A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Michigan Medicine improves the health of patients, populations and communities through excellence in education, patient care, community service, research and technology development, and through leadership activities in Michigan, nationally and internationally. Our mission is guided by our Strategic Principles and has three critical components; patient care, education and research that together enhance our contribution to society.

The Director of the Ambulatory Care Contact Center provides operational leadership, oversight, and direction for a centralized ambulatory contact center supporting patient scheduling and access services across multiple clinical departments and specialties. This position is responsible for the day-to-day management, performance, and continuous improvement of contact center operations, ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality scheduling and customer service experiences for patients, providers, and clinical teams.

Through leadership of managers and supervisors, the Director develops and implements standardized workflows, quality management programs, workforce practices, operational policies, and performance improvement initiatives that support organizational goals and Patient Access Services priorities. The Director fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, engagement, and continuous improvement while leading a large remote workforce.

This position leverages operational data, quality metrics, and industry best practices to drive performance, improve scheduling accuracy, maximize operational efficiency, and enhances patient experience. The Director collaborates closely with Patient Access Services leadership, Capacity Management, ambulatory operations leaders, clinical departments, faculty leadership, information technology teams, and other stakeholders to support effective patient access operations across the ambulatory enterprise.

Operational Leadership

• Provide strategic operational leadership and oversight of the Ambulatory Care Contact Center, ensuring achievement of established service, quality, productivity, and patient experience goals.
• Direct the daily operations of the contact center through managers and supervisors, ensuring efficient and consistent service delivery.
• Develop, implement, and maintain standardized scheduling workflows, policies, procedures, and operational practices.
• Lead process improvement initiatives that enhance scheduling efficiency, scheduling accuracy, productivity, and patient service outcomes.
• Identify and address operational barriers impacting performance through data analysis, root cause identification, and corrective action planning.
• Ensure operational practices align with organizational standards, regulatory requirements, and departmental expectations.
• Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, professionalism, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Performance Management and Analytics

• Accountable for contact center performance and achievement of key performance indicators, including service level, average speed of answer, abandonment rate, quality scores, scheduling accuracy, productivity, and customer service metrics.
• Review and analyze operational, workforce, quality, and service performance data to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Develop and communicate regular performance reports and operational updates to Patient Access Services leadership and key stakeholders.
• Establish performance monitoring processes and action plans to ensure consistent achievement of organizational goals.
• Utilize operational data and analytics to support staffing decisions, workflow improvements, and service optimization efforts.

Quality and Continuous Improvement

• Establish and oversee a comprehensive quality management program focused on scheduling accuracy, customer service excellence, compliance, and first-time quality.
• Monitor quality outcomes through auditing, call evaluations, performance reviews, and customer feedback mechanisms.
• Lead root cause analysis activities and implement corrective action plans to improve operational performance and reduce variation.
• Apply Lean principles and continuous improvement methodologies to streamline processes, reduce waste, and improve value for patients and clinical partners.
• Ensure consistent application of scheduling standards and operational best practices across all supported departments.

Workforce Leadership and Development

• Lead, coach, and develop managers and supervisors responsible for contact center operations.
• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability measures at all levels of the organization.
• Foster a high-performing and engaged workforce through effective communication, recognition, training, and professional development.
• Support workforce planning activities to ensure appropriate staffing levels are maintained to meet operational demands and service expectations.
• Promote employee engagement, succession planning, retention strategies, and leadership development initiatives.
• Effectively manage and lead a remote workforce while maintaining strong organizational culture and performance expectations.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Partnership

• Partner with Capacity Management leadership to communicate scheduling demand trends, identify operational barriers, and support implementation of initiatives designed to improve patient access and scheduling efficiency.
• Collaborate with ambulatory operations leaders, Physician leadership, and clinical departments to ensure effective support of scheduling operations and adherence to established standards.
• Partner with Information Technology, Epic, training, and operational support teams to optimize workflows, reporting tools, and scheduling processes.
• Serve as a key operational liaison between the contact center and ambulatory stakeholders to address operational issues, customer concerns, and service opportunities.
• Support implementation of organizational initiatives through effective change management and stakeholder engagement.

Other Duties

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, Business Administration, Management, Public Health, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Seven (7) or more years of progressively responsible leadership experience in healthcare contact center operations, patient access services, ambulatory operations, or a related healthcare service environment. 
• Minimum of three (3) years of leadership experience managing through multiple levels of management (managers and/or supervisors). 
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale operational teams in a complex healthcare environment. 
• Proven experience implementing operational improvements, workflow redesign, and performance management programs. 
• Demonstrated success leading organizational change and driving measurable operational outcomes. 
• Strong knowledge of contact center operations, workforce management principles, quality management, and performance improvement methodologies. 
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret operational data, develop actionable insights, and drive performance improvement initiatives. 
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills. 
• Ability to build collaborative relationships across clinical, operational, and administrative functions. 
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize competing responsibilities and effectively manage multiple initiatives simultaneously. 
• Advanced proficiency with operational reporting tools and Microsoft Office applications.
• Proven ability to envision, create, and rollout meaningful operational reporting dashboards and tools

• Master's degree in healthcare administration, Business Administration, Public Health, Management, or a related field. 
• Experience within an academic medical center, integrated health system, or large multi-specialty physician practice. 
• Experience leading centralized patient access, scheduling, or healthcare contact center operations. 
• Lean, Lean Six Sigma, Michigan Quality System, or other process improvement certification or training. 
• Experience utilizing workforce management systems, quality monitoring platforms, and contact center technologies. 
• Familiarity with Epic (Cadence, Grand Central, Prelude, and related patient access applications). 
• Experience managing large remote or hybrid workforces. 
• Knowledge of ambulatory operations, referral management workflows, and patient scheduling best practices. 
• Familiarity with Michigan Medicine policies, procedures, and organizational structure. 
• Knowledge of University policies and procedures.

Michigan Medicine is one of the largest health care complexes in the world and has been the site of many groundbreaking medical and technological advancements since the opening of the U-M Medical School in 1850. Michigan Medicine is comprised of over 30,000 employees and our vision is to attract, inspire, and develop outstanding people in medicine, sciences, and healthcare to become one of the world's most distinguished academic health systems.  In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. Work at Michigan Medicine and become a victor for the greater good.

What Benefits can you Look Forward to?

• Excellent medical, dental and vision coverage effective on your very first day
• 2:1 Match on retirement savings

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background screenings.  Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.