Executive Director, PHP/IOP

Executive Director | Brookfield, WI | Full-Time | On-Site

About Wisconsin Behavioral Health

Wisconsin Behavioral Health is a mission-driven organization expanding access to quality behavioral healthcare. With a commitment to evidence-based, recovery-oriented programming, Wisconsin Behavioral Health is launching a new PHP/IOP program in Brookfield, Wisconsin and is seeking experienced operational leadership to bring it to life.

The Opportunity

In this full-time, on-site role, the Executive Director will lead the launch of a new PHP/IOP program from the ground up. This position is responsible for operational execution across facility readiness, licensure, staffing, referral development, and early-stage program stabilization. As the senior on-site leader, you will coordinate closely with outsourced HR, compliance, and IT partners while maintaining full accountability for operational performance. This role is ideal for a clinically-informed, hands‑on healthcare operator who has worked directly within behavioral health programs, brings structure to ambiguity, and can successfully move a program from empty building to licensed, staffed, open, and admitting.

This position does not require clinical licensure and includes no direct clinical responsibilities.

What You’ll Do

• Lead operational readiness for a new PHP/IOP program, including facility setup, workflow development, staffing ramp-up, and launch sequencing.
• Serve as the on-site operational lead during state licensure and payer credentialing processes.
• Hire, onboard, and manage non-clinical and program staff aligned with licensure timelines and census projections.
• Develop and execute referral relationship strategies and community outreach prior to opening and throughout early operations.
• Own census management, staffing efficiency, scheduling optimization, and operational KPIs post‑launch.
• Partner with outsourced HR, compliance, and IT teams while retaining accountability for execution and issue resolution.
• Maintain financial discipline during start‑up, ensuring budget adherence and resource optimization.
• Act as the primary on‑site point of contact for ownership, regulators, vendors, and referral partners.

Why Join Us at Wisconsin Behavioral Health

• A high-impact opportunity to build and lead a program launch with significant operational ownership.
• A visible leadership role with direct influence on program success and growth.
• A dynamic start-up environment designed for operators who enjoy building from the ground up.
• Mission-driven work expanding access to quality behavioral healthcare in the community.

What You Bring

Required:

• At least 5 years of direct, hands‑on experience in behavioral health operations, including time spent working within PHP, IOP, or outpatient behavioral health programs at the program or facility level.
• Firsthand familiarity with day-to-day behavioral health workflows — clinical team structures, treatment schedules, group programming logistics, and patient flow — gained through direct program involvement, not solely executive oversight.
• Proven success launching, scaling, or stabilizing behavioral health programs, with preference for candidates who have been actively involved in execution, not just strategic direction.
• Demonstrated ability to build teams and operate effectively without pre-existing infrastructure.
• Strong working knowledge of behavioral health staffing models, census-driven economics, payer expectations, and regulatory requirements as applied in a clinical program environment.
• Experience collaborating with outsourced operational partners while maintaining accountability.
• Strong financial and operational management capabilities.
• Exceptional organizational, leadership, communication, and decision‑making skills.
• Full-time, on‑site availability in Brookfield, Wisconsin.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Preferred:

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

Note: Candidates whose experience is primarily corporate or multi-site executive leadership without hands‑on program involvement may not be the right fit for this role.

Compensation and Benefits

$85,000 to $115,000 annually, commensurate with experience and start-up leadership scope. Performance-based incentives may be available based on launch milestones and operational outcomes.

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