Director of Operations & Finance

Chestnut Health is a high-growth, post-startup, provider-based healthcare organization headquartered in Oak Brook, IL. We deliver physiatry and rehabilitation services directly to patients in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). We are growing quickly in Illinois and across multiple states, and we are building a leadership team that can scale that growth.

We are at an exciting stage: big enough to have momentum, small enough that your work shapes the company. Leaders here roll up their sleeves, solve real problems, and then build the teams to carry the work forward.

The Role

Chestnut Health is looking for a Director of Operations & Finance to build the foundation under a fast-growing healthcare company. You will lead both operations and finance, setting up the HR, IT, onboarding, and financial processes that let us scale without friction.

You will start hands-on, doing the work directly while building plans for each function, then grow a team to support them.

Key Responsibilities

• Operations
• Assess HR, IT, and operational processes and develop plans to improve and scale them
• Build and standardize HR practices, including the employee handbook, policies, provider compensation agreements, benefits, 401(k), and payroll
• Oversee IT priorities, including security, HIPAA compliance, and EMR adoption
• Run client onboarding from signed contract through go-live, coordinating credentialing, IT, compliance, and other teams
• Lead business integration, including bringing acquired practices and their providers into Chestnut's training, HR, and credentialing processes
• Manage vendors and contracts
• Support compliance and risk management
• Finance
• Manage the general ledger, month-end close, and financial reporting
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and P&L analysis
• Oversee multi-state payroll
• Give leadership clear financial insight and recommendations to guide growth decisions
• Support financial planning for expansion and acquisitions
• Leadership
• Partner directly with executive leadership
• Build and lead a team as the organization grows

What Success Looks Like

• First 90 days: Assess HR, IT, finance, and onboarding processes and present a prioritized operating plan
• First year: Standardized HR and compensation practices, a reliable monthly close and reporting cadence, and a repeatable client onboarding process
• Longer term: A team in place and the infrastructure to integrate acquisitions and enter new states
• Who Thrives Here

Hands-on, process-minded, and comfortable owning many functions at once. You bring proposed solutions to leadership and need little supervision.

Note: This is a direct-hire search. We do not accept resumes or inquiries from recruiters, staffing firms, or other third parties.

Requirements

• Required Qualifications
• 7–10 years of healthcare experience leading both operations and finance functions, ideally in a large-scale physician group
• Hands-on experience with general ledger, budgeting, forecasting, P&L, and payroll
• Working knowledge of HR and IT, plus experience with onboarding processes and acquisition integration
• Process-oriented mindset, with the ability to assess an organization quickly
• Comfortable working as an individual contributor first, then leading a team
• Comfortable with startup culture and ambiguity
• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Preferred Qualifications

• Skilled nursing facility (SNF) environment experience (not required)
• CPA, MBA, or similar credential
• Experience with multi-state payroll and employment compliance
• Experience supporting acquisitions and integrations
• Experience with EMR selection or implementation
• Systems & Tools
• Accounting/ERP systems, HRIS/payroll systems
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills