Director Cancer Services

 

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

Director, Cancer Services

Leading Not-for-Profit Integrated Health System  |  Oncology Service Line — Inpatient & Outpatient Cancer Services

Modesto, California (Central Valley)  |  Full-Time, Exempt  |  Days, Monday–Friday  |  On-Site Leadership Role

COMPENSATION: $200,054 – $320,091 base salary   |   plus full executive-level benefits (95% of medical plan costs employer-paid)

You built an oncology program that patients trust and nurses want to work in — and you did it while being told there was no capital budget, no room for another FTE, and no time to fix the infusion chair bottleneck that everyone knows is there. Nearly half of nurse leaders are now considering a major career move, and the reason is rarely the work itself. It is leading a service line where the mission is real but the investment never quite arrives.

This is the rare cancer services directorship where the investment is already funded, already under construction, and waiting for the leader who will shape what goes inside it.

Our client — a Forbes-recognized, not-for-profit integrated health system named one of America's Best Large Employers for 2026 — is seeking a Director, Cancer Services to lead the oncology service line at its flagship Central Valley medical center: a 419-bed, Level II trauma, teaching hospital that U.S. News & World Report ranks among the best regional hospitals in the nation. You will provide administrative and nursing leadership across inpatient oncology and the broader cancer services continuum — infusion, radiation oncology, navigation, and support services — in partnership with medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists, the hospital executive team, and a system-level cancer service line that is accredited by the Commission on Cancer as an Integrated Network Cancer Program. Most importantly, you will arrive as the health system builds an estimated $380 million, four-story, 165,000-square-foot Advanced Cancer Center on this campus — scheduled to open in 2029 with roughly 120 physicians, 400 team members, and access to approximately 150 clinical trials. You will help design the care model, the staffing, and the culture of that building. This is a seat at the table, not a seat in the audience.

•     Capital that is real, not rumored — the $380M cancer center broke ground in January 2026. You will lead the operational transition from today's program to a purpose-built destination center — the kind of project most directors wait an entire career for.

•     Executive-level authority and scope — you own the operating and capital budgets, set policy and structure for the service line, and shape short- and long-term strategy with senior leadership. Decisions are yours to make, with the resources to back them.

•     A physician partnership already in motion — the medical group is recruiting a dedicated Hematology/Oncology Medical Director and 25 additional clinicians, standing up multidisciplinary tumor boards across every major tumor site. You will have a true dyad partner — not a vacancy.

•     System resources behind a community program — you are backed by one of Northern California's largest integrated systems — 24 hospitals, nine cancer centers, a system cancer service line, and 17,000+ cancer patients served each year — with a direct pathway to tertiary specialists when your patients need them.

•     A leadership culture that measured itself and improved — in the most recent systemwide survey, 90% of employees participated, 86% would recommend the organization as a good place to work — a 10-point improvement since 2022 and the 86th percentile nationally.

•     A Monday-to-Friday, days-based executive role — this is a director position with a weekday schedule, a non-union leadership environment, and a total rewards package that covers 95% of employee medical plan costs. Your work is demanding; your life outside it should not be.

•     Lead the inpatient oncology unit and cancer services operations to deliver measurably excellent, safe, and patient-centered care — and an optimal patient and family experience across the continuum.

•     Direct the people and resources of the service line in partnership with physicians, medical staff, and hospital leadership to resolve operational challenges and improve throughput, access, and quality.

•     Build and execute short- and long-term strategic plans with senior leadership — including the care model, staffing plan, and operational readiness for the new Advanced Cancer Center.

•     Own the operating and capital budget for cancer services, achieve financial targets, and address variances early with your management team.

•     Set the direction of policies, procedures, and practice standards that keep the program survey-ready and aligned with Commission on Cancer, Joint Commission, and USP 800 requirements.

•     Recruit, mentor, and retain a high-performing team of oncology nurse leaders and clinicians — building the bench that will staff a 400-person cancer center.

•     Serve as a visible, credible voice for cancer services with physicians, executives, the system cancer service line, and the Central Valley community.

Required

•     Graduate of an accredited school of nursing with an active California Registered Nurse license (or eligibility to obtain prior to start).

