Skyway Behavioral Health is an innovative center that goes beyond the treatment of mood, anxiety, and eating disorders to address underlying traumatic stress.  Our belief is that maladaptive coping strategies are adopted by patients for survival. While adaptive at one time or in specific ways, these coping strategies are now preventing patients from living the life they want to live and have evolved into psychiatric symptoms and disorders.  

At Skyway, we provide a fully immersive, intensive, whole-person experience that covers everything from neuroscience to nutrition. We believe that the path to recovery requires a focus that encompasses not just symptom management but also the treatment of underlying individual, systemic, developmental, and familial trauma. We use cutting-edge, specialized, evidence-based treatment modalities to help our patients address the trauma and pain behind their behaviors and diagnoses – thereby empowering them to make lasting changes in their lives.  

Our team has extensive clinical and leadership experience in the areas of traumatic stress, eating disorders, mood disorders, and personality disorders/pathology. At Skyway, we are committed to building a culture and team that cares for one another such that we may care for our families, communities, and clients.  At Skyway, we believe that recovery is not only possible but also attainable for all patients.  

Role Description  

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the VP of Strategic Initiatives will partner with executive leadership to translate organizational strategy into measurable results. The role leads the planning, prioritization, implementation and evaluation of initiatives that support growth, operational effectiveness, service quality and financial performance across Skyway locations and programs. The position combines strategic planning with hands-on project execution, vendor management, process improvement, working through cross-functional teams and supervising assigned staff. 

Essential Functions/Core Responsibilities  

Strategic Planning and Organizational Growth

• Partner with the COO and executive leadership to develop and maintain a strategic initiatives roadmap aligned with organizational priorities and growth objectives.

• Evaluate and prioritize proposed initiatives based on organizational need, expected impact, financial feasibility, operational readiness, and implementation risk.

• Lead evaluation and operational planning for new services, programs, locations, partnerships, and business initiatives in collaboration with clinical, medical, finance, and other organizational leaders.

• Partner with Finance to develop business cases, budgets, resource requirements, and return-on-investment analyses; compare realized outcomes with approved assumptions and recommend adjustments.

Project Leadership and Executive Accountability

• Lead the planning, coordination, execution, and evaluation of multiple concurrent strategic and operational initiatives across departments.

• Develop comprehensive project plans defining objectives, scope, deliverables, timelines, accountable owners, budgets, dependencies, and success measures.

• Establish project governance, milestone tracking, status reporting, risk identification, issue escalation, and accountability for deliverables.

• Coordinate clinical, medical, admissions, finance, revenue cycle, human resources, compliance, and technology stakeholders to resolve barriers and competing priorities.

• Provide executive leadership with regular updates on progress, financial and operational outcomes, risks, and recommendations requiring leadership decisions.

Implementation and Change Management

• Lead operational implementation of approved technologies, systems, products, services, and operating models, including workflow design, readiness assessment, training, launch, and post-implementation evaluation.

• Lead change management and stakeholder communication to support staff adoption, clear ownership, and sustained use of new processes and technologies.

• Standardize and scale successful initiatives across locations and programs, documenting workflows and transitioning ongoing responsibilities to designated operational leaders.

• Partner with clinical and compliance leadership to ensure implementations support applicable regulatory, accreditation, privacy, safety, and quality requirements.

Operational Performance and Continuous Improvement

• Establish and monitor KPIs measuring operational effectiveness, efficiency, service quality, staff productivity, resource utilization, client access, capacity and client experience.

• Partner with departmental leaders to define meaningful productivity standards, performance expectations, and accountability measures.

• Use data to identify performance gaps and lead improvements that streamline workflows, reduce administrative burden, improve resource utilization, and enhance the client experience.

• Promote effective use of technology, automation, and analytics; evaluate whether improvements are sustained and produce intended organizational benefits.

Vendor and Team Leadership

• Lead assigned vendor evaluation, selection, onboarding, implementation, and ongoing performance management, coordinating contract review and approvals with appropriate leaders.

• Hold assigned vendors accountable for service quality, deliverables, timelines, costs, and contractual requirements; address performance concerns and recommend corrective action.

• Provide direct supervision, coaching, performance management, and professional development for assigned staff; conduct regular meetings to clarify priorities, resolve barriers, and promote accountability.

• Maintain required role competencies and comply with Skyway Behavioral Health policies and applicable Joint Commission standards. Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements 

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Operations Management, Project Management or related field. 

• 5 years or more of management and healthcare operations, project management, business operations, or a related field. 

• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional projects and implementing new operational systems, services, or initiatives. 

• Experience managing vendor relationships, evaluating vendor performance, and coordinating technology or service implementations.

• Prior supervisory and team leadership experience. 

• Ability to manage multiple priorities, establish accountability, and consistency meet deadlines. 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills that are clear, respectful and considerate of other’s perspectives. 

• Must be fluent in reading, writing, and speaking English.

• Reliable form of transportation to work. 

• Proficiency in Microsoft products (Word, Outlook, Excel), and familiarity with use of EHR systems. 

• Must provide proof of fully vaccinated status for COVID-19 within 90 days of hire

Additional Preferred Skills / Qualifications  

• Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Healthcare Leadership, Business Administration, or a related field. 

• Experience in behavioral health, outpatient healthcare, or multi-site healthcare operations.

• Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Lean Six Sigma, or similar certification. 

• Experience with electronic health records, healthcare technology platforms, workflow automation, and systems integration.

• Familiarity with partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient programs (IOP), or other behavioral health services. 

• Someone who embodies Skyway values:  

o Embraces the whole person.  

o Commits to innovative research-based programs.  

o Believes we are better together.  

o Celebrates expressions of diversity.  

o Believes in service and supporting our communities. 

o Views leadership as a privilege to elevate others to their highest potential.  

Physical Demands  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell.  The employee is occasionally required to walk and climb or balance.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. 

Benefits:

• Medical benefits- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois

• Dental benefits- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois

• Vision benefits- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois

• Short Term Disability- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois

• 401K Safe Harbor Match- Ameritas BlueStar 

• PTO

• Paid Holidays

• Paid Sick Time

• Paid Wellness Days

• Regular clinical supervision

• Collaborative professional growth development

Work Environment 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and outside weather conditions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Work hours may vary in this leadership role and may require responding to phone calls from direct reports during off hours. 

Skyway Behavioral Health is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.