Director of Clinical Operations Skilled Nursing

Director of Care – Skilled Nursing Operations

Location: Connecticut / Massachusetts
Employment Type: Full-time
Travel: Multi-site; regular travel across assigned facilities

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Director of Care to provide clinical leadership and oversight across a portfolio of approximately 10 skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.

This is a hands-on, multi-site clinical leadership position for a registered nurse (RN) or experienced nursing leader who understands skilled nursing operations and knows how to drive consistent standards of care across multiple facilities.

The Director of Care will partner closely with facility leadership, Directors of Nursing, and regional operations to improve clinical outcomes, regulatory compliance, quality, staffing practices, and resident care.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide clinical oversight and leadership across multiple skilled nursing facilities.

• Partner with Directors of Nursing (DONs), Administrators, and facility leadership to establish and maintain high standards of resident care.

• Conduct regular facility visits, clinical assessments, and operational reviews.

• Monitor key clinical metrics, including quality measures, rehospitalizations, falls, infections, wounds, medication management, and other resident outcomes.

• Identify clinical risks and develop actionable plans to address performance gaps.

• Support facilities with state surveys, CMS requirements, regulatory compliance, and plans of correction.

• Evaluate nursing practices, documentation, care planning, and clinical processes.

• Coach and mentor DONs and nursing leadership to strengthen clinical performance and accountability.

• Promote consistent policies, procedures, and best practices across the organization.

• Collaborate with operations and facility leadership on staffing, retention, education, and clinical workforce development.

• Assist with implementation of quality improvement initiatives and QAPI programs.

• Analyze clinical data and trends and translate findings into practical improvement plans.

• Serve as a clinical resource for facilities experiencing complex resident care or operational challenges.

• Help develop and implement standardized clinical programs across the organization.

• Travel regularly between facilities throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Qualifications

• Current RN license in good standing; multi-state licensure is a plus.

• Bachelor's degree in Nursing (BSN) preferred.

• Significant clinical leadership experience in skilled nursing / long-term care.

• Proven experience overseeing multiple SNFs or nursing facilities.

• Prior experience as a Director of Nursing (DON), Regional Director of Nursing, Clinical Director, Regional Nurse, or similar leadership role strongly preferred.

• Strong understanding of CMS, state regulatory requirements, survey readiness, and skilled nursing clinical standards.

• Demonstrated experience improving clinical outcomes and holding facility leadership accountable.

• Strong knowledge of QAPI, MDS, care planning, infection prevention, quality measures, and risk management.

• Excellent communication, leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

• Comfortable working independently and traveling between facilities on a regular basis.

• Strong ability to build relationships while maintaining high clinical and operational standards.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is a clinical nurse leader—not simply a corporate administrator—who has successfully led nursing operations across multiple skilled nursing facilities.

You should be comfortable walking into a facility, quickly understanding its clinical challenges, working alongside the DON and Administrator, and developing a practical plan to improve care and outcomes.

Experience managing or supporting multiple SNFs across a geographic region is highly preferred.

Why Join Us

• Regional leadership role with meaningful influence across multiple facilities.

• Opportunity to shape clinical standards and quality across an established SNF organization.

• Collaborative partnership with facility and operational leadership.

• Significant opportunity to improve resident outcomes and develop nursing leaders.

• Competitive compensation and benefits package.

Keywords: Director of Nursing, DON, Regional Director of Nursing, Regional Nurse, Clinical Director, Director of Care, Skilled Nursing, SNF, Long-Term Care, Nursing Home, RN, BSN, Multi-Site Nursing, Multi-Facility, Clinical Operations, Quality Improvement, QAPI, CMS, MDS, Survey Readiness, Infection Prevention, Healthcare Operations.