Clinical Operations Manager

Clinical Operations ManagerPrincipium PsychiatryNew York, NY | Full-time | In personAnnual base salary: $90,000–$100,000About Principium PsychiatryPrincipium Psychiatry is a growing, physician-led psychiatric practice providing comprehensive and interventional mental-health care. Our services include psychiatric evaluations, medication management, psychotherapy, TMS and SAINT, ketamine therapy, Spravato, ECT, and intensive outpatient treatment.We are seeking an experienced Clinical Operations Manager to lead the systems and team responsible for turning treatment recommendations into timely, well-coordinated patient care.This is not simply a project-management or individual-contributor position. We are looking for a genuine people manager and systems-builder who can establish clear workflows, drive execution through others, identify problems early, and create an increasingly reliable and scalable clinical operation.The RoleThe Clinical Operations Manager will oversee the operational journey from evaluation through treatment initiation and active care. The manager will be responsible for patient flow, prior authorizations, scheduling, provider utilization, treatment cadence, patient communications, operational complaints, and the successful implementation of clinical-operational procedures.The successful candidate will translate leadership priorities into functioning systems with defined ownership, deadlines, escalation standards, quality controls, and measurable outcomes. The manager will be expected to maintain visibility across multiple service lines, hold team members accountable, and bring problems forward with a clear assessment and proposed solution.This position does not make clinical decisions or provide medical advice. It works closely with physicians and other clinicians to ensure that their treatment recommendations are operationalized effectively and that patients receive responsive, coordinated support.Key ResponsibilitiesClinical Operations and Patient FlowOversee the operational patient journey from evaluation through treatment initiation and ongoing care.Ensure that treatment recommendations are converted into clear next steps, with appropriate ownership, follow-up, and documentation.Monitor patients awaiting treatment, identify barriers to initiation, and prevent patients from being lost during the authorization or scheduling process.Oversee operational workflows for TMS, SAINT, ketamine, Spravato, ECT, medication management, psychotherapy, and intensive outpatient services.Coordinate effectively across clinical providers, scheduling, intake, billing, authorization, and patient-support functions.Maintain a reliable handoff between the sales and evaluation process and the clinical-operations team.Prior Authorizations and Treatment InitiationOversee prior-authorization workflows and ensure timely submission, follow-up, escalation, and patient communication.Maintain accurate visibility into authorization status, aging, outstanding requirements, and next actions.Identify recurring authorization barriers and implement process improvements.Track the time from evaluation or treatment recommendation to treatment initiation and take action when cases fall outside expected timeframes.Team Leadership and AccountabilityLead, coach, and hold accountable employees responsible for clinical coordination, scheduling, authorizations, and related operational functions.Assign clear owners, deadlines, escalation points, and reporting expectations.Ensure that delegated work is followed through to verified completion.Conduct regular team check-ins, review performance, provide constructive feedback, and address recurring performance problems.Build team capability so that workflows become increasingly reliable and less dependent on executive intervention.Establish clear coverage and handoff procedures for absences and competing priorities.Systems and Process ImprovementDesign and maintain workflows, trackers, reporting structures, escalation protocols, and quality controls.Implement new SOPs by translating written guidance into training, daily practice, monitoring, and corrective action.Audit adherence to established workflows and address gaps promptly.Identify operational bottlenecks, determine their root causes, and implement sustainable solutions.Ensure that recurring responsibilities occur consistently without repeated leadership reminders.Patient ExperienceMaintain visibility into significant patient-service problems and operational complaints.Ensure that patient concerns receive prompt ownership, communication, escalation, and resolution.Investigate the operational cause of service failures and implement corrective measures to reduce recurrence.Promote a patient experience characterized by responsiveness, clarity, professionalism, and continuity.Metrics and ReportingMonitor key operational measures, including:Treatment recommendations and initiation ratesPatients awaiting authorization or schedulingTime from evaluation to treatment startProvider-calendar utilizationTreatment volume and cadenceCancellations and scheduling gapsPatient-service issuesOperational backlogs and bottlenecksValidate operational data before presenting it.Explain what the data means, identify emerging problems, and recommend specific action.Provide leadership with concise, accurate visibility into what is working, what is behind, who owns it, and what requires escalation.QualificationsBachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in healthcare administration, business, public health, or a related field is a plus.At least five years of relevant healthcare-operations experience.At least two years of direct people-management experience, including responsibility for delegation, accountability, coaching, and performance management.Experience in a multi-provider outpatient medical practice, behavioral-health organization, specialty practice, or other complex patient-care environment strongly preferred.Demonstrated success building and improving operational systems—not merely completing assigned tasks.Experience overseeing patient flow, scheduling, prior authorizations, care coordination, or related clinical-operational workflows.Strong project-management skills and the ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities through completion.Comfort working with operational data, spreadsheets, dashboards, EHR systems, scheduling platforms, and other practice-management technology.Excellent written and verbal communication.Sound judgment regarding urgency, escalation, confidentiality, and patient experience.Working knowledge of HIPAA and the responsibilities associated with handling sensitive patient information.What Success Looks LikeWithin the first year, the Clinical Operations Manager should make Principium’s clinical operation more organized, measurable, responsive, and scalable. Leadership should have better visibility into performance; patients should move more reliably from evaluation to treatment; recurring workflows should function consistently; operational failures should be detected earlier; and team members should perform more effectively because of the manager’s leadership.The successful candidate will be someone who:Takes ownership of outcomes, not merely assigned activities.Creates systems rather than relying on memory or repeated intervention.Notices developing problems before senior leadership discovers them.Responds to setbacks with curiosity, accountability, and corrective action.Can move comfortably between strategic process design and detailed operational follow-through.Holds high standards while coaching employees constructively.Communicates problems directly and arrives with proposed solutions.Finds professional satisfaction in building an excellent clinical operation.Schedule and LocationThis is a full-time, in-person position based in New York City. Regular on-site presence is an essential requirement of the role.Principium Psychiatry is an equal-opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made based on qualifications, merit, and the needs of the practice without unlawful discrimination.