[Hiring] Sr. Director of Admissions @InStride Health

Role Description

The Sr. Director of Admissions will serve as the senior leader responsible for setting direction and owning performance of InStride’s admissions function while maintaining the highest standards of clinical integrity, patient experience, and regulatory alignment. This role owns the admissions funnel from application through enrollment and serves as a key bridge between Commercial and Clinical Services, and defines and evolves how InStride operationalizes access to care as a core growth system.

Reporting to the Chief Clinical Operations Officer, with a dotted-line partnership to the Chief Commercial Officer, this individual will lead both clinical and non-clinical admissions teams and work cross-functionally with Commercial, Clinical, Finance, Operations, and Product to ensure that clinically appropriate families access care efficiently and confidently.

This is a high-impact leadership role that blends disciplined execution with cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate brings experience leading admissions or intake functions in complex healthcare environments and thrives in a high-growth setting that requires both accountability and adaptability.

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction and operating model for the admissions function, ensuring alignment with growth goals, clinical standards, and evolving business needs.
• Own enrollment outcomes end-to-end, including conversion from application through clinical evaluation and enrollment.
• Establish and lead the operating cadence (forecasting, KPI tracking, performance reviews) and monitor key metrics such as conversion, speed to enrollment, show rates, and cost per enrolled patient.
• Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks impacting performance, partnering cross-functionally as needed.
• Own performance and cost discipline within the admissions function, including staffing efficiency, productivity, and resource allocation.
• Refine workflows and staffing models to support sustainable, scalable growth aligned with demand and financial targets.
• Partner with Finance and Growth to align enrollment performance with broader business goals while driving consistent execution and continuous improvement.
• Ensure families receive clear, accurate, and compassionate guidance throughout the onboarding journey.
• Reinforce consultative, ethically grounded enrollment practices that prioritize clinical appropriateness and patient safety.
• Partner with clinical leadership to ensure consistency in eligibility, safety standards, and patient selection.
• Support transparency in cost and insurance conversations and maintain a focus on long-term engagement and retention.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary admissions organization, including clinical and non-clinical teams, with direct oversight of leaders for Clinical Evaluators and Patient & Family Advisors.
• Build a culture of accountability, empathy, and operational excellence through clear expectations, performance management, and incentive structures.
• Partner with senior leadership to evolve team structure and capabilities as the organization grows.
• Ensure onboarding workflows are efficient, scalable, and consistently executed.
• Partner with Product and Technology to optimize tools (e.g., CRM, scheduling, eligibility) and improve accuracy, efficiency, and patient experience.
• Identify and implement opportunities to reduce manual work and leverage automation to drive operational performance.
• Own admissions capacity planning in alignment with growth forecasts.
• Partner with Clinical and Operations leaders to ensure supply and demand alignment across markets.
• Support readiness for new state launches, payor relationships, and program expansions.
• Serve as a senior cross-functional leader across Commercial, Clinical, and Operations, aligning on how admissions performance is defined, measured, and achieved.
• Partner with Commercial to monitor application quality and funnel performance, informing upstream targeting and expectations.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, and Payor teams to ensure regulatory alignment and operational readiness while supporting broader strategic initiatives.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional experience, including significant experience in healthcare admissions, intake, revenue cycle, healthcare operations, or clinically informed sales environments.
• Experience leading admissions or intake functions in complex healthcare environments.
• Strong track record of driving measurable performance outcomes.
• Experience operating in high-growth or evolving organizations.
• Comfort working in fast-paced environments while building structure and discipline.
• Proven leadership experience managing multidisciplinary teams and developing other leaders.
• Strong financial and operational acumen, including familiarity with healthcare unit economics and insurance fundamentals.
• Demonstrated ability to influence across clinical, Commercial, and operational stakeholders.
• Deep respect for clinical governance and commitment to balancing performance with patient safety and quality.
• Strong interpersonal skills aligned with our “Give Heart” value.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in behavioral health, specialty care, telehealth, or value-based models.
• Experience working with insurance eligibility and cost transparency processes.
• Experience with CRM platforms and operational workflow tools.
• Background in healthcare operations, growth, or performance management roles.

Benefits

• Generous benefits package (401k with match, Flexible PTO, paid holidays, paid service days, 4 week paid sabbatical, 12 week paid parental leave, health benefits starting on your first day, and more).
• Opportunity to join a mission-driven company that is changing the landscape of pediatric mental health treatment.
• Chance to make a far-reaching impact by helping children and families access desperately-needed, evidence-based care.
• Opportunity to work with talented and experienced team members who have devoted their lives to solving this problem.
• Fully virtual: work from the comfort of your home with periodic in-person retreats.