If you're a passionate, people-focused leader ready to make a meaningful impact, this is your chance to lead our Behavioral Health team at UPMC Somerset. As the Unit Director, you'll have 24-hour accountability for your unit-primarily working daylight hours, with flexibility to support evenings, nights, and weekends as needed to ensure seamless operations and exceptional care.
In this role, you'll shape both the patient and employee experience by driving quality outcomes, building a supportive and energized workplace, and overseeing clinical, operational, and financial performance. You'll partner closely with medical staff to set clinical priorities, lead shared governance efforts, and create an environment where staff feel heard, developed, and empowered. From developing future clinicians to supporting professional growth across your team, you'll play a key role in building a high-performing Behavioral Health unit grounded in safety, compassion, and excellence.
Responsibilities - Partner with medical staff to monitor patient outcomes, set quality priorities, and lead patient safety and evidence-based practice initiatives across the unit.
- Track performance through dashboards and satisfaction data, creating and executing action plans to improve clinical quality and patient and staff experience.
- Build strong, collaborative relationships by fostering open communication, mentoring staff, and addressing conflict quickly and effectively.
- Create a positive, inclusive culture that values diversity, promotes respectful interactions, and supports staff well-being through thoughtful scheduling and leadership presence.
- Lead unit vision and operational planning using data-driven decision making, while engaging staff in shared governance and navigating change effectively.
- Promote a patient-centered culture rooted in Relationship-Based Care, ensuring compliance with clinical standards and elevating interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Oversee hiring, onboarding, and performance management, including coaching, evaluations, and ongoing development conversations.
- Manage department budget and resources, ensuring fiscally responsible decisions while maintaining high-quality patient care and staffing efficiency.
- Support staff growth through education, certification, and career development initiatives, while fostering strong clinical experiences for students and new hires.
- Develop and mentor frontline leaders, supporting them in team management, performance discussions, and building strong leadership capabilities.
Qualifications: - BS/BSN required at time of hire and master's degree/MSN required.
- If BS degree not in nursing, a Master's or higher degree in Nursing is required.
- If Master's degree not in nursing, a BSN is required.
- If the master's degree/MSN is not present at time of hire, must be enrolled in a Master's or MSN program within one year of hire/transfer date and completed within three years of enrollment.
- Minimum of 4 years of progressive leadership experience required with relevant clinical experience preferred.
Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances: *Current licensure either in the state where the facility is located or, if the facility is in a state covered by the multistate Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) agreement, a multistate license issued by a participating NLC state. Hires and current employees working on an out-of-state NLC license who later change their residency to the state where the facility is also located will have 60 days upon changing their residency to apply for licensure within that state.
