What does a clinical operations manager do?
Clinical Operations Managers oversee the daily operations of a clinic, hospital, or any other medical facility. They ensure that the facility is abiding by the laws and other regulatory orders related to healthcare facilities. They manage the paperwork and licensing needs of the facility. They also ensure that the facility's proper licenses are acquired before conducting any clinical trials or any other related activities. Clinical operations managers also oversee the employees in the facility. Clinical Operations Managers also manage the upkeep of the different equipment and fixtures in the office. They sign off on procurement requests and manage the clinic budget as well.
Clinical operations manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real clinical operations manager resumes:
- Lead the project to develop and implement an electronic medical record (EMR) system for physician practices.
- Prioritize repairs, participate in approving turnaround/project scope development, ensure PSM compliance, and achieve refinery department goals.
- Manage 13 RN's who are responsible for clinical review and authorization of Medicaid and Medicare acute inpatient hospital services.
- Manage 16 CRA contractors at upper management request, resulting in increase compliance with site visit report metrics for that group.
- Lead operational test team for ISR payload; validate operability/capabilities.
- Manage all contingency communications planning for response by USAF special operation forces to real-world operations.
- Monitor operations, programs, policies and physical properties to ensure regulatory compliance of HIPAA, etc.
- Deliver instruction via eLearning methods, classroom, and formal training methods.
- Prepare and present status for KPI metrics in monthly operations reviews with corporate executives.
- Ensure all recruiters use the LMS to increase their knowledge and maximize available technology.
- Train pipeline and plant operators on OQ, PSM and general safety policies and procedures.
- Demonstrate understanding of the state and federal guidelines for patient records, HIPAA, and other such privacy standards.
- Supervise all physician and staff relations with regards to payroll, educational leave, staffing needs, and time off.
- Maintain all aspects of Athena EMR system including physician schedules, template adjustments, interfaces, fax server, etc.
- Maintain and distribute key process indicators and do necessary data gathering for KPI's monthly reports progress toward organizational goals.
Clinical operations manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Clinical Operations Managers are proficient in Patients, Clinical Operations, and Healthcare. They’re also known for soft skills such as Management skills, Problem-solving skills, and Time-management skills.
We break down the percentage of Clinical Operations Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 13%
Approve and contribute to in-service education programs for patients and assigned personnel while communicating revisions to assigned personnel.
- Clinical Operations, 12%
Directed clinical operations and provided administrative support for anesthesia services ranging from 20 different medical facilities in 9 different states.
- Healthcare, 10%
Promoted and streamlined healthcare delivery processes for optimum efficiency and adherence to organization's healing commitments and built positive patient relations.
- Oversight, 5%
Provided management oversight of Clinical Research quality assurance for Clinical Research Trials and all staff associated with this process.
- Customer Service, 5%
Developed centralized appointment call center, implementation of quality customer service and triage guidelines.
- Project Management, 3%
Project management of service line profitability turn-around plans including cardiac surgery, rehabilitation, home health and hospice.
Common skills that a clinical operations manager uses to do their job include "patients," "clinical operations," and "healthcare." You can find details on the most important clinical operations manager responsibilities below.
