[Hiring] Director of Care Delivery @Protocol Behavioral Health

Role Description

The Head of Care Delivery owns the performance and culture of Protocol's behavioral health care manager (BHCM) team. This is a senior operations and leadership role responsible for driving team-wide metrics, building the systems that enable consistent, high-quality care delivery, and creating the kind of environment where great BHCMs stay and grow.

You'll lead a team of BHCMs and Lead BHCMs, owning everything from day-to-day performance management to longer-term operational infrastructure. You'll work closely with clinical leadership and the broader Protocol team to ensure that our care model is executed with fidelity, our patients are supported effectively, and our team is set up to scale.

This role is right for a leader who is equally comfortable in the data and on the floor — someone who can read a performance dashboard, identify what's driving variance, and translate that into clear direction for their team. You care deeply about outcomes, but you also understand that retention starts with culture, and you lead accordingly.

In This Role You Will

• Operational Performance & Execution
  • Own team-wide performance metrics — engagement, productivity, clinical outcomes, utilization, and client KPIs — using data to drive accountability, identify gaps, and implement improvement plans.
  • Translate Protocol's care model and any client or partner commitments into operational workflows, staffing models, productivity standards, and performance targets.
  • Build and refine processes that enable BHCMs to deliver care consistently and at scale; drive continuous improvement across workflow, automation, and operational efficiency.
  • Develop and maintain a quality assurance program covering care delivery, protocol adherence, and patient experience.
  • Oversee operational readiness for new client implementations and program expansions.
  • Partner with the clinical team to ensure our care model is implemented with fidelity and continuously improved based on outcomes data.
• Financial & Operational Management
  • Manage operations to meet or exceed productivity and performance targets.
  • Partner with Finance and the People Team to manage budgets, staffing models, and labor efficiency.
  • Establish workforce productivity standards, caseload models, and performance management processes that support both clinical outcomes and financial sustainability.
  • Monitor performance against operating plans and adjust strategy as needed — you're accountable for the numbers, not just the inputs.
• Team Leadership & Culture
  • Lead and develop a team of BHCMs and Lead BHCMs, providing clear direction, regular feedback, and the kind of management that drives both performance and retention.
  • Set and reinforce performance expectations across the team; address performance issues directly and constructively.
  • Build a culture that is accountable, collaborative, and mission-driven — where high performers want to stay and grow, and where leaders support their teams while holding them to outcomes.
  • Proactively address attrition through onboarding improvements, career pathways, manager coaching, and leadership development.
  • Manage hiring for the BHCM team, including defining criteria, running structured processes, and building the team Protocol needs at each stage of growth.
• Client & Cross-Functional Partnership
  • Partner closely with Clinical Leadership, Finance, and the leadership team to ensure care delivery performs against clinical and operational goals.
  • Support client and partner relationships as an operational leader — participating in performance reviews and ensuring delivery aligns with expectations and commitments.
  • Ensure performance and outcomes reporting is delivered accurately and on time.
  • Partner with the Operations team to surface operational needs and prioritize technology improvements that support the BHCM team.
  • Partner with Product & Engineering to surface operational needs and prioritize technology improvements that support the BHCM team.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in behavioral health or clinical operations, including meaningful time leading teams of care managers, care coordinators, or similar clinical staff in a virtual or hybrid environment.
• Demonstrated track record of building high-performing teams — including the processes, structures, and culture that drive both outcomes and retention.
• Experience managing leaders, not just individual contributors — you know how to develop Lead-level team members and hold them accountable for their own team's performance.
• Strong operational and financial instincts: you can build a performance framework, manage to a budget, and translate data into clear action for your team.
• Comfort working in a fast-moving, early-stage environment where the infrastructure is still being built and your scope will expand as Protocol grows.
• Clear, direct communicator — with your team, with clinical and operational stakeholders, and with external partners.
• Degree in counseling, social work, psychology, or a related behavioral health field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with collaborative care (CoCM), integrated behavioral health, or similar value-based care models.
• Background in oncology, primary care, or specialty care settings.
• Familiarity with measurement-based care and clinical quality metrics.
• Experience scaling care teams in a high-growth or startup healthcare environment.