Director, Compliance (Remote)

At Author Health, we’re revolutionizing how mental health care is delivered, and we want you to be part of it! Our mission is to bring compassionate, high-quality care to people with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and dementia, including older adults.

We don’t just treat symptoms. We treat people — fully, holistically, and with heart! Through our virtual-first, innovative care model, we deliver community-based wrap-around outpatient mental health care inclusive of psychiatric, psychotherapeutic and care management services. We partner with primary care providers, hospitals, families, and caregivers to keep patients out of the hospital and empower them to live healthier, more connected lives.

At Author, inclusivity isn’t a checkbox. It’s how we build trust and drive better outcomes! We honor the unique cultures, identities, and stories that shape every patient’s experience, and we’re creating a workplace where team members can show up as their full selves, too.

If you’re driven by purpose, ready to shake up the status quo, and eager to make a real impact in people’s lives, we’d love to meet you. Let’s build the future of mental health care together!

Summary/objective

This pivotal role involves overseeing all aspects of our company's compliance program, ensuring we meet regulatory requirements and maintain the highest standards of integrity. The ideal candidate will be a proactive problem-solver with a strong background in healthcare compliance, particularly with HIPAA and other relevant regulations. You'll be the primary point of contact for all compliance-related matters, working closely with various teams and leadership to build a culture of compliance.

Essential functions

We're a fast-growing telehealth startup looking for a dedicated and experienced Director, Compliance. This pivotal role involves overseeing all aspects of our company's compliance program, ensuring we meet regulatory requirements and maintain the highest standards of integrity. The ideal candidate will be a proactive problem-solver with a strong background in healthcare compliance, particularly with HIPAA and other relevant regulations. You'll be the primary point of contact for all compliance-related matters, working closely with various teams and leadership to build a culture of compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Policy & Procedure Management: Develop, implement, and maintain compliance policies, procedures, and training programs, ensuring they are current and effective.

• Incident & Violation Management: Lead the process for investigating and documenting HIPAA violations, handling all associated forms and reporting. Manage all incident reporting, from initial intake to resolution.

• Regulatory & Audit Oversight: Oversee and manage payor audits, OIG and SAM exclusion reporting for external vendors, and other regulatory filings.

• Leadership & Collaboration: Lead the internal Compliance Committee and serve as the main point of contact for compliance-related inquiries from all departments. Work cross-functionally and collaborate with external counsel, IT, and other teams.

• Risk Management: Maintain and manage the organizations risk register ensuring that all risks are captured, given a priority, and ultimately resolved within required timeframes.

• NCQA Certification: Lead the NCQA certification process to bring licensing and credentialing in-house, ensuring all requirements are met and documented.

• Vendor Management: Partner with the IT department on the Vendor Management Process, focusing on compliance and security. Appropriately identify risks to the business in vendor contracts and communicate / advise senior leadership on decision-making.

• Documentation & Reporting: Maintain and update the compliance Confluence page, and prepare compliance data and reports for presentation to the Board of Directors.

• Legal Processes: Handle Power of Attorneys and medical releases, and provide guidance on related questions.

Skills & Qualifications

• Strong regulatory expertise across CMS programs, HIPAA/privacy rules, state managed care requirements, and healthcare fraud/waste/abuse regulations.

• Experience scaling compliance functions in a startup or fast-growth healthcare environment.

• Operational fluency in clinical, care management, and data exchange processes common in value-based care organizations.

• Exceptional communication and influencing skills with the ability to work cross-functionally and advise both executive leadership and front-line teams.

• High analytical capability with proficiency in interpreting regulatory text, designing controls, and reviewing data sets for compliance anomalies.

• Strong leadership and team-building skills with experience developing compliance staff and fostering an ethical organizational culture.

• Detail-oriented and process-driven, with strong project management skills and the ability to execute in a dynamic, ambiguous environment.

• Proficiency in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) systems and tools, with proven experience in optimizing and integrating GRC processes to drive efficiency, automation, and data-driven insights.

• Proven experience managing complex internal and external audits, including regulatory examinations (e.g., CMS, state agencies) and payor audits

Competency

• Five (5) to seven (7) years of work experience in a compliance function, preferably with a Mental Health provider.

• 5-7 years of experience with health care regulatory agencies in development of compliance programs.

• Experience working with Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid.

• 5+ years’ experience with overseeing implementation of payer contracts.

Required education and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent experience; advanced degree or certifications (e.g., JD, CHC, CHPC, CPC, RHIA) preferred.

Work environment

Employees will work from their homes, utilizing virtual tools and software to manage tasks, communicate with team members, patients and other stakeholders. They will also complete administrative duties on a computer provided by the company.

Physical demands

This role requires sitting for extended periods of time in front of a computer screen. The role must be able to lift up to ten pounds.

Position type and expected hours of work

• Full-time minimum 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday

Travel

• Very limited.

Other duties Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Author Health is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. It is the company’s policy to comply with all applicable equal employment opportunity laws by making all employment decisions without unlawful regard or consideration of any individual’s race, religion, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expressions, transgender status, sexual and other reproductive health decisions, marital status, age, national origin, genetic information, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, veteran or family status or any other basis protected by applicable national, federal, state, provincial or local law. The company’s policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on any of these impermissible bases, as well as any bases or grounds protected by applicable law in each jurisdiction.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience for all applicants. If you require any accommodations at any stage of the process, please let us know.

The company is pleased to provide such assistance and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request. In accordance with applicable legal requirements such as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance Author Health will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Full-time minimum 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday