Manager Clinical Director CVOR

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

Manager, CVOR / Open Heart Surgery

Leading Not-for-Profit Health System  |  4-Suite Open-Heart & Cardiovascular Program / 70% of NorCal Open Heart procedures

Sacramento, California   ·   Full-Time, Exempt   ·   Varied Shifts, Weekends as Needed   ·   On-Site

COMPENSATION  $195,000 – $312,000 / year plus annual leadership incentive bonus + merit increases · relocation available · range reflects experience & credentials

 

You didn’t step into perioperative leadership to spend your days firefighting open shifts, wrestling scheduling software, and watching the clinical mentorship you love get buried under administrative noise. If you lead in the cardiovascular OR, you already know the weight behind the exhaustion: perioperative nurse turnover has nearly tripled in a decade, and roughly 45% of nurse managers say they’ve seriously considered leaving their role — most citing burnout and a work-life balance that never quite arrives.

This role was built for the leader who wants their title to mean clinical influence again — backed by an organization that actually funds the staffing, technology, and support that make open-heart leadership sustainable. This is a program to lead from day one, not a place to learn open heart on the job.

Our client — a Forbes- and Newsweek-recognized, not-for-profit health system and one of Northern California’s premier destinations for complex heart surgery — is seeking a Manager, CVOR / Open Heart Surgery to lead the nursing and surgical teams of a four-suite cardiovascular operating room that performs a large share of the region’s open-heart procedures across both adult and pediatric cardiac cases. You’ll lead a team of 20-plus RNs through a staffing-model transition — with direct authority over assignments, case-volume distribution, workflow, and financial performance — while partnering closely with cardiac surgeons, anesthesiology, and perfusion to keep the most complex cases running safely and on schedule. You will function as the clinical and operational anchor of a multidisciplinary heart team, not as an isolated administrator buried under paperwork. This is a service line where your standards, your judgment, and your team-building set the tempo for how the most demanding cases in the building get done — from day one.

▪      Real Operational Authority  —  You’ll own assignments, scheduling, workflow, process improvement, and financial performance for a four-suite program — real command over how the CVOR runs, not just execution of someone else’s playbook.

▪      High-Acuity Work That Matters  —  Open-heart and cardiovascular procedures — adult and pediatric — are among the most complex cases in surgery, and this program performs a large share of the region’s volume. Your leadership directly protects patient safety where quality is measured, benchmarked, and nationally recognized.

▪      A True Multidisciplinary Heart Team  —  You’ll work shoulder-to-shoulder with surgeons, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, and perioperative peers — the collaborative, team-based culture that research consistently links to lower burnout and stronger retention.

▪      Staffing & Resources That Are Actually Funded  —  Staffing and resource adequacy is the single strongest predictor of nurse retention — and this organization invests heavily in recruitment, technology, and workplace safety so you lead with a real bench instead of a permanent gap.

▪      A Schedule Built for a Sustainable Life  —  An exempt leadership role with varied shifts and weekend coverage only as needed, backed by generous paid time off and leave — because work-life balance now outranks pay for most professionals evaluating a move.

▪      An Employer That Reinvests in Its People  —  Recognized among the best places to work in California, with billions invested annually in pay, benefits, and development — and voluntary turnover well below the national healthcare average.

•      Lead daily operations of the cardiovascular and open-heart surgical program — assignments, staffing, and case-volume distribution — keeping complex cases safe, efficient, and on time.

•      Lead, coach, and retain a 20-plus-RN perioperative team through a staffing-model transition — stabilizing the roster while developing staff toward the next stage of their careers.

•      Partner with cardiac surgeons, anesthesia, perfusion, and perioperative leadership to standardize workflows and drive measurable quality, safety, and throughput outcomes.

•      Steward financial performance by managing utilization, productivity, personnel, and supply costs against service-line targets.

•      Develop and implement policies, practices, and standardized procedures that keep the program aligned with current laws and regulatory standards.

•      Serve as the operational bridge between frontline teams and administration — translating strategy into daily excellence in the OR.

Required

•      Active California RN license in good standing.

•      Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.

•      Current BLS (Healthcare Provider) certification.

•      Demonstrated CVOR / open-heart operating room clinical experience.

•      Minimum 2 years of open-heart / cardiovascular RN leadership experience (charge, supervisor, or manager level) — this program is not a place to learn open heart on the job.

Preferred

•      BSN or MSN.

•      Pediatric cardiac experience alongside adult open-heart.

•      CNOR or related perioperative certification.

•      Track record leading multidisciplinary teams and process-improvement initiatives.

•      Proficiency with OR scheduling, EHR, and perioperative workflow systems.

▪      Compensation: $195,000–$312,000 annual base aligned to your experience and credentials, an annual performance-based leadership incentive bonus, and merit increases tied to performance — with relocation assistance available for the right leader.

▪      Health & Wellness: The organization covers roughly 95% of employee medical plan costs — well above the national average — with medical, dental, and vision for you and eligible dependents (some plans offer low-cost or nearly free family coverage), plus a confidential EAP, peer-support program, and robust well-being resources.

▪      Financial Security: Pre-tax and Roth retirement savings with employer contributions, a pension benefit after tenure vesting, financial-planning support, and life, disability, and supplemental insurance with FSA/HSA options.

▪      Growth & Development: Tuition reimbursement, clinical-certification support, a systemwide corporate university, structured mentoring, and defined leadership career pathways.

▪      Work-Life Balance: Generous accrued PTO and leave programs, paid family and parental leave, fertility and adoption support, relocation assistance for qualified candidates, and flexible-life perks and employee discounts.

Our client is a not-for-profit, integrated health system headquartered in Northern California, caring for roughly 3.5 million people across more than 100 communities through two dozen acute care hospitals, 200-plus clinics, and a connected network of some 60,000 employees, physicians, and clinicians. Its scale gives leaders real resources; its community-based, mission-driven model keeps the work close to patients.

It is nationally recognized on two fronts that matter to a leader making a move: quality and culture. The system has been named to Forbes’ and Newsweek’s best-employer lists, ranks among the top large health systems for overall quality, and has been repeatedly honored for cardiac care — with a cardiovascular program that serves as a regional referral destination for complex heart surgery.

Guided by a mission of caring for patients first and people always, the organization is executing a multi-year strategy centered on innovation, workforce development, and expanded access — investing in state-of-the-art simulation training, workplace safety, and technology. Employee turnover sits well below the national average, and the large majority of staff recommend it as a place to work. For a CVOR leader, that translates into something concrete: colleagues who stay, resources that show up, and an employer that treats retention as a strategy rather than an afterthought.

California’s capital pairs big-city amenities with a cost of living well below the Bay Area — which sits about 90 minutes west when you want it. Known as America’s “farm-to-fork” capital, Sacramento offers a celebrated food-and-wine scene, a sunny Mediterranean climate, tree-lined historic neighborhoods, and rivers and bike trails at the city’s edge. You’re roughly two hours from Lake Tahoe skiing and the Napa Valley, with pro sports, a growing arts scene, and highly rated family communities close at hand. It’s a place a senior leader can build a career and a life in the same zip code.

Contact your recruiting representative for a confidential, no-pressure conversation about this opportunity. Client identity and full application details will be shared with qualified, vetted candidates.

Your interest will be handled in strict confidence.

Our client is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. EOE/M/F/Disability/Veterans.