•     BLS – Basic Life Support (Healthcare Provider).

•     Twelve or more years of recent, relevant experience, including progressive oncology or acute care nursing leadership.

•     Demonstrated command of nursing operations, budgeting, and the healthcare financial environment, with a track record of achieving goals through people you do not directly control.

Preferred

•     BSN and MSN (or MHA/MBA); nurse executive certification (NEA-BC / NE-BC) or oncology certification (OCN, AOCNS) valued.

•     Director-level experience spanning both inpatient and outpatient oncology — infusion, radiation oncology, navigation, and clinical research support.

•     Experience with Commission on Cancer standards, tumor board development, and program growth or new-facility activation.

•     Epic proficiency and comfort using data, dashboards, and Lean or Six Sigma methods to drive operational improvement.

•     A collaborative leadership presence: calm under pressure, credible with physicians, and energizing to frontline teams.

Compensation	Base salary of $200,054 – $320,091, positioned within the range based on experience, education, certifications, and internal equity. Annual merit review. Base pay is one component of a comprehensive total rewards program.
Health & Wellness	Employer covers 95% of employee medical plan costs — well above the national average. Medical, dental, and vision with low premiums and broad provider networks; an Employee Assistance Program that includes sessions with licensed therapists plus legal and financial counseling; and system-wide physical and mental wellness programs.
Financial Security	Retirement savings plan with pre-tax and Roth options and employer contributions (a pension applies to certain eligible groups); employer-paid life and long-term disability; flexible spending accounts; and voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, legal, ID-protection, and pet insurance. The organization invests nearly $9 billion annually in pay, retirement, and benefits.
Growth & Development	Tuition reimbursement and support for clinical and leadership certifications; a system university that delivered more than 40,000 learning experiences in 2025; formal leadership development pathways and mentorship; and Employee Resource Groups with 14%+ participation across the system.
Work-Life Balance	Generous paid time off and leave benefits including family care and bereavement leave; a weekday, days-based schedule; dependent care FSA; and a Central Valley location where a director's salary buys a home, not a commute.

 

Our client is one of the nation's leading community-based, not-for-profit health systems, serving more than 100 communities across Northern California and the Central Coast with roughly 57,000 clinicians and employees, 24 hospitals, nine cancer centers, and an integrated network of medical groups, ambulatory centers, and surgery centers. It is recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Large Employers (2026) and a Best-in-State Employer, by Newsweek as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for three consecutive years, and by Becker's as a top place to work in healthcare.

The medical center you will lead within is the Central Valley's flagship acute care hospital: 419 licensed beds, a Level II trauma center, a Leapfrog "A" hospital safety grade (Spring 2026), Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals recognition (2024 and 2025), and nine "high performing" U.S. News designations. It launched nationally accredited Family Medicine and Internal Medicine residency programs in 2025 and is investing across the region — five new care centers opened in 2025 alone, with the Advanced Cancer Center and Care Complex to follow.

Cancer care is a system-level strategic priority. The organization cares for more than 17,000 patients diagnosed with cancer each year, operates a Commission on Cancer-accredited Integrated Network Cancer Program, partners with a global imaging leader on AI-powered diagnostics, and connects community patients to tertiary specialists in the Bay Area and Sacramento when needed — while keeping care close to home.

Modesto is a city of roughly 220,000 in the heart of California's Central Valley — about 90 miles east of San Francisco, 70 miles south of Sacramento, and a weekend drive from Yosemite, the Sierra foothills, and Lodi wine country. The median home price sits near $455,000, less than half of comparable Bay Area housing, which means a director-level salary here funds a genuine lifestyle: established neighborhoods, 75 city parks with 17+ miles of trails, a downtown arts scene anchored by a major performing arts center, minor league baseball, and a farm-to-table food culture rooted in one of the most productive agricultural regions on earth. The region is also home to the world's largest family-owned winery and a diversified economy, so the community is stable, unpretentious, and growing.

READY TO MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE?

Contact your Bileddo Associates recruiting representative for a confidential conversation. No employer will hear your name without your permission.

Client identity and full application details will be shared with qualified, vetted candidates.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer (EOE/M/F/Disability/Veterans). All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.