Job Description

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital seeks an Administrative Director of Acute Care Services to provide operational and clinical leadership for a defined group of clinical care areas under the administrative direction of the Associate Chief Nursing Officer (ACNO) of Patient Care Services (PCS). The Administrative Director is accountable for the day-to-day performance and integration of services within Acute Care Services, including but not limited to Neurology-Urology, Pulmonary-Renal/Infectious Disease, Surgical Trauma, Orthopedics, Oncology, and the Infusion Suite, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, safe, patient-centered care aligned with organizational priorities.

In partnership with the ACNO of PCS and interdisciplinary leaders, the Director translates strategic goals into operational execution, advancing clinical excellence, regulatory compliance, patient flow, and workforce engagement. The Administrative Director is responsible for achieving quality, safety, service, and financial outcomes across assigned departments, while fostering a culture of professional nursing practice, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

The Administrative Director collaborates closely with physicians, nursing leaders, and support services to optimize care delivery models, improve throughput, and enhance the patient experience. This role participates in organizational committees and initiatives, supports service line development and performance improvement efforts, and ensures consistency with Cottage Health mission, vision, and values.

Responsibilities

This is not an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Employees will be required to perform any job, with related instruction given by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation.

Operational Leadership & Service Line Execution:

• Provides operational leadership for assigned units, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy and ACNO direction
• Executes service line priorities, performance goals, and care delivery models within areas of oversight
• Partners with physicians, medical directors, and interdisciplinary leaders to support clinical excellence and efficient care delivery
• Drives standardization of processes and implementation of best practices across units
• Participates in nursing and organizational councils and supports enterprise initiatives

Clinical Excellence & Quality Outcomes

• Ensures delivery of evidence-based, high-quality, safe patient care across assigned departments
• Accountable for regulatory readiness and compliance (e.g., TJC, CMS) at the unit level
• Leads and sustains quality improvement initiatives to improve nurse-sensitive indicators, patient outcomes, and experience
• Monitors, analyzes, and responds to performance data and dashboards; escalates risks and trends appropriately
• Partners with ACNO and quality leaders to achieve organizational performance targets
• Facilitates and manages physician, supply, vendor and other service-related contracts

Operational & Financial Management

• Manages department operations including staffing, scheduling, patient flow, and throughput
• Develops and manages operating and capital budgets in collaboration with ACNO
• Implements cost management and resource stewardship strategies while maintaining quality and safety
• Oversee productivity, workforce utilization, and staffing models
• Ensures appropriate resource allocation, equipment, and supplies

Nursing Practice & Professional Governance

• Ensures adherence to standards of nursing practice and scope of care delivery and maintains current professional and clinical knowledge in areas of functional responsibility.
• Promotes shared governance, professional development, and clinical excellence
• Supports Magnet principles and nursing practice initiatives
• Fosters a culture of accountability, ethical practice, and a healthy work environment
• Partners with educators and clinical leaders to support competency and development

People, Leadership & Workforce Engagement

• Provides leadership, coaching, evaluation and performance management to Managers and emerging leaders
• Builds a high-performing, engaged workforce focused on patient-centered care
• Supports recruitment, retention, succession planning, and workforce development strategies
• Promotes a culture of safety, inclusion, collaboration, and respect
• Addresses employee relations issues in partnership with key stakeholders

Qualifications

All job qualifications listed indicate the minimum level necessary to perform this job proficiently.

LEVEL OF EDUCATION

Minimum:

• Bachelor's Degree (BA/BS): Nursing.
• One of the following Master's Degrees: MSN, MBA, MHA.

Preferred: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Minimum: California Registered Nurse (RN) License. BASIC LIFE SUPPORT (BLS)

Preferred: Specialty Certification in clinical or nursing leadership

YEARS OF RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE

Minimum: 5 years of progressively responsible healthcare management/ administrative/leadership experience.

*Pay for non-physician positions is determined based on related years of experience and internal equity. Eligible employees may also receive additional forms of compensation, including shift differentials, on-call pay, incentive pay, and bonus opportunities, where applicable. Manager and above positions may participate in Cottage Health's annual management incentive program. Physician compensation is determined based upon specialty and may include bonus potential. For more information on our comprehensive Total Rewards offerings, please visit https://cottagehealth.org/careers/total-rewards.

If you're already a Cottage Health employee, please apply on this link only.