ADDICTION TREATMENT EXECUTIVE SEARCH
SUD Leadership Recruiting for Treatment Operators
CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CCOs, Medical Directors, and VPs of Admissions for residential, PHP, IOP, detox, and MAT operators nationwide.
We Live in This Space
Since 2014, Spartan Strategics has recruited executive leadership for addiction treatment operators from single-location residential centers to national PE-backed platforms. We understand the operating pressures unique to SUD: JCAHO / CARF surveys, insurance reimbursement volatility, admissions conversion, alumni engagement, MAT protocols, and the census-driven economics that determine whether a clinical operator survives or scales.
Our rolodex is deep because we’ve built it one placement at a time — every candidate we present has run a treatment center or clinical program, not just a healthcare P&L. When you’re hiring a CEO for a $30M residential platform or a CCO for a national IOP network, the difference between “healthcare exec” and “SUD operator” is the difference between hiring right and hiring twice.
EXPERTISE THAT SHOWS UP DAY ONE
We know MAT protocols, JCAHO surveys, and admissions economics — because we’ve hired for them.
The candidates we present to addiction treatment operators aren’t generalists. They’ve run 100-bed residential campuses, defended census through insurance cycles, and built MAT programs from scratch.
ROLES WE RECRUIT
At Every Level
Executive search is our specialty — but we routinely place therapists, nurses, admissions counselors, program coordinators, billing / AR-AP clerks, and other clinical and program staff as well.
Operational Leadership
CEO · COO · CFO · CGO · Regional VP · Executive Director · Program Director
Clinical Leadership
CCO · CMO · Medical Director · VP Clinical Services · Director of Nursing · Clinical Director
Growth & Revenue
VP Admissions · VP Business Development · VP Marketing · Alumni & Referral Leadership
WHY SUD OPERATORS CALL US
Group work, alumni engagement, census. We know the levers that actually matter.
Detox intake, PHP transitions, MAT protocols, and the alumni programs that keep census stable — the candidates we present have run all of it. They know why an admissions call at 9pm on a Sunday is the difference between filling a bed and losing one.
WHAT SUD OPERATORS SAY
“We have been using Spartan since 2017 for our external staffing needs. Over the past 4 years, they have helped us hire some truly excellent people who are now instrumental to the success of our organization. Their knowledge of the addiction treatment space and ability to attract top-talent is second to none.”
WILLIAM WILDER
Chief Marketing Officer, Footprints to Recovery and Vogue Treatment Centers
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked
What size addiction treatment operators does Spartan work with?
From single-location residential programs (30-60 beds) to national multi-site platforms with 10+ facilities and $100M+ in revenue. Most of our engagements are with operators in the $10M-$150M revenue range, though we recruit for platforms of any size when the leadership profile fits our specialty.
Do you place candidates who have run detox and MAT programs specifically?
Yes — our network includes Medical Directors and CCOs with direct MAT protocol experience (buprenorphine, naltrexone, methadone), plus operational leaders who have opened and scaled ASAM-3.7 medically monitored detox units. If your search requires proven MAT-program leadership, we source specifically against that criterion.
How does Spartan handle confidential CEO or CCO searches?
Every search is confidential by default — client name is only shared with candidates once we’ve vetted them and they’ve signed an NDA. We anonymize job specs, we don’t post to job boards, and we never share candidate names with the industry outside the search. This matters for behavioral health where operator succession announcements can affect payer contracts and clinical staff retention.
What’s your typical time-to-shortlist for an addiction treatment executive search?
3-5 weeks from search kickoff to a shortlist of 3-5 vetted candidates with detailed briefs, references, and comp expectations. Full search close (offer accepted) typically 60-90 days depending on interview scheduling and relocation logistics.
Hiring for your addiction treatment operator?
30-minute scoping call — we’ll tell you honestly whether we can help.
Executive Recruiting for Behavioral Health Professionals