Senior Director of Program Services

Description

If you are looking to make an impact through a meaningful and rewarding career, we are currently seeking talented, creative, and committed people who share our values of Challenging the Status Quo, Building Community, Creating Purpose, and Ensuring Inclusion by fostering individuals’ development, well-being, and growth.

Benefits:

• Medical, Vision and Dental Insurance
• Generous PTO
• 401k
• Disability
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Program Services leads divisional operations across residential, day, community-based, and clinical service lines. The role owns P&L performance for a budget greater than $5M, drives manager accountability for unit-level financial results, and governs 24/7 staffing across multiple sites. This position partners with the Vice President of Program Services to strengthen compliance posture, stakeholder communication, and operational growth. The Senior Director holds direct reports accountable for ownership of overtime, agency usage, documentation timeliness, and team development, and develops those direct reports into a ready bench for continued divisional growth.

Reporting Structure

• Reports To: Vice President of Program Services
• Direct Reports: 4-6 Program Managers and Assistant Program Managers
• Total Operation: Multi-site residential and day programs operating 24/7 across assigned Program Services locations

Leadership and Team Scope

Leads 4-6 direct reports responsible for residential, day, and community-based program operations. Influences staffing, compliance, quality, and financial decisions across multiple sites and shifts. Serves as the senior operational authority for assigned program areas and represents Program Services in cross-divisional initiatives.

Budget Authority

Divisional P&L authority for a budget greater than $5M, including labor, overtime, agency spend, program supplies, and operational expense lines. Authority to make staffing, purchasing, and resource allocation decisions within divisional policy and VP approval thresholds.

Location and Work Schedule

• Primary Location: Trumbull, Connecticut with regular travel across assigned Program Services sites (Bridgeport, Derby, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Newtown, Orange, Oxford, Shelton, Stratford, Trumbull, Woodbridge).
• Work Model: Onsite.
• Schedule: Monday through Friday, standard business hours, with on-call coverage rotation and response availability for 24/7 operations including evenings, weekends, and holidays as operational needs require.

Key Accountabilities

• Own divisional P&L performance for a budget greater than $5M, and hold each direct report accountable for their own unit-level financial results including overtime, agency usage, and expense variance against budget.
• Develop 4-6 direct reports into fully accountable program leaders through structured supervision, documented development plans, a succession bench for manager seats, and measurable growth in their financial, compliance, and people-leadership capability.
• Govern 24/7 staffing across assigned programs by enforcing overtime controls, agency usage limits, call-out response protocols, vacancy closure timelines, and coverage escalation standards held at the manager level.
• Drive divisional compliance with DDS regulations, IFS Waiver requirements, HCBS Settings Rule, licensing standards, incident reporting standards, and documentation timeliness, with corrective action plans closed on schedule and measured against manager performance.
• Lead stakeholder engagement through a defined communication cadence with the Vice President of Program Services, DDS regional office, families and guardians, QSR reviewers, and internal leadership partners, with communication standards enforced across the management team.
• Drive timely and accurate execution of Contract Service Authorizations, billing coordination, One Time Requests, URRs, and other funding submissions that protect service continuity and revenue capture.
• Build operational growth capacity across the division by preparing programs for census increases, new program startup readiness, and capacity expansion tied to organizational strategy.
• Own quality assurance across assigned programs including site audits, licensing readiness, Quality Service Review preparation, and corrective action implementation with measurable closure rates.
• Represent the organization externally with DDS, regulators, families, and community partners in a manner that strengthens credibility and funder confidence.
• Serve as an agency leader through on-call coverage, committee participation, and cross-divisional problem solving.

Role Expectations and Deliverables

Core Expectations

• Hold direct reports accountable for their unit-level P&L, overtime governance, agency spend, and documentation timeliness.
• Maintain compliance posture at all times across DDS, IFS Waiver, HCBS, and licensing standards.
• Communicate directly and promptly with the Vice President of Program Services and key stakeholders on risks, decisions, and outcomes.
• Develop direct reports through structured coaching, documented development plans, and measurable performance standards.

Daily

• Review and respond to urgent operational, staffing, incident, and compliance issues across assigned programs.
• Monitor overtime, agency usage, call-outs, and coverage decisions against governance standards.

Weekly

• Conduct structured 1:1 check-ins with each direct report covering P&L variance, overtime, vacancies, compliance, and development progress.
• Conduct program site visits and document observations on service quality and management effectiveness.

Monthly

• Review divisional P&L, unit-level budget performance, overtime, and agency spend against budget, with each direct report presenting their own variance commentary.
• Deliver a written operational summary to the Vice President of Program Services covering P&L performance, risks, wins, corrective actions, and stakeholder engagement.

Quarterly

• Complete quarterly budget variance review with each direct report and present consolidated divisional performance to the Vice President of Program Services.
• Deliver performance evaluations and documented development plan updates for each direct report.

Competencies

• Financial Accountability: Drives unit-level ownership of overtime, agency usage, and expense variance against budget.
• People Leadership and Development: Develops managers through structured supervision, documented development plans, and measurable expectations.
• 24/7 Staffing Governance: Enforces coverage, escalation, and overtime controls across multiple sites and shifts.
• Compliance and Operational Control: Maintains regulatory posture and closes corrective actions on time.

Requirements

Qualifications

Required

• Equivalent experience considered in place of a degree.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive leadership experience in human services or a closely related field, including multi-site operations.
• Minimum 3 years of direct P&L responsibility for a budget of $3M or greater.
• Demonstrated experience supervising managers or other leaders, including structured supervision cycles and documented development plans.
• Experience governing 24/7 staffing operations including overtime controls, agency usage, and coverage escalation.
• Experience with regulatory audits, licensing reviews, corrective action planning, and documentation standards in a regulated service environment.
• Valid driver's license.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams), electronic documentation systems, payroll and scheduling platforms, and virtual meeting tools.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in human services, social work, healthcare administration, business, or a related field.
• Experience with DDS regulations, IFS Waiver requirements, HCBS Settings Rule, and Connecticut service systems.
• Experience overseeing both programmatic and clinical service components.
• Experience designing management training or leadership development systems.
• PMT, CPR, and DDS Medication Administration certification, or ability to obtain and maintain as required.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Ability to navigate program sites including residential homes, day program locations, and community settings.
• Ability to respond on-site during operational emergencies, including evenings, weekends, and overnight as needed.
• Occasional lifting up to 25 pounds.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer, with regular travel by vehicle between program sites.
• Exposure to typical residential and day program environments, including occasional exposure to behavioral incidents; role does not require routine hands-on personal care or physical intervention.

EEO Statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate our employees and are committed to creating a growth-oriented environment for all.

Scope and Right to Modify

A. Acknowledgment of Scope and Right to Modify. The employee acknowledges that this job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or Key Accountabilities required of this position, nor is it a contract of employment. Duties, responsibilities, and Key Accountabilities may change at any time, with or without notice, and The Kennedy Collective reserves the sole and exclusive right to add, remove, or modify any roles, responsibilities, or requirements as it deems necessary to ensure successful operational impact. The employee agrees to perform other duties as assigned.

B. Work Location. The employee acknowledges that The Kennedy Collective operates across multiple sites and programs, and that business or operational needs may require the employee to report to, travel between, or be reassigned to different work locations during the course of an assigned shift. The Kennedy Collective reserves the right to change or adjust the employee's work location at any time, with or without advance notice, and the employee agrees to report to and perform duties at such location(s) as directed by management.