Who is Athra System? 
Athra Systems/Crosstown Mental Health is a dynamic and forward-thinking organization dedicated to offering a wide array of behavioral health services and solutions. We pride ourselves on fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment where every team member can thrive and contribute to our collective success.

Job Summary:

The Director of Operations and Strategic Partnerships is a senior leadership role within a growing behavioral health organization. This position oversees multi-state contract operations while driving strategic business development. The role requires proven success in building and maintaining executive-level relationships, identifying partnership opportunities, and expanding behavioral health services across diverse settings. Frequent multi-state travel is required, and the candidate must be based near a major airport. This role also requires after-hours availability and support with call coverage as needed to ensure operational continuity and client satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Oversight

• Oversee contract performance, ensuring operational excellence, compliance, and quality outcomes.
• Standardize processes and support local teams in meeting contractual and clinical objectives.
• Monitor performance metrics and identify opportunities for efficiency and service improvements.
• Provide after-hours availability and call support as needed to address urgent operational or partner concerns.

Strategic Partnerships & Business Development

• Drive business development efforts with a focus on behavioral health growth initiatives.
• Cultivate and maintain strong partnerships with hospital executives, healthcare systems, treatment centers, and community providers.
• Identify and secure new opportunities for service line expansion across states.
• Represent the organization at industry meetings, conferences, and executive forums.
• Negotiate, execute, and maintain contracts to support long-term growth and sustainability.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Collaborate with executive leadership to align operational strategy with organizational goals.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in behavioral health services during business development meetings and presentations.
• Support internal leaders and teams with guidance, mentorship, and strategic direction.
• Provide clear reporting on partnership pipelines, contract performance, and growth initiatives.

Additional Duties:

• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, healthcare administration, behavioral health, or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive leadership experience in operations and business development.
• Direct experience in business development within healthcare or behavioral health.
• Demonstrated knowledge of behavioral health services, systems of care, and industry trends.
• Proven ability to build executive-level partnerships and negotiate contracts.
• Strong communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to provide after-hours availability and call support as needed.

Travel Requirements

• This is a national role requiring regular travel (up to 75%).
• Must reside near a major airport.
• Must be comfortable traveling by air and car, often with overnight stays.
• Flexibility to attend evening or weekend events as needed

Preferred Attributes

• Experience with multi-state healthcare or behavioral health operations.
• Entrepreneurial, growth-oriented mindset with ability to adapt to a fast-paced environment.
• History of building scalable partnerships and expanding behavioral health services.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:

• This position may be remote or onsite, depending on company policy and business needs.
• Typical office environment with prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• May require occasional evening or weekend availability depending on organizational deadlines or ongoing projects.

Athra Systems/Crosstown Mental Health is an equal opportunity employer.