Chief Operating Officer

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a senior executive responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership across the Washington’s tertiary hospital facilities and support functions.

The COO oversees the day-to-day operations of the medical centers, pharmacy, diagnostic services, administrative and support operations, ensuring that all departments work together effectively to deliver safe, efficient, patient-centered, and financially sustainable healthcare services.

The position is responsible for translating the organization's strategic objectives into effective operational plans, establishing performance standards, monitoring key performance indicators, optimizing resources, improving patient experience, strengthening operational systems, and ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, accreditation requirements, and organizational policies.

The COO works closely with the Chairperson of Board of Directors, medical leadership, finance, HR, procurement, quality, pharmacy, diagnostic, nursing, and other department heads to ensure operational excellence and achievement of organizational objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Strategic and Operational Leadership Duties

• Develop and implement operational strategies aligned with the organization's vision, mission, strategic objectives, and growth plans.
• Provide overall leadership and direction for the day-to-day operations of Washington Healthcare facilities and services.
• Translate organizational strategies into measurable annual and departmental operational plans.
• Ensure effective coordination and integration of operations across medical centers, pharmacies, diagnostic services, and support departments.
• Establish clear operational objectives, performance standards, and accountability mechanisms for departments and managers.
• Monitor organizational performance and take timely corrective actions where operational targets are not achieved.
• Identify opportunities for expansion, service improvement, revenue growth, and operational efficiency.
• Support senior management in developing and implementing short-, medium-, and long-term organizational strategies.
• Ensure that operational decisions are aligned with patient safety, quality of care, financial sustainability, and organizational growth.

2. Healthcare Service Operations Management Duties

• Oversee the effective day-to-day operation of medical centers, outpatient services, inpatient services, pharmacies, diagnostic services, and other healthcare operations.
• Ensure efficient patient flow from registration and appointment scheduling through consultation, diagnosis, treatment, discharge, and follow-up.
• Monitor service capacity, waiting times, patient volumes, utilization rates, and operational bottlenecks.
• Work with clinical and administrative leaders to ensure uninterrupted delivery of healthcare services.
• Ensure appropriate coordination between clinical, diagnostic, pharmacy, nursing, administrative, and support functions.
• Develop and implement systems to improve service efficiency and patient access.
• Monitor operational readiness of facilities, equipment, staffing, supplies, and other essential resources.
• Ensure continuity of critical services during emergencies, equipment failures, supply disruptions, or other operational challenges.
• Promote the effective use of technology and digital systems to improve healthcare operations.

3. Patient Experience and Customer Service Duties

• Champion a patient-centered culture throughout the organization.
• Ensure patients and their families receive professional, respectful, timely, and compassionate services.
• Establish and monitor standards for customer service and patient experience.
• Monitor patient complaints, feedback, satisfaction levels, and service recovery activities.
• Ensure effective systems are in place for receiving, investigating, resolving, and learning from patient complaints.
• Work with department heads to identify recurring service problems and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Monitor patient waiting times, communication standards, service accessibility, and overall patient journey.
• Promote a culture in which every employee understands that the patient is at the center of the organization.
• Develop initiatives to improve patient retention, loyalty, referrals, and overall satisfaction.

4. Performance Management and KPI Duties

• Develop and implement organization-wide operational Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Establish measurable performance targets for departments and operational managers.
• Monitor financial and non-financial performance indicators on a regular basis.
• Review departmental performance reports and identify areas requiring improvement.
• Conduct regular operational performance reviews with department heads.
• Ensure accountability for agreed departmental targets and action plans.
• Develop dashboards and management reports to provide timely information for decision-making.
• Track indicators including patient volume, revenue, occupancy, waiting time, service utilization, customer satisfaction, productivity, cost, and operational efficiency.
• Implement performance improvement initiatives based on data and operational analysis.

5. Financial and Cost Management Duties

• Work closely with Finance and department heads to ensure effective financial management of operations.
• Participate in development of annual operating budgets and organizational business plans.
• Monitor operational expenditures and ensure efficient utilization of organizational resources.
• Identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary costs without compromising patient safety or quality of care.
• Monitor revenue-generating activities and identify opportunities for sustainable revenue growth.
• Review departmental financial performance and investigate significant variances.
• Promote cost-consciousness and financial accountability across the organization.
• Support pricing, service expansion, investment, and resource allocation decisions through appropriate financial and operational analysis.
• Ensure operational investments deliver measurable organizational value.

6. Human Resource and Workforce Management Duties

• Work closely with Human Resources and department heads to ensure appropriate workforce planning.
• Ensure adequate staffing levels and appropriate deployment of human resources across facilities and departments.
• Monitor employee productivity, attendance, workload, and operational performance.
• Support recruitment and retention of qualified healthcare and non-clinical professionals.
• Promote effective employee orientation, training, professional development, and performance management.
• Identify workforce gaps and develop appropriate solutions in collaboration with HR and senior management.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, professionalism, and a positive organizational culture.
• Address operationally related employee performance and workplace issues promptly and fairly.
• Develop future leaders and strengthen the organization's management capacity.

7. Quality, Patient Safety and Accreditation Duties

• Provide executive leadership in establishing and maintaining a culture of quality and patient safety.
• Ensure operational practices support high standards of clinical and service quality.
• Work closely with Quality Assurance, Medical Leadership, Nursing, and other departments to implement quality improvement initiatives.
• Monitor quality indicators, patient safety incidents, complaints, adverse events, and corrective actions.
• Ensure effective implementation of policies, procedures, standards, and clinical support systems.
• Support national and international healthcare accreditation and certification initiatives where applicable.
• Ensure audit findings and quality improvement recommendations are properly addressed.
• Promote continuous improvement throughout all organizational operations.
• Ensure lessons learned from incidents, complaints, audits, and performance reviews are translated into operational improvements.

8. Regulatory, Compliance and Risk Management Duties

• Ensure organizational operations comply with applicable Ethiopian healthcare laws, regulations, standards, and licensing requirements.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies, procedures, ethical standards, and governance requirements.
• Identify operational, financial, legal, reputational, safety, and business continuity risks.
• Develop and implement appropriate risk mitigation and contingency plans.
• Ensure proper documentation and reporting of operational incidents.
• Work with relevant departments to ensure readiness for regulatory inspections and external audits.
• Monitor compliance with health, safety, infection prevention, facility, pharmacy, laboratory, and other applicable operational requirements.
• Ensure corrective actions arising from inspections, audits, and risk assessments are implemented and monitored.

9. Facilities, Equipment and Infrastructure Management Duties

• Oversee the operational readiness and effective utilization of organizational facilities.
• Ensure appropriate maintenance of buildings, medical equipment, utilities, and other critical infrastructure.
• Work closely with Biomedical Engineering, Facilities, Procurement, and other departments to minimize equipment downtime.
• Monitor facility capacity and identify infrastructure requirements resulting from organizational growth.
• Ensure appropriate planning for new services, facility expansion, renovations, and capital projects.
• Ensure appropriate business continuity arrangements for critical infrastructure and services.
• Promote efficient utilization of facilities, equipment, and other organizational assets.

10. Supply Chain and Operational Resource Management Duties

• Work closely with Procurement, Pharmacy, Stores, Finance, and user departments to ensure uninterrupted availability of critical supplies.
• Monitor operational risks associated with procurement, inventory, logistics, and supplier performance.
• Ensure critical medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, consumables, and operational materials are available when required.
• Support inventory optimization and reduction of wastage, expiry, and unnecessary stock accumulation.
• Ensure effective coordination between procurement, stores, pharmacy, and clinical departments.
• Support strategic sourcing and cost optimization initiatives.
• Ensure emergency procurement and contingency arrangements are available for critical operational requirements.

11. Leadership, Coordination and Management Duties

• Provide leadership and direction to department heads and operational managers.
• Establish effective communication and coordination mechanisms among departments.
• Chair or participate in relevant management and operational meetings.
• Ensure management decisions are effectively communicated and implemented.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration and minimize departmental silos.
• Develop a culture of accountability, ownership, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Coach and mentor managers and department heads to strengthen leadership and management capabilities.
• Identify organizational challenges and coordinate timely solutions across departments.
• Serve as a key link between executive management and operational teams.

12. Business Development and Organizational Growth Duties

• Support the Chairperson of Board of Directors in developing and implementing organizational growth strategies.
• Identify opportunities for new healthcare services, markets, partnerships, and business expansion.
• Conduct operational assessments for proposed new services and facilities.
• Evaluate service demand, capacity, resources, financial implications, and operational feasibility.
• Support development of business cases for new investments and expansion projects.
• Strengthen operational systems to support sustainable organizational growth.
• Monitor market developments and competitor activities affecting the organization's operations.
• Promote innovation and adoption of best practices in healthcare service delivery.

