Director, Clinical Quality

CH seeks a Director of Clinical Quality to provide strategic and operational leadership for the health system''s clinical quality programs. This role drives performance improvement across key quality domains, supports accreditation and regulatory compliance, and partners with medical staff and organizational leadership to embed a culture of safety and continuous improvement. The Director works closely with the VP of Quality and serves as a peer leader alongside the Director of Risk & Patient Safety, together forming an integrated quality and safety leadership team.

Cottage Health is a leading acute care hospital system, located on the central coast of California, widely known for our superior patient care, innovation, medical research and education. Our health system operates primarily in Santa Barbara, CA, since 1888, and consists of three acute care hospitals, a Rehabilitation Hospital, multiple clinics and a multi-site Urgent Care system. Our mission is to serve the central coast communities with excellence, integrity, and compassion. Every day we touch thousands of lives in many different ways, resolute in our mission to put patients first. We take pride in helping our patients get back to living their lives - in the places they love.

Cottage Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Cottage Health applicants are considered solely based on their qualifications, without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, transgender, gender expression and identity, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, military status or any other classification protected by law. This policy applies to all aspects of the relationship between Cottage Health and an applicant or employee. Cottage Health is committed to upholding discrimination-free hiring practices. We strive to cultivate an environment where exceptional people bring diverse perspectives and find belonging, support and connection to their work.

Any Cottage Health applicants who require assistance or reasonable accommodations during the application process may request the need for accommodation with the Recruiter.

• 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.

LEVEL OF EDUCATION

Required: Bachelor's Degree in Arts/Sciences (BA/BS); Bachelor's degree in nursing or clinical related field

Preferred: Master's degree in Arts/Sciences (MA/MS); Master's degree

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Required: California Registered Nurse (RN) License; CPHQ certification

Preferred: Six Sigma or Lean Green or Black Belt certification

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Required: Intermediate proficiency in computer applications (e.g., Excel, Word, Outlook); knowledge of specific improvement methodologies including root cause analysis, failure modes and effects analysis, rapid cycle improvement, LEAN

Preferred: Knowledge of Six Sigma/DMAIC

YEARS OF RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE

Required: 2 years of patient care experience, 3 years quality management experience, and 5 years of Performance Improvement experience

• Lead clinical quality programs and performance improvement initiatives aligned with organizational goals and national benchmarks (CMS, Leapfrog, Vizient, Joint Commission).
• Oversee quality outcomes, including patient safety, infection prevention, sepsis performance, mortality, and other key quality metrics.
• Analyze and communicate quality data to drive measurable improvement across clinical and operational areas.
• Ensure compliance with accreditation and regulatory requirements and lead survey readiness activities.
• Collaborate with physicians, nursing leaders, and frontline teams to strengthen quality and patient safety outcomes.
• Support CMS reporting programs, electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs), and quality data integrity efforts.
• Develop and mentor quality team members while fostering a culture of accountability and professional growth.
• Lead clinical quality programs and performance improvement initiatives aligned with organizational goals and national benchmarks (CMS, Leapfrog, Vizient, Joint Commission).
• Oversee quality outcomes, including patient safety, infection prevention, sepsis performance, mortality, and other key quality metrics.
• Analyze and communicate quality data to drive measurable improvement across clinical and operational areas.
• Ensure compliance with accreditation and regulatory requirements and lead survey readiness activities.
• Collaborate with physicians, nursing leaders, and frontline teams to strengthen quality and patient safety outcomes.
• Support CMS reporting programs, electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs), and quality data integrity efforts.
• Develop and mentor quality team members while fostering a culture of accountability and professional growth.