Director of Utilization Management Recruiters
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This is what we do all day: recruit healthcare professionals.
Hire a UM director who can turn denials, status reviews, and physician documentation into daily decisions.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
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What happens next
- We review your role, responsibilities and location.
- Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
- You meet a focused shortlist when qualified candidates fit the agreed search.
- Fees.
- No upfront fee. Pay only if you hire, under the signed agreement.
- Exclusivity.
- Set out in the signed client agreement.
- Confidentiality.
- We agree the brief before outreach. This is not a promise of absolute anonymity.
- No hire.
- No hire means no fee on standard searches.
- UM Director
- UR Manager
What does an open seat cost you every week?
An open role costs you more than the recruiting fee. Someone covers the work, waits for care, or stops a service. We ask what is falling behind and who is carrying it. Use your own figures to compare the cost of waiting with the cost of hiring.
The seat is costing you every week.
Overtime, diverted patients, a stretched team and a schedule held together by favors.
The posting brought the wrong people.
Applicants arrive, but the person who has done this exact work is employed and not looking.
You are the one chasing.
Screening calls, no-shows and follow-ups land on the desk of someone with a facility to run.
What does this hire really come down to?
This leader reviews why a stay lost support, what the record showed at the time, and who must act next. They work with case management, physician advisors, finance, and revenue-cycle leaders. We recruit permanent contingency candidates for that operational role.
We screen for InterQual or MCG use, payer denials, and two-midnight compliance.
A director should separate a late review from a weak admission order, missing physician documentation, an authorization lapse, or a payer interpretation dispute. Those problems need different owners. Ask candidates what they would examine first after short-stay denials rise, which cases they would sample, and how they would report the finding without reducing every denial to staff error.
This person also needs enough credibility to challenge clinical and administrative leaders. They should explain a disputed case in plain language, identify the facts missing from the record, and set a workable follow-up. Look for someone who can teach reviewers and physicians without creating duplicate chart work or issuing broad warnings that no one can apply.
What do we check before you see anyone?
InterQual or MCG practice. We ask how candidates use criteria during admission and continued-stay review. We ask what they do when criteria do not support the selected status, who receives the escalation, and how the decision enters the record. Payer-denial investigation.
- We ask for a denial type they examined, the records they sampled, and the conclusion they gave leaders. Strong answers distinguish documentation gaps from authorization timing, coding questions, payer policy, and appeal handling.
- Two-midnight compliance. We ask how the candidate reviews admission status, physician expectations, orders, and supporting documentation. Rules and local guidance may change, so we look for a repeatable review method rather than memorized language.
- Physician communication. We ask about a medical-necessity disagreement and the clinical facts the candidate requested. We also ask how they respond when a physician disputes the review and how they track whether education changed later records.
- Team leadership. We ask how they coach UR nurses, managers, and new reviewers after turnover or a policy revision. Useful answers describe case calibration, documented education, review tools, and checks that show whether staff use the same standard.
- Data and system work. We ask which reports the candidate uses from the electronic medical record or UM software, how they test the data, and what action follows. A report matters only when it leads to case review, education, or a change in ownership.
Where do we find them, and why would they move?
Our search draws from UR nurses and managers seeking broader leadership work, plus payer UM leaders who know how plans review medical-necessity and authorization files. A hospital-side role may appeal to someone who wants more direct responsibility for review operations and access to physician leaders.
We ask why someone may consider a move. Reporting structure, authority over education and policy, travel, relocation, and current-team commitments can all matter.
Which mistakes stall the search?
A common mistake is hiring a strong clinical manager who has not led denial review, status decisions, or discussions with payer-side reviewers. Another is accepting “I improved denials” without asking which denial type changed, what records were reviewed, and what the candidate personally directed.
Testing technical knowledge alone, then learning the finalist cannot handle disagreement with physicians, case managers, finance leaders, or payer contacts.
How would we run the search for this opening?
Tell us where denials cluster, which payers create recurring disputes, and who owns status decisions today. We present candidates after screening credentials, work history, reason for moving, and fit with the role. That discussion helps you present a role that matches the candidate’s actual decision, not an assumed reason for leaving.