13. Technology and Process Improvement Duties

• Promote the use of technology to improve operational efficiency and patient experience.
• Work with IT and relevant departments to optimize hospital information systems and digital workflows.
• Identify inefficient processes and lead business process improvement initiatives.
• Encourage automation of repetitive administrative and operational activities where appropriate.
• Use operational data and analytics to support evidence-based management decisions.
• Promote standardization of processes across facilities while allowing appropriate operational flexibility.
• Monitor the effectiveness of implemented process improvements.

14. Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Duties

• Ensure the organization maintains appropriate emergency preparedness and business continuity plans.
• Coordinate operational responses to emergencies, disasters, major incidents, or unexpected service disruptions.
• Ensure critical healthcare services can continue during operational emergencies.
• Participate in emergency management and crisis response activities.
• Coordinate with clinical, administrative, security, facilities, procurement, and other relevant teams during emergencies.
• Conduct post-incident reviews and ensure corrective actions are implemented.

15. Reporting and Governance Duties

• Prepare regular operational performance reports for the Chairperson of Board of Directors and senior management.
• Provide accurate analysis and recommendations regarding organizational performance.
• Present operational KPIs, challenges, risks, and improvement plans to management and relevant governance bodies.
• Ensure management decisions are supported by reliable operational and financial information.
• Maintain appropriate records of operational decisions, action plans, and performance reviews.
• Support internal and external audits and provide required operational information.
• Ensure timely implementation and follow-up of management decisions.

16. Other Duties as Required

• Represent Washington Healthcare in relevant professional, business, and stakeholder engagements when delegated.
• Participate in strategic planning, organizational development, quality improvement, and accreditation initiatives.
• Support organizational change and transformation programs.
• Participate in major negotiations, partnerships, and strategic projects as assigned.

REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Administration, Health Services Management, Business Administration, Management, Public Health, Hospital Administration, or a related field.
• A Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA), Healthcare Administration, Health Services Management, Public Health, or a related field is highly preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive professional experience, preferably within healthcare, hospital, or service-sector operations.
• At least 8 years of experience in a senior management, operations management, hospital administration, or executive leadership position.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-departmental healthcare operations.
• Experience working in a hospital, medical center, diagnostic center, pharmacy, or other healthcare organization is highly preferred.
• Experience managing multiple facilities or geographically distributed operations is an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, performance management, budgeting, quality improvement, and organizational development.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Strong knowledge of healthcare operations, hospital administration, and service delivery systems.
• Excellent strategic planning and operational management skills.
• Strong understanding of healthcare quality, patient safety, and continuous improvement principles.
• Strong financial, budgeting, cost-control, and business management skills.
• Excellent leadership and people-management capabilities.
• Strong knowledge of performance management and KPI development.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making skills.
• Strong understanding of Ethiopian healthcare regulatory and operational requirements.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to manage complex and rapidly changing operational environments.
• Strong knowledge of process improvement and organizational change management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and healthcare information/ERP systems.
• Ability to analyze operational and financial data and translate findings into practical management decisions.
• Strong project management skills.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, accountability, and confidentiality.
• Ability to build effective relationships with physicians, nurses, healthcare professionals, managers, employees, patients, suppliers, regulators, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to work under pressure and make timely decisions during emergencies and operational challenges.
• Strong commitment to patient-centered care, quality, safety, service excellence, and organizational sustainability.

CORE LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS

The successful COO is expected to demonstrate:

Strategic Thinking – Converts the organization's vision into practical operational results.

Operational Excellence – Ensures that services are efficient, coordinated, reliable, and consistently delivered.

Patient-Centered Leadership – Keeps patient safety, experience, dignity, and satisfaction at the center of operational decisions.

Financial Discipline – Achieves operational objectives while ensuring responsible use of organizational resources.

People Leadership – Builds capable teams, develops managers, promotes accountability, and creates a high-performance culture.

Continuous Improvement – Challenges inefficient processes and continuously looks for better ways of working.

Integrity and Accountability – Maintains transparency, ethical conduct, fairness, and professional standards in all operational decisions.

Results Orientation – Establishes measurable targets and takes ownership of organizational performance.

Collaboration – Breaks down departmental silos and ensures that clinical, administrative, and support functions work as one organization.