Director, Clinical Quality and Practice Optimization

at Zócalo Health

Remote

Work From Home

$150,000 Remote Full-time

#communityhealth #healthequity #latinohealth #healthcare

About Us

Zócalo Health is the first tech-driven provider built specifically for Latinos, by Latinos. We are developing a new approach to care that is designed around our very own shared and lived experiences and brings care to our gente. Founded in 2021 on the idea that our communities deserve more than just safety nets, we are backed by leading healthcare and social impact investors in the country to bring our vision to life.

Our mission is to improve the lives of our communities—communities that have dealt with generations of poor experiences. These experiences include waiting hours in waiting rooms, spending mere minutes with doctors who don’t speak their language, and depending on their youngest kids to help them navigate our complex healthcare system. At Zócalo Health, we meet our members where they are, bringing care into their homes and neighborhoods through our team of community-based care providers and virtual care offerings.

We partner with community-based organizations, local healthcare providers, and health plans that recognize the value of culturally aligned care, which are not limited to brief interactions in an exam room. Together, we are building a new experience that revolves around the use of modern technology, culturally competent primary care, behavioral health, and social services to provide a radically better experience of care for every member, their family, and the communities we serve.

We are committed to expanding our reach to serve more members and their communities. We are looking for passionate individuals who share our belief that healthcare should be accessible, personalized, and rooted in the community. Join us in our mission to ensure that no one has to navigate the complexities of the healthcare system alone and that everyone receives the local, culturally competent care they deserve.

Role Description

The Director, Clinical Quality and Practice Optimization will lead Zócalo Health’s efforts to establish, implement, and continuously improve the clinical quality framework and practice standards across all lines of care. This role is responsible for developing scalable, high-quality care delivery models that meet or exceed regulatory, contractual, and clinical standards—while remaining rooted in Zócalo Health’s culturally responsive care model.

As a key member of the Clinical Operations leadership team, the Director will oversee clinical quality improvement, drive clinical documentation and practice standardization, ensure compliance with external benchmarks (HEDIS, DHCS, NCQA, etc.), and support integration across primary care, behavioral health, care coordination, and community-based services.

This role will initially report to the VP, Clinical Operations.

About the Role

Clinical Quality Strategy & Execution

• Develop and implement a comprehensive clinical quality strategy aligned with value-based care, Medi-Cal requirements, and organizational goals.
• Oversee quality assurance, audit preparation, performance tracking, and reporting on clinical KPIs and regulatory measures.
• Lead the identification and resolution of care gaps in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, including PCPs, behavioral health, RNs, CHWs, and care coordinators.

Practice Design & Standardization

• Lead the design and continuous improvement of clinical workflows and documentation tools to support high-quality, compliant care delivery across service lines.
• Collaborate with product, tech, and EHR teams to build and optimize care plan templates, assessments, and standardized documentation structures.
• Partner with frontline teams to implement and train on best practices in documentation, care delivery, and population health management.

Training & Clinical Oversight

• Partner with Training and Development team to design onboarding and continuing education on clinical practice standards, regulatory changes, and documentation requirements.
• Provide subject matter expertise on quality metrics, including HEDIS and DHCS-defined measures, and translate into actionable workflows for frontline teams.
• Monitor documentation compliance and clinical audit outcomes; implement quality improvement plans as needed.
• Direct supervision of RNs and MAs to support medication reconciliation, care plan evaluation and clinical review coaching to non-clinical team members.
• Direct supervision of EHR configuration team, including productivity monitoring and adherence to project plans, deliverables and deadlines.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with operational leaders to ensure new contracts and programs align with clinical practice standards.
• Partner with the RCM and compliance teams to ensure billing integrity and alignment between documentation and claims.
• Support reporting needs for payers, regulators, and internal stakeholders through data analysis and narrative synthesis of clinical outcomes.

Requirements for the Role

Education:

• RN, NP, PA or other relevant clinical background (required); Master’s in Public Health, Healthcare Administration, or related field (preferred)

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in clinical operations, quality improvement, or practice transformation, preferably in Medicaid or managed care environments
• Deep understanding of Medi-Cal, DHCS, NCQA, and HEDIS measures
• Strong knowledge of clinical documentation, audit preparation, and EHR configuration
• Experience designing and implementing scalable clinical workflows in fast-growing or startup environments
• Experience managing and developing direct reports

Skills:

• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

Benefits & Perks

• Ground floor opportunity; shape the direction of a fast-growing, high impact healthcare company
• Comprehensive benefits (medical/dental/vision)
• Generous home office stipend
• Competitive compensation
• Generous PTO policy including 6 paid holidays.

You must be authorized to work in the United States. We are open to remote work anywhere in the locations outlined in this job description.

At Zócalo Health Inc., we see diversity and inclusion as a source of strength in transforming healthcare. We believe building trust and innovation are best achieved through diverse perspectives. To us, acceptance and respect are rooted in an understanding that people do not experience things in the same way, including our healthcare system. Individuals seeking employment at Zócalo Health are considered without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Those seeking employment at Zócalo Health are considered without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status.