Map the work on your desk
We use that information to frame the reporting line, scope, and screening questions.
Review screened candidates
You decide who meets with your clinical, finance, and executive stakeholders.
Hire under clear terms
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement. We arrange locum tenens, travel and contract coverage on request.
Where this search connects
Quality, Patient Safety, Case Management & Compliance
SpecialtyHospitals & Health Systems
SettingSkilled Nursing & Post-Acute Care
SettingHome Health & Hospice
SettingBehavioral Health & Addiction Treatment
SettingDirector of Quality
Related roleInfection Preventionist / Director of Infection Prevention
Related roleChief Compliance Officer
Related roleDirector of Case Management
Related roleNational median annual wage. SOC 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers.
BLS reports Medical and Health Services Managers as one occupation. It does not publish a separate estimate for Director of Utilization Management, its setting or its engagement terms.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025-05, released 2026-05-15. View source. See the full guide.
Open roles
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When are fees due?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire under the payment and replacement terms in the written agreement. Contract or travel coverage terms, licensing, credentialing, and malpractice arrangements are confirmed before a start date. You complete credentialing, clinical assessment, and final hiring decisions.
Do candidates need InterQual or MCG experience?
Your search calls for practical experience with InterQual or MCG, and we screen beyond simple exposure. Ask finalists which criteria they used, how they handled exceptions, and how they taught reviewers to apply them.
How do you assess two-midnight knowledge?
We ask candidates how they review admission status, expected stay, orders, and supporting documentation. Your team should conduct its own compliance and clinical assessment where local policy or counsel guidance applies.
What if physician documentation is the main issue?
We seek leaders who can identify the exact break in the record and discuss it productively with physicians. Ask how they would separate an education issue from a workflow problem or payer-policy dispute.
Can you help with a relocating finalist or counteroffer risk?
We ask about relocation feasibility and likely retention discussions early. If a counteroffer appears, you can revisit whether the person’s reasons for leaving and your role scope still support a hire.
What should you send us about this role?
Send us the role, where the person will work and what needs to change with this hire. We will ask about the work, not just the title. Share any license or schedule limits that could rule someone out before we begin the search.
If denial patterns and status reviews need firmer ownership, talk with Healthcare Headhunters about your next UM director search.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What happens next
- We review your role, responsibilities and location.
- Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
- You meet a focused shortlist when qualified candidates fit the agreed search.
- Fees.
- No upfront fee. Pay only if you hire, under the signed agreement.
- Exclusivity.
- Set out in the signed client agreement.
- Confidentiality.
- We agree the brief before outreach. This is not a promise of absolute anonymity.
- No hire.
- No hire means no fee on standard searches.
Which other positions in this family should you consider?
Case Management Manager · Director of Care Management / Population Health
What do you get at each step of the search?
Our process for every search: calibrate the seat with you, map the market, research the real people, reach out to each one personally, qualify them in live conversation, then hand you a short list with a written brief on each person and support through the offer.
Search Calibration
You get an agreed brief: the work, reporting line, credentials, schedule, and offer you can make.
Market Mapping
You get a search aimed at relevant backgrounds, including people working now who have not applied.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We check appropriate ways to reach the people identified for your search. You do not have to chase them yourself.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We explain your actual job and follow up with people who may consider a conversation.
Live Candidate Qualification
You see people we have spoken with about the work, interest, and practical fit, not an unread resume pile.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You get a written brief and support through interviews and offer discussions. You make the hiring decision.
How long will it take to see a short list?
That depends on the job, schedule, available people, and what your employer can offer. We discuss those constraints before outreach and update you as candidates respond. We do not promise a fixed shortlist date. We check the job brief before arranging interviews. Tell us which parts of the role you can change.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement. Ask us to walk through those terms before you sign, so you know how a replacement would work for your opening and who would start it.
What do we not do in a standard permanent search?
We do not bill standard contingency search by the hour or simply repost your job. Temporary coverage is a separate arrangement. Any retainer or different engagement must be agreed, not assumed. Tell us early if you need coverage while the permanent search runs.