continuum of care.
• Partner with the CEO/COO and leadership team on strategic initiatives, growth planning, and operational improvements.
• Support integration of new technologies, equipment, and clinical services.

Data, Reporting & Performance Management

• Monitor KPIs including patient flow, technician productivity, provider utilization, wait times, and clinical accuracy.
• Analyze trends and develop action plans to improve efficiency and patient outcomes.
• Prepare reports for executive leadership and participate in leadership meetings.

Multi‑Site Oversight

• Regularly visit all locations to ensure consistency, address issues, and support local teams.
• Lead coordination of inter‑location communication, resource sharing, and process alignment.
• Support expansion, relocations, or new service line launches as needed.

Skills & Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of clinical leadership experience in Ophthalmology, Optometry, or a related medical specialty.
• Proven ability to lead multi‑site teams and manage complex operations.
• Excellent communication, conflict resolution, and team‑building skills.
• Strong organizational and analytical abilities with experience using clinical and surgical KPIs.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, high‑volume environment.

Preferred

• COA, COT, COMT, OSC, or similar certification.
• Experience with EHR systems commonly used in eye care (e.g., ModMed, NextGen).
• Strong understanding of ophthalmic diagnostic testing, imaging, triage, surgical workflows, and perioperative processes.
• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business, or related field

Work Environment & Expectations

• Full‑time, on‑site leadership role with regular travel between DC and Maryland locations.
• Occasional early mornings, evenings, or weekends for training, projects, or operational needs.
• High-visibility role requiring professionalism, discretion, and strong leadership presence.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package
• Comprehensive benefits
• 401(K)
• Career growth and development
• PTO and holidays off