Director of Trauma Program

This is a genuine operational leadership role — not a coordinator position with a director title attached. As Director of Trauma Program at a Level II Trauma Center in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, you take full ownership of program operations: performance improvement, registry design, quality auditing, verification and re-verification, and patient care coordination across the continuum. You report directly to the COO, lead a team of 8, and work closely with surgeons, ED physicians, and nursing staff across all shifts. The scope is real, the visibility is high, and the expectation is that you arrive as a subject matter expert.

This is a permanent, full-time day shift role with one opening available. The schedule gives you your evenings and weekends back, which matters when you are living in one of the most desirable coastal communities in the Southeast.

The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage; a 401(k) with up to a 100% match on 3% to 9% of pay based on years of service; an employee stock purchase plan with a 10% discount; tuition and certification assistance; paid family leave; long- and short-term disability coverage; and an employee health assistance fund available to full- and part-time staff. Relocation assistance is considered on a case-by-case basis.

Candidates must hold an active RN license and bring 5 or more years of recent acute care trauma leadership experience — Trauma Program Manager or Trauma Coordinator backgrounds are the target profile. BLS certification is required. A BSN is preferred. This is an operations-focused director role, not a nursing director position, and the leadership team is specifically looking for trauma subject matter expertise paired with strong communication skills across multidisciplinary teams.

If this aligns with where you are in your career, apply now or reach out directly to connect with our recruiting team. A confidential conversation costs you nothing.

Fort Walton Beach sits along the Emerald Coast of the Florida Panhandle, where the Gulf of Mexico delivers some of the most striking white-sand beaches and clear turquoise water in the country. The area draws people for the coastline and keeps them for the quality of life. Outdoor recreation is woven into the everyday here — fishing, boating, paddleboarding, and beach access are not weekend events, they are part of a normal week. The communities of Fort Walton Beach and neighboring Destin are close-knit and family-oriented, with a strong local dining scene, low crime relative to comparable coastal markets, and a pace that feels deliberate rather than rushed.

Florida carries no state income tax, which meaningfully extends take-home pay compared to most states. Okaloosa County schools hold a solid regional reputation, and the area's proximity to Eglin Air Force Base creates a stable, diverse community with strong civic infrastructure. The regional airport in Fort Walton Beach and the larger Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in nearby Panama City offer reasonable travel access. Pensacola is roughly an hour west, and the broader corridor connects the region without the gridlock of Florida's major metro markets. For clinicians who want a life that does not require sacrificing natural beauty or personal time, this corner of Florida is hard to match.