Problem-solving skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling clinical operations manager duties is problem-solving skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." According to a clinical operations manager resume, here's how clinical operations managers can utilize problem-solving skills in their job responsibilities: "provided training solutions and conducted training sessions to all teams during transition and emr system implementation. "
Time-management skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of clinical operations managers is time-management skills. This skill is critical to many everyday clinical operations manager duties, as "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "oversee clinical operations, financial responsibilities and quality of care while meeting all deadlines. "
Communication skills. A big part of what clinical operations managers do relies on "communication skills." You can see how essential it is to clinical operations manager responsibilities because "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical clinical operations manager tasks: "maintained, planned and had oversight of inter-departmental communications. "
Leadership skills. Another common skill required for clinical operations manager responsibilities is "leadership skills." This skill comes up in the duties of clinical operations managers all the time, as "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." An excerpt from a real clinical operations manager resume shows how this skill is central to what a clinical operations manager does: "provided leadership and management oversight to ensure that operational outcomes achieved measurable results in support of hospital goals and business objectives. "
The three companies that hire the most clinical operations managers are:
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.14 clinical operations managers jobs
- Indiana University Health La Porte Hospital Inc13 clinical operations managers jobs
- UnitedHealth Group11 clinical operations managers jobs
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Compare different clinical operations managers
Clinical operations manager vs. Assistant manager of operations
An assistant operations manager is responsible for supervising staff performance and operation processes under the guidance of an operations manager. The assistant operations manager ensures the efficiency and accuracy of project management to boost client satisfaction, drive revenues, and achieve the company's objectives and profitability goals. They also help with developing strategic procedures to increase productivity and identify business opportunities to build a strong company reputation. An assistant operations manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially when meeting with existing and potential clients, close partnerships, and lead teams towards project goals.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, clinical operations manager responsibilities require skills like "patients," "clinical operations," "healthcare," and "oversight." Meanwhile a typical assistant manager of operations has skills in areas such as "sales floor," "front end," "cash handling," and "store associates." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Assistant managers of operations really shine in the finance industry with an average salary of $65,818. Comparatively, clinical operations managers tend to make the most money in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $104,043.The education levels that assistant managers of operations earn slightly differ from clinical operations managers. In particular, assistant managers of operations are 15.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a clinical operations manager. Additionally, they're 3.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Clinical operations manager vs. Manager, center operations
The duties of a manager of center operations depend on one's industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing business operations, setting targets, assessing the workforce's performance, and performing corrective measures on any issues or concerns. Moreover, there are also instances where they have to produce progress reports, devise strategies for optimal business performance, delegate tasks, and even manage the budget. As a manager, it is crucial to lead and encourage the team to reach goals and sales targets while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that clinical operations manager responsibilities requires skills like "clinical operations," "healthcare," "oversight," and "customer service." But a manager, center operations might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "infrastructure," "standard operating procedure," "quality standards," and "continuous improvement."
Managers, center operations may earn a lower salary than clinical operations managers, but managers, center operations earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $68,400. On the other hand, clinical operations managers receive higher pay in the pharmaceutical industry, where they earn an average salary of $104,043.managers, center operations earn lower levels of education than clinical operations managers in general. They're 11.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for clinical operations managers in the next 3-5 years?
Eric Olsen
Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business
Clinical operations manager vs. Clinical director
A clinical director is a managing professional who manages the work of healthcare providers to ensure quality patient care is achieved. Clinical directors are responsible for organizational tasks such as adjusting staff schedules, explaining insurance benefits to the patients, and managing financial reports. They can work either in small clinics with a smaller workforce or larger hospitals with multiple departments. Clinical directors may also assist in the hiring process of healthcare providers and should establish a positive work environment.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, clinical operations managers are more likely to have skills like "healthcare," "oversight," "project management," and "gcp." But a clinical director is more likely to have skills like "patient care," "physical therapy," "social work," and "clinical services."
Clinical directors earn the highest salary when working in the health care industry, where they receive an average salary of $79,166. Comparatively, clinical operations managers have the highest earning potential in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $104,043.When it comes to education, clinical directors tend to earn higher degree levels compared to clinical operations managers. In fact, they're 10.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 6.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Clinical operations manager vs. General manager of operations
General managers of operations are employed to oversee the overall operations of businesses. Their responsibilities include the improvement of the efficiency of the operations and overall management. They coordinate the primary performance goals for direct reporting functions and set the strategies for the organization. It is their responsibility to communicate strategy as well as results to employees. They also engage with the corporate officers in the strategic planning and development of the organization or enterprise.
Types of clinical operations manager
Updated January 8, 2025
