Aspire Living & Learning Seeks Senior Director of Program Operations in Connecticut
About Aspire Living & Learning
Aspire Living & Learning is a non-profit human services agency making a meaningful difference in the lives of neurodiverse adults and children. We provide residential programs, day support, special education, and employment services in partnership with families and in collaboration with public and private health, human service, education and other government agencies. Headquartered in Vermont, our 1,200 team members serve individuals across four Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.
Aspire’s Adult Services in Connecticut are the purview of the Senior Director of Program Operations. Aspire’s Residential Services options for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities are varied, depending on the individual’s level of independence. These include shared living, group homes and in-home assistance (CCH, CLA, and ICF). Our Employment Supports partner with local businesses to offer opportunities for people to explore their passions. Jobs or volunteer programs allow for interaction and connection, instill a sense of purpose and pride, and help build valuable skills. Our Day Programs include the arts, cooking, exercise, and socializing. By offering a range of activities, we allow individuals to make choices, pursue their passions, and experience inclusion and connection. Over the next few years, day services will move to No Walls programming. Aspire’s person-centered approach to service delivery includes on-site clinical work and is grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis and best practices.
Aspire’s Children Services in Connecticut – including early autism intervention, ABA treatment and services, the Aspire Living & Learning Academy (private, K-12 special education school with three locations in the state) and permanency/foster care support – are managed by the Senior Director of Educational Services, who collaborates closely with the Senior Director of Program Operations.
Opportunity Going Forward
The Senior Director of Program Operations (CT) will have the opportunity to lead a prominent, long-standing, well-respected set of programs and services that are positively impacting the lives of thousands of neurodiverse individuals across the state of Connecticut. The Senior Director will have overall responsibility for quality assurance, staff management and professional development, and internal communication and collaboration for Aspire’s Adult Services in CT. In addition, the Senior Director will lead the exploration and implementation of growth opportunities focused on expanding the quality, depth, and scale of the services Aspire provides in Connecticut in alignment with the organization’s new strategic plan (anticipated release: Spring 2022).
Reporting to the Chief of Program Operations, the Senior Director will serve on the six-person team that provides operational leadership across all of Aspire Living & Learning. In this capacity, the Senior Director will play an integral role in influencing and informing the strategic direction of the entire organization.
This position will be based out of Aspire’s Meriden, Connecticut office, with capability to work remotely on a hybrid schedule.
Desired Credentials/Profile of the Ideal Candidate
- Knowledge of and passion for work with and on behalf of neurodiverse individuals and the people who support them.
- A minimum of five years of multi-faceted programmatic leadership experience in a nonprofit of comparable size and knowledge of developmental service delivery; experience in Connecticut preferred.
- Ability to bring established professional connections with DDS and the I/DD community preferred.
- Track record of success as a performance and relationship-driven manager.
Skills and Experience
Empowering and Decisive Manager of People, Teams, and Culture
- An emotionally intelligent and culturally competent leader who builds trusting relationships with all direct reports and staff members focused on mutual respect, clear communication, and strong collaboration.
- Able to maximize and empower the contributions of committed staff members, placing trust in their competence.
- Able to hold self and others to equally consistent high levels of expectations, accountability and performance.
- Adept at utilizing key performance indicators to inform evidence-based decisions that empower individuals.
- Serves as a mentor to other leaders by modeling effective management practices and coaching other managers in skill and professional development.
- Able to offer both positive and constructive performance feedback to a diverse array of staff members in ways that inspire positive action and increased accountability.
- An active listener with the ability to learn and consider before taking action, but also equally comfortable making the ultimate decision.
- Views themselves as a leader with Connecticut and the broader Aspire organization, and actively seeks to create and foster positive, collaborative relationships with team members across the organization.
Visionary and Strategic Leader Adept at Balancing Growth & Quality
- Agile and proactive strategic thinker with tactical skills, able to both develop and deliver on a comprehensive vision and strategy for a complex array of programs and services.
- Driven by results, with a proven ability to motivate staff and collaborators to set and achieve goals aligned with strategy.
- Embraces a vision for and inspires staff to achieve high-quality service delivery, including an appreciation for the value of data and quality measures.
- Leads and inspires collaboration across departments to ensure that Clinical, Finance, and HR elements of service delivery are fully integrated.
- Solutions-oriented problem solver focused on understanding the root causes of challenges and facilitating conversations and processes to effectively address them.
- Creative and critical thinker adept at identifying opportunities in a rapidly changing climate and positioning Aspire to adapt to the ever-evolving landscape.
- Skilled at generating, considering, and evaluating creative growth opportunities with an eye toward quality and sustainability.
- Fiscally sound business leader familiar with budgets and forecasts, especially as it relates to new business development.
Consummate Communicator, Networker and Relationship Builder
- Strong people skills with the ability to understand and engage with staff members, individuals, and families with ease.
- Empathetic, supportive leader with deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities inherent in Aspire’s work.
- Confident external representative and public spokesperson who is able to create, nurture, and sustain partnerships with key stakeholders, including DDS.
- Collaborative leader capable of supporting the Advancement team’s efforts to communicate successes to key stakeholders.
Strong Administrator with Expertise in Strengthening Non-Profit Program Operations
- Direct experience working with individuals with disabilities in a day, residential, school and/or vocational setting; experience in adult services in the state of CT preferred.
- Knowledge and capacity to engage in dialogue about effective clinical practice (i.e. behavioral, mental health) preferred.
Compensation and Benefits:
This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with a starting salary range of $105,000-$150,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications. Aspire Living & Learning also offers a comprehensive and generous benefits package including medical (80%+ covered by Aspire), dental (75%+ covered by Aspire), life, disability (short-term and long-term), and pet insurances in addition to a 403b (with 2% match), free telehealth services, an EAP, and FSA participation.
COVID 19 Consideration
Please note that Aspire Living & Learning has adopted a COVID-19 vaccination policy to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and individuals we support. As a condition of employment, employees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless an exemption is approved for medical or religious reason or as otherwise required by law.
Application Process and Additional Information
Candidates must include a resume and a cover letter that describes how their qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of Aspire. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Upload required documents to: https://eostransitions.applicantpool.com/jobs/.
Aspire Living & Learning believes it must play an active role in creating a community of employees that is diverse, inclusive and equitable. Our work benefits greatly from the contributions of people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, LGBTQ people, and individuals with disabilities. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.
This executive search is being conducted by Eos Transition Partners consultant, Erin Cox. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential, and any questions can be submitted to Erin at: ecox@eostransitions.com.