What is a clinical director and how to become one

Updated June 25, 2024

5 min read

Quoted Expert

Linda Galocy

A clinical director oversees the clinical operations of a healthcare organization, such as hospitals, clinics or rehabilitation centers. They ensure that healthcare services are delivered safely and effectively. Clinical directors manage staff, set policies, and promote regulatory compliance. They also oversee budgets, analyze data, and implement programs to improve patient care outcomes. Clinical directors must have strong leadership skills, as well as knowledge of healthcare regulations and industry best practices.

How long does it takes to become a clinical director?

It typically takes 8-10 years to become a clinical director:

Years 1-4: Obtaining a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as healthcare administration, nursing, or public health.
Years 5-6: Gaining work experience in roles such as a nurse, social worker, or healthcare administrator, focusing on skills like patient care, staff management, and budgeting.
Years 7-8: Completing on-site or on-the-job training, which can take up to 2 years, to learn the specific policies and procedures of the healthcare facility.
Years 9-10: Accumulating additional work experience, typically 4-6 years, to qualify for a clinical director position.

ScoreClinical DirectorUS Average

Salary

7.5

Avg. Salary $96,497

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.1

Growth Rate 28%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.72%

Asian 8.10%

Black or African American 11.59%

Hispanic or Latino 14.62%

Unknown 4.27%

White 60.69%

Gender

female 64.77%

male 35.23%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress Level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.8

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.9

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Clinical Director?

Pros

Opportunity to lead and manage a team
Competitive salary and benefits package
Opportunity for career advancement
Chance to participate in research and clinical trials
Flexibility in work schedule

Cons

High levels of responsibility and accountability
Long hours and potentially stressful work environment
Dealing with budget constraints and financial pressures
Maintaining a work-life balance can be challenging
Limited time for personal or family commitments

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Clinical Director career paths

Clinical directors often move into executive or high-level management positions. They may become executive directors, overseeing the overall strategy and direction of an organization. They might also become chief executive officers, responsible for making major corporate decisions. Other possibilities include clinical services director, regional director, or operations director roles.

Key steps to become a clinical director

Explore clinical director education requirements

Most common clinical director degrees

Bachelor's

43.3 %

Master's

32.7 %

Associate

10.8 %

Start to develop specific clinical director skills

Clinical directors need a range of skills to succeed. They must have strong writing and communication skills, as well as the ability to organize and multitask. Critical thinking skills are also important, as they supervise clinical operations and manage patient care. As Linda Galocy, Director and Assistant Dean, Clinical Associate Professor at Indiana University Northwest, puts it, "Writing skills, communication, organization, the ability to multi-task, critical thinking skills" are all essential for clinical directors.

Skills	Percentages
Patients	18.37%
Patient Care	10.87%
Physical Therapy	4.58%
Social Work	4.28%
Rehabilitation	3.67%

Complete relevant clinical director training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New clinical directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a clinical director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real clinical director resumes.

Gain additional clinical director certifications

Clinical director certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific clinical director certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for clinical directors include Certified Professional Counselor and Certified Clinical Supervisor.

More About Certifications

Research clinical director duties and responsibilities

A clinical director's responsibilities are varied and crucial. They manage clinical staff and operations, develop and implement quality assurance and patient satisfaction programs, and oversee effective implementation of clinical interventions. They also provide direct supervision to counselors and other clinical staff, ensure regulatory compliance, and develop clinical protocols.

Develop distinctive ambulatory strategies to achieve and sustain competitive healthcare advantage.
Manage and assist with data collection and input for MDS.
Manage quality of documentation through education and electronic review of clinical processes utilizing HCHB EMR.
Manage front office, marketing, and communication -demonstrated/supervise exercises for patients -Developed instructional packets for home exercise programs

Get clinical director experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a clinical director. The most common roles before becoming a clinical director include staff nurse, therapist team lead and registered nurse.

Prepare your clinical director resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your clinical director resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a clinical director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Clinical Director Resume templates

Build a professional Clinical Director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Clinical Director resume.

Apply for clinical director jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a clinical director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do clinical directors rate their job?

-/5

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Clinical Director reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

Seeing and facilitating the growth of the staff and department

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019