Director of Operations

Northwest Ambulance is seeking an experienced and driven Director of Operations to lead and optimize all aspects of a 24/7 private EMS and ambulance operation serving multiple counties. This senior leadership role is responsible for operational excellence across clinical care, workforce performance, financial outcomes, regulatory compliance, and system scalability.

As a key member of the executive leadership team, the Director of Operations partners closely with the CEO and other leaders to scale operations, improve profitability, strengthen compliance, and build a disciplined, high-performing field leadership structure.

Responsibilities and Duties:

•  Lead daily ambulance operations across all shifts.
• Develop and execute deployment models aligned with call volume trends.
• Monitor KPIs daily and take immediate corrective action when needed.
• Build a culture of accountability and professionalism in the field.
• Manage operational budgets and labor cost controls.
• Analyze cost per transport and margin performance.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and implement corrective strategies.
• Collaborate with finance and billing to optimize revenue capture.
• Lead and develop supervisors and field leadership.
• Drive performance management and corrective action when necessary.
• Reduce toxic culture and increase professionalism across the workforce.
• Design staffing models that reduce burnout and turnover.
• Ensure compliance with state EMS regulations, CMS requirements, OSHA, DOT, and HIPAA.
• Maintain audit readiness at all times.
• Oversee QA/QI initiatives and incident investigations.
• Reduce organizational liability exposure.
• Ensure high fleet availability and preventive maintenance compliance.
• Plan vehicle replacement cycles.
• Optimize equipment readiness and asset utilization.
• Support contract retention and new business development.
• Provide operational modeling for expansion opportunities.

• Assist executive leadership with scaling initiatives.

Requirements

Critical Competencies:

• Understand both field operations and financial performance.
• Can read and interpret P&L statements.
• Is comfortable making difficult personnel decisions.
• Communicates clearly and directly.
• Stays composed during high-risk projects, incidents, and events.
• Leads with structure, accountability, and integrity.
• Thinks in metrics, not excuses.

Experience & Education:

• 7+ years of progressive EMS experience.
• 5+ years in operational leadership within a private ambulance service.
• Demonstrated responsibility for 24/7 multi-unit operations.
• Experience managing supervisors and command-level staff.
• Proven record of improving operational KPIs.
• EMT required; Paramedic strongly preferred.

Preferred:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in healthcare administration, EMS Management, Business, Juris Doctorate, Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) / Master of Jurisprudence (M.J.) or related field.
• Experience managing $5M+ operational budgets.
• Direct involvement in Medicare/Medicaid compliance and billing oversight.
• Experience preparing for state inspections or accreditation.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or operational efficiency training.
• Experience scaling an EMS operation.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance to ensure the well-being and health of our employees.

Exempt employees who are scheduled to work on a designated company holiday will receive holiday pay in accordance with Northwest Ambulance policy.

We invest in your future with a 401(k)-retirement plan that includes an employer match of up to 5%, helping you build a long-term financial security.

We value work-life balance and offer paid time off, giving you the flexibility to rest, recharge, and take care of what matters most.

To maintain a professional and consistent appearance across our team, uniforms are provided to all employees, ensuring you always look your best while representing our company.

Wages:

Our wage range is $175,000 to $250,000 annually, DOE

Candidates who move forward may be asked to deliver a presentation on one of the following topics:

1. Legal considerations associated with operating a private ambulance service in Washington State
2. The most effective leadership model for a private ambulance company with 500 employees serving six counties
3. Financial strategies and cost-saving measures to maintain or increase profitability

Application Cl