Executive Operations and Strategic Initiatives Manager in Raleigh, North Carolina at Crandells Enterprises Inc

ABOUT THE JOB

Crandell's Enterprises Inc (CEI) is North Carolina's number one group home health care company.

At CEI, we deliver the highest quality of care for every resident through our most valuable asset: you. We seek compassionate and thoughtful individuals who share our passion for exceptional care in senior living. CEI partners with a vast network of organizations and providers across North Carolina to support our small team environment of caring professionals with the resources and benefits of a large enterprise. Your legacy of excellence begins when you join us at CEI.

CEI is seeking a highly experienced, proactive, and solutions-driven Executive Operations and Strategic Initiatives Manager to provide executive-level support to the COO/CFO while working collaboratively with the Vice President of Special Projects, Healthcare Program Manager, Financial Manager, and other organizational leaders.

This is a hands-on, manager-level position designed for an individual who can do significantly more than traditional administrative support. The successful candidate must be capable of taking an executive concept, organizational need, underdeveloped program, or existing initiative and transforming it into a structured, documented, measurable, and sustainable operation. The ideal candidate will bring strong behavioral health or healthcare experience, working knowledge of CARF accreditation, demonstrated SOP development capabilities, excellent executive support skills, and the ability to independently develop and implement strategic initiatives and collaborative partnerships.

CEI is looking for a builder and implementer, not simply a task manager. The successful candidate should be able to receive a broad objective from the COO, understand the intended outcome, research what is needed, develop the structure, formulate the SOPs and workflows, engage the appropriate people, implement the initiative, measure its effectiveness, and maintain follow-through without requiring continuous direction.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Executive Support and Administration
- Provide high-level administrative and operational support to the COO/CFO.
- Coordinate executive calendars, meetings, correspondence, reports, presentations, research, and special assignments.
- Prepare executive briefing materials, agendas, talking points, reports, and follow-up documentation.
- Maintain executive priorities, deadlines, and action-item tracking.
- Follow up with departments regarding executive assignments and commitments.
- Anticipate needs and identify matters requiring leadership attention before deadlines or problems occur.
- Maintain strict confidentiality regarding executive, client, personnel, financial, and organizational matters.

Strategic Initiatives and Project Implementation
- Take designated projects and strategic initiatives from concept through implementation.
- Evaluate existing programs, initiatives, or processes and identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
- Completely redesign or overhaul existing initiatives when directed by the COO.
- Develop implementation plans, objectives, timelines, deliverables, accountability structures, and measurable outcomes.
- Establish KPIs and tracking mechanisms.
- Develop the operational infrastructure required to launch and sustain initiatives.
- Coordinate internal departments and external stakeholders.
- Monitor implementation, identify barriers, recommend solutions, and maintain accountability for deliverables.
- Conduct post-implementation reviews and recommend improvements.

CARF Accreditation and Compliance
- Support ongoing CARF accreditation and continuous survey readiness.
- Assist with CARF gap analyses, evidence collection, mock surveys, corrective actions, and documentation.
- Track regulatory and accreditation requirements and departmental responsibilities.
- Assist with QA/QI activities, internal audits, KPI monitoring, corrective action plans, and performance improvement.
- Maintain organized accreditation and compliance documentation.
- Assist leadership with Medicaid/Medicare, NCDHHS, managed care, credentialing, licensing, audit, and survey-related administrative requirements.

SOP Development and Process Improvement
- Develop, write, revise, and implement Standard Operating Procedures.
- Evaluate organizational processes and identify areas requiring SOP development or revision.
- Translate approved policies and regulatory expectations into clear, practical operational procedures.
- Develop workflows, checklists, forms, trackers, accountability systems, and escalation procedures.
- Maintain an organized SOP library, version control, approval dates, revision history, and review schedules.
- Coordinate implementation and staff communication regarding approved procedures.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of implemented procedures and recommend improvements.

Strategic Partnerships
- Identify and cultivate collaborative partnerships aligned with the mission and strategic priorities of Crandell's Enterprises.
- Research opportunities with healthcare systems, behavioral health organizations, educational institutions, governmental agencies, nonprofits, community organizations, corporations, and professional associations.
- Develop partnership proposals, presentations, correspondence, and meeting materials.
- Coordinate introductory and strategic meetings.
- Maintain a partnership development pipeline and follow-up system.
- Assist with development and coordination of MOUs, referral relationships, and collaborative initiatives, subject to appropriate approval.
- Represent Crandell's professionally at designated external meetings and community activities.
- Ensure partnerships move beyond introductions to measurable organizational value.

Healthcare Program and Financial Administrative Support
- Provide administrative and operational support to the Healthcare Program Manager.
- Assist with compliance calendars, program documentation, training records, audit preparation, credentialing, and regulatory follow-up.
- Assist the COO/CFO and Financial Manager with organization and tracking of financial reports, vendor information, contracts, invoices, and supporting documentation.
- Maintain appropriate separation of duties and established financial and clinical authority.

QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Human Services, Management, Public Administration, Finance, or a related field; significant directly relevant experience may be considered.
- Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in behavioral health, mental health, healthcare administration, operations, compliance, executive support, program management, or related work.
- Demonstrated experience developing and implementing SOPs, policies, workflows, or operational systems.
- Working knowledge of CARF accreditation standards and survey readiness processes.
- Demonstrated ability to independently manage projects from concept through implementation.
- Strong research, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
- Excellent professional written and verbal communication.
- Strong Microsoft Office and general technology proficiency.
- Demonstrated ability to establish professional relationships and collaborative partnerships.
- Exceptional follow-through and attention to detail.
- Ability to appropriately manage confidential information.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities with limited supervision.

STRONGLY PREFERRED
- Five or more years of behavioral health or mental health experience.
- Group home or residential services experience.
- Direct CARF accreditation experience.
- Medicaid/Medicare and NCDHHS knowledge.
- QA/QI experience.
- Managed care familiarity.
- Healthcare compliance experience.
- Strategic partnership development experience.
- Previous support of C-suite executives.

PAY, BENEFITS AND PERKS
- Healthcare options: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and other voluntary insurances.
- 401(k) retirement plan with company-matched contributions after 1 year of employment.
- Earn PTO+ for every quarter of perfect attendance.

ALL ARE WELCOME
CEI values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply.

EEO STATEMENT
Our facility provides equal employment opportunities. We are committed to complying with all state, federal, and local laws that prohibit discrimination in employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfers, compensation, benefits, training, programs, reductions in workforce, termination, and recall. Our facility strives to provide equal opportunity for employment to all individuals who are properly qualified and able to perform the duties of their employment, without regard to employees' legally-protected characteristics ("protected class") including: age, sex, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex stereotyping, or genetic information.