Medical Director, Patient Safety

We’re seeking a Medical Director, Patient Safety to join our Clinical Strategy team and play a critical role in building a safer, more reliable care experience for Headway’s patients and providers. In this role, you’ll serve as a subject matter expert on clinical risk and patient safety, providing timely, compassionate, and evidence-informed support to both internal teams and our nationwide behavioral health provider network.

You’ll be responsible for responding to high-risk clinical events, developing scalable safety protocols, and coaching providers through complex clinical situations, always with a focus on ethical, high-quality care. You’ll also collaborate cross-functionally with compliance, legal, operations, and product teams to strengthen Headway’s safety infrastructure and continuously improve the provider and patient experience.

This is an ideal role for a licensed clinician with strong clinical judgment, patient safety expertise, and experience in high-acuity or crisis care—whether from a large health system or a fast-paced startup—who is eager to drive systems-level safety improvements in a mission-driven environment.

You will:

• Respond to High-Risk Clinical Events: Act as a trusted responder for complex and urgent patient safety concerns, providing real-time guidance to providers and internal teams to ensure safe and timely resolution.
• Develop Patient Safety Protocols and Workflows: Lead the creation, implementation, and refinement of scalable patient safety processes in partnership with Clinical Operations, Legal, and Compliance.
• Educate and Support Providers: Coach and train providers on risk safeguards, documentation best practices, and ethical care delivery to strengthen Headway’s provider network and promote clinical confidence.
• Strengthen Compliance and Risk Mitigation: Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure adherence to licensing, regulatory, and ethical standards across the provider network.
• Drive Continuous Quality Improvement: Analyze safety trends and root causes, and translate findings into system-level improvements that enhance quality, safety, and provider/patient experience.

How Success Will Be Measured:

• Timely and Effective Response: Measured by response time, appropriateness of escalation, and successful resolution of high-risk events.
• Provider Engagement: Increased provider confidence and satisfaction in managing safety issues, reflected in training participation and provider feedback.
• Process Adoption: Consistent implementation and use of safety protocols across internal teams and provider networks.
• Compliance Outcomes: Reduced compliance exceptions and strong performance on regulatory or audit reviews.
• Quality Improvements: Demonstrable reductions in repeat safety incidents, improved documentation accuracy, and measurable impact on patient safety indicators.

You’d Be a Great Fit If You Have:

• You are a psychiatrist (MD)– have 5+ years of post-graduate clinical experience as a psychiatrist
• Demonstrated expertise in managing clinical risk or patient safety concerns, including crisis intervention or adverse event response
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to document clearly, educate providers, and advise cross-functional teams
• Strong organizational and systems-thinking skills, with the ability to manage complex workflows and improve processes
• Comfort with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive) and adaptability with new technology
• A proactive, solution-oriented mindset and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Deep commitment to ethical, patient-centered care and continuous quality improvement

Preferred but Not Required:

• 2+ years of experience at a healthtech, digital health, or behavioral health startup
• Experience supporting or coaching other clinicians through complex or high-risk cases
• Background in managed care, payer relations, or large network/provider support

Compensation and Benefits:

The expected base pay range for this position is $220,320 - $324,000, based on a variety of factors including qualifications, experience, and geographic location.

We are committed to offering a comprehensive and competitive total rewards package, including robust health and wellness benefits, retirement savings, and meaningful ownership opportunities through equity. Compensation decisions are made holistically, ensuring fairness and alignment with market benchmarks while recognizing individual contributions and potential.

Benefits offered include:

• Equity Compensation
• Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
• HSA / FSA
• 401K
• Work-from-Home Stipend
• Therapy Reimbursement
• 16-week parental leave for eligible employees
• Carrot Fertility annual reimbursement and membership
• 13 paid holidays each year as well as a Holiday Break during the week between December 25th and December 31st
• Flexible PTO
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Training and professional development