Chief Ambulatory Officer Job Description Template

Ambulatory care is one of the fastest growing specialties in the healthcare industry. Organizations looking to expand upon their ambulatory services recruit chief ambulatory officers (CAOs) to support and lead their growing outpatient teams. If you’re looking to hire a CAO to your leadership department, a well-crafted chief ambulatory officer job description can help you recruit a skilled and qualified candidate.

In this sample job description, we’ll highlight the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of chief ambulatory officers to guide your recruitment efforts. We’ll also share tips for advertising your position in a way that appeals to the best leaders in the industry.

Before crafting your job description, you’ll want to conduct background research into the CAO job market. Browse local chief ambulatory officer jobs to ensure your salary and benefits offerings are competitive. Then, once you’ve collected enough applications, you’ll need to develop a set of chief ambulatory officer interview questions to help you identify the best candidate for your position.

Chief Ambulatory Officer

Tips: Chief ambulatory officers are required to oversee the care provided in a variety of patient care settings, including:

• Physician offices
• Urgent care centers
• Outpatient treatment facilities (dialysis clinics, rehab centers, oncology clinics, etc.)
• Same-day surgery centers
• Telehealth departments

Prospective candidates may be curious about which ambulatory services your organization offers and what types of patients you serve. At the start of your chief ambulatory officer job description, you’ll want to introduce your organization and the role you’re hiring for.

Review the care settings the CAO would be responsible for and where they’d be expected to work. It can also be helpful to share your company’s mission, vision, and values to give those who are interested a better sense of what it’s like to work on your team.

Template:

Here at [facility name], we know that providing exceptional ambulatory care starts by supporting our clinicians. That’s why we’re looking to hire a chief ambulatory officer to lead our outpatient team. Qualified candidates will have at least two years of clinical leadership and strategic growth experience in a similar institution.

As the newest member of our leadership team, you’ll be expected to oversee clinical operations in our physician offices, same-day surgery centers, and specialty clinics. While the CAO will be expected to travel to our different ambulatory centers, their office will be housed in our executive suite located in our downtown Minneapolis hospital.

We’ve been recognized as the “Nation’s Leading Provider of Primary and Specialty Care” for three years in a row and look to demonstrate our values of integrity, compassion, and innovation in all that we do. If this sounds like an exciting career move, continue reading as we outline the duties, responsibilities, and scheduling requirements for the position.

Benefits

Tips: Many healthcare executives leave their jobs because of poor work-life balance, stressful working conditions, and misalignment with company values and goals. To capture the attention of these passionate and experienced leaders, you’ll want to showcase the perks of working for your organization. List a mix of financial, professional, and lifestyle incentives to attract individuals with varied goals.

Template:

• FSA/HSA options
• 401(k) matching and access to our company’s pension program
• Healthcare, dental, and vision insurance
• Generous paid vacation/holiday/family leave
• Free continuing education (CE) courses
• Tuition reimbursement of up to $8,000 per year
• Discounts for local restaurants, gyms, and amusement parks
• Free employee parking

Chief Ambulatory Officer Responsibilities and Duties

Tips: In the next section of your chief ambulatory officer job description, you’ll want to show prospective applicants what a shift on your team would look like. Create a bulleted list of your organization’s chief ambulatory officer duties and responsibilities, starting with tasks that are important or frequently performed. If there are any job requirements that fall outside of the normal expectations of a CAO, be sure to list those here.

Template:

A chief ambulatory officer at our organization is expected to perform the following duties:

• Develop innovative ambulatory care initiatives that align with the organization’s strategic goals
• Ensure ambulatory care policies align with evidence-based practice recommendations
• Represent the ambulatory care team at hospital-wide meetings
• Provide oversight on care practices to ensure ambulatory clinicians provide care in alignment with company standards
• Manage the departmental budget and allocate resources to areas of greatest need
• Coordinate the roll-out of growth initiatives to ensure consistency and continuity across all ambulatory care settings
• Maintain accountability for team compliance with federal, state, and local ambulatory care guidelines

Compensation and Schedule

Tips: Here, you’ll want to provide salary and scheduling details for your position. Specify whether the position is hourly or salaried and list the expected work hours. If your organization requires leaders to work holidays or on-call shifts, be sure to mention that here.

Template:

• Starting salary of $170,000, with adjustments subject to education level and relevant leadership experience
• Annual salary step increases are offered after strong employee performance reviews
• No weekend, night, on-call, or holiday requirements
• 5 scheduled 8-hour day shifts (8a-4p) per week
• Bi-weekly or weekly pay schedule

Qualifications and Skills

Tips: Now, you’ll want to list the credentials and experience required for the role. Be sure to include the position’s minimum education requirements, license and certification expectations, and necessary years of experience. Differentiate which qualifications are “preferred” or “required” to ensure all worthy applicants are encouraged to apply.

Template:

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in healthcare administration
• At least 5 years of healthcare leadership experience in a similar practice setting
• Active and valid driver’s license

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous clinical experience (MD, RN, NP, etc.) in the ambulatory care setting
• Familiarity with designing and executing quality improvement projects

Call to Action

Tips: After taking the time to craft a detailed chief ambulatory officer job description, you’ll want to guide interested candidates to the online job application. Include a call to action button labeled “Apply Now” or “Click Here to Apply” to send them forward to the next step.

Template:

Ready to take the next step in your healthcare leadership career? Start today by clicking “Apply Now.” Thank you for your interest — we look forward to seeing your application.

Start Recruiting Qualified Candidates Today

Now that you’ve developed your chief ambulatory officer job description, you’ll want to make sure it’s seen by industry-leading candidates. Post your vacancies to the nations #1 healthcare hiring board to start matching with over 1 million vetted and qualified candidates today.