Senior Medical Director (Based in IA)
Molina Healthcare
Des Moines, IA · Posted October 20, 2026
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Where Des Moines, IA ranks
Where Des Moines, IA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #2Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Midwest$147k · of 20
- #2Best all-round cities for mid-career professionals in the Midwest78 / 100 · of 20
- #2Best all-round cities for remote workers in the Midwest90 / 100 · of 20
- #4Best cities for remote-friendly jobs17% · of 100
- #6Best all-round cities for AI careers in the Midwest66 / 100 · of 20
- #7Best all-round cities for remote workers84 / 100 · of 100
Rankings about clinical jobs
- Best cities for clinical jobs #1 New York (202 openings)
- Employers with the most clinical jobs #1 Veterans Health Administration (215 roles)
Pay compared with the market
This listing does not state pay. Across 29 open senior medical director listings that state pay, the middle half runs $319,000 to $339,000 and the median is $333,500.
Listed pay is what employers advertise, not what people are paid.
Senior Medical Director salaries by state · Check your own pay
How AI is used in this kind of work
AI use among medical and health services managers is little observed so far. Measured exposure for medical and health services managers: 7% (little observed).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
About the job
JOB DESCRIPTION Job Summary
Provides deep subject matter expertise and leadership for health plan or shared services advanced clinical managed care/clinical performance. Leverages specialty expertise (transplant, genetics, etc.) to support prior authorization, inpatient concurrent review, discharge planning, and clinical care management activities. May lead a team of medical directors - delivering oversight and expertise in appropriateness and medical necessity of services provided to members, and ensuring members receive the most appropriate care in the most effective setting. Contributes to overarching strategy to provide quality and cost-effective member care.
Essential Job Duties
• Leverages expertise to deliver advanced clinical performance for prior authorization, inpatient concurrent review, discharge planning, care management and interdisciplinary care team (ICT) activities.
• Ensures that authorization decisions are rendered by qualified medical personnel and without hindrance due to fiscal or administrative incentives.
• Analyzes data and identifies medical cost-savings and quality improvement opportunities.
• Accounts for regulatory and accreditation performance of assigned team and responds to inquiries, issues and complaints from government and accreditation regulators.
• Develops medical policies and procedures as needed.
• Conducts peer review processes.
• May lead a team of medical directors responsible for assessing appropriateness and medical necessity of health care services provided to plan members.
• As applicable, hires, trains, develops and manages team demonstrates accountability for team performance and achievement of department-specific goals.
• As applicable, develops and sustains a high-performance team, dedicated to best-in-class solutions responsible for attracting, developing and retaining top-tier talent to support strategy and long-term business objectives.
Required Qualifications
• At least 10 years of relevant experience, including clinical practice experience, and at least 2 years as a medical director in managed care setting supporting utilization management/quality management initiatives, or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• At least 5 years of management/leadership experience.
• Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO). License must be active and unrestricted in state of practice.
• Board Certification.
• Working knowledge of applicable national, state, and local laws and regulatory requirements affecting medical and clinical staff.
• Demonstrated ability to make strategic decisions.
• Knowledge of health care regulatory and legislative processes, including ability to read and interpret legislation.
• Business and financial acumen.
• Evidence-based clinical criteria competency.
• Peer review, medical policy/procedure development, and provider contracting experience.
• Experience influencing and gaining consensus across stakeholders.
• Ability to work cross-collaboratively in a highly matrixed organization.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Microsoft Office suite/applicable software program(s) proficiency, and electronic medical record (EMR) proficiency.
Preferred Qualifications
• Certified Professional in Healthcare Management (CPHM), Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC), Case Management Society of America (CMSA) or other health care or management certification.
To all current Molina employees: If you are interested in applying for this position, please apply through the Internal Job Board.
Molina Healthcare offers a competitive benefits and compensation package. Molina Healthcare is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/D/V