Director of Clinical Quality and Compliance

Director of Clinical Quality & Compliance

Position Summary

The Director of Clinical Quality and Compliance provides strategic oversight and leadership for all clinical regulatory compliance activities across the organization which includes assisted living memory care and other independent care settings. This role ensures adherence to federal state and local regulations; leads survey and complaint response activities; develops and monitors Plans of Correction; and drives continuous quality improvement initiatives. The Director partners closely with community and regional leaders to foster a culture of compliance accountability and clinical excellence across all locations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Regulatory Compliance & Survey Oversight

• Oversee all aspects of regulatory compliance across all communities.
• Develop and implement systems to ensure communities maintain continuous survey readiness including a regular program of self-assessments or mock surveys.
• Monitor regulatory changes and communicate updates to leadership and operational teams.
• Support communities during state surveys complaint investigations and follow-up actions.
• Serve as the primary corporate liaison with state regulatory agencies regarding compliance issues and survey outcomes.

Plan of Correction (POC) Development & Monitoring

• Lead the development submission and monitoring of Plans of Correction following survey citations or complaint findings.
• Ensure POCs are data-driven actionable and implemented within required timeframes.
• Analyze recurring compliance themes and coordinate proactive strategies to prevent future deficiencies.

Policy & Procedure Governance

• Oversee the review development and dissemination of clinical and operational policies to ensure alignment with evolving regulatory requirements and best practices.
• Coordinate policy review cycles and maintain documentation of clinical policy updates.
• Collaborate with Legal Operations and Health and Wellness teams to ensure policies support safe and compliant care delivery.

Survey and Complaint Tracking & Reporting

• Maintain current tracking of survey outcomes complaint activity and regulatory findings across all communities.
• Provide detailed compliance analytics and trend reports to executive leadership.
• Identify and communicate emerging risks recommending systemic corrective or preventive actions.

Training & Education

• Develop and implement companywide training programs related to compliance regulatory updates survey readiness and documentation standards.
• Mentor regional and community clinical leaders in compliance practices and survey preparation.
• Promote a proactive education-driven approach to compliance across all levels of the organization.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Demonstrate expertise in driving clinical quality and regulatory compliance through the development implementation and oversight of enterprise-wide quality programs.
• Ensure all communities adhere to established quality policies standards and procedures to maintain compliance and elevate resident outcomes.
• Utilize data-driven metrics and performance dashboards to monitor quality trends across communities identify areas of opportunity and facilitate creation of targeted action plans for sites performing below threshold.
• Partner with community and regional leaders to align improvement initiatives with organizational goalsfostering a culture of accountability continuous learning and person-centered care.
• Partner with the Health and Wellness and Risk Management teams to integrate regulatory findings into quality improvement initiatives.
• Contribute to the development of key quality indicators (KQIs) for compliance performance.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelors degree in nursing preferred
• Licensure: Registered Nurse preferred
• Experience: Minimum of 710 years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare or senior living compliance including multi-site oversight.
• Knowledge:
• Expert knowledge of federal and state regulations governing assisted living and memory care (Independent/Residential Living if regulated).
• Proven success in managing survey processes and developing effective Plans of Correction.
• Experience with quality assurance clinical risk management and policy governance.
• Skills:
• Exceptional communication and leadership skills across diverse teams.
• Strong analytical organizational and strategic planning abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office compliance tracking systems and EHR platforms.
• Ability to travel nationally (up to 4050%) to support community compliance needs.
• Availability for after-hours or weekend response to urgent regulatory or survey matters as needed.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Leadership
• Regulatory Expertise
• Continuous Quality Improvement
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Coaching and Mentorship
• Training Content Development
• Ethical and Professional Integrity

Watermark Retirement Communities Inc is an equal opportunity employer Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran/LGBTQ/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity or Expression-proudly embracing diversity in all of its manifestations

Watermark Retirement Communities Inc. is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. Please no phone calls or emails. All resumes submitted by search firms to any associate at Watermark or its affiliates via-email the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Watermark Retirement Communities Inc. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Watermark as a result of the referral or through other means.