Area Director of Operations Jobs

Reports To: Residential Operations Director

Directly Supervises: Residential Managers

Schedule: Full-time; flexible schedule based on operational needs, including on-call responsibilities as assigned

STATEMENT OF DUTIES

Reporting directly to the Residential Operations Director, the Area Director is responsible and accountable for the successful day-to-day and strategic performance of assigned residential programs and locations. The Area Director serves as the direct supervisor to Residential Managers, with no intermediate supervisory level, and has the authority to direct operations within established agency policies, procedures, regulatory requirements, approved budgets, and delegated approval limits. The Area Director is accountable for regulatory compliance, manager performance, staffing stability, quality of services, fiscal and documentation controls, physical plant standards, incident management, and consistent implementation of agency expectations. The Area Director is expected to achieve operational results primarily through the effective supervision, direction, development, and accountability of Residential Managers rather than through routine assumption of Residential Manager duties.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

· Directly supervises Residential Managers assigned to the Area Director’s portfolio.

· Provides operational leadership and oversight to Assistant Managers, Supervisors, Senior DSPs/Senior Supervisors, Direct Support Professionals, Residential Counselors, Med Techs, Advisors, and other residential staff through the Residential Managers.

· Provides direct intervention, coaching, direction, or temporary operational coverage when vacancies, emergencies, significant performance concerns, or regulatory requirements warrant; routine assumption of Residential Manager duties is not an expectation of the position.

AUTHORITY & DECISION-MAKING

· Within established agency policies, procedures, regulatory requirements, approved budgets, and delegated approval limits, makes day-to-day operational decisions necessary to ensure safe, compliant, effective, and sustainable operation of assigned residential programs.

· Directs and assigns work to Residential Managers and establishes priorities, deadlines, performance expectations, and required follow-up.

· Holds Residential Managers accountable for the operational, service, staffing, documentation, fiscal, physical plant, and regulatory performance of their assigned residences.

· Conducts regular supervision with Residential Managers and documents expectations, performance concerns, action items, deadlines, and follow-up.

· Reallocates available staffing resources among assigned programs when necessary to maintain required coverage and safe operations, within agency policy and delegated authority.

· Requires immediate correction of identified health, safety, staffing, documentation, fiscal, service-delivery, or regulatory deficiencies and verifies that corrective action is sustained.

· Reviews and approves operational transactions and documentation assigned to the Area Director level, including staffing, overtime, timekeeping, billing, purchasing, resident-fund activity, and related matters, within established approval limits.

· Responds to incidents, emergencies, staffing shortages, and operational concerns and directs immediate actions necessary to protect individuals, staff, and agency operations.

· Represents assigned residential programs in internal and external meetings, surveys, audits, and regulatory activities as assigned.

ESCALATION & EXECUTIVE OVERSIGHT

· Reports directly to the Residential Operations Director and is expected to exercise independent judgment within the scope and authority of the position.

· Promptly escalates matters that exceed delegated authority, require an exception to agency policy, or present significant regulatory, financial, legal, personnel, safety, or reputational risk.

· Escalation does not relieve the Area Director of responsibility for taking immediate action within their authority to protect health and safety, maintain required staffing, preserve regulatory compliance, and stabilize program operations.

PROGRAM OPERATIONS & REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

· Ensures service delivery and residential operations meet all applicable OPWDD and/or OMH requirements, as assigned, as well as applicable DOH, Medicaid, Mental Hygiene Law, Justice Center, contractual, and agency standards.

· Ensures agency policies, procedures, standard operating procedures, staffing patterns, and required supervisory practices are consistently implemented across assigned locations.

· Conducts regular, purposeful site visits and maintains active knowledge of the daily operation, staffing, resident needs, documentation, physical plant, and outstanding corrective actions at each assigned residence.

· Ensures adequate staffing and supervision based on required ratios, program needs, and the individualized needs of residents; responds to staffing shortages and operational disruptions, including deployment of staff when necessary.

· Confirms assigned residences are safe, clean, well maintained, and home-like, and that health, safety, fire, emergency preparedness, and physical plant requirements are met.

· Participates in internal quality-improvement reviews and external surveys/audits; establishes, assigns, monitors, and verifies completion of corrective action plans within required timeframes.

LEADERSHIP, SUPERVISION & WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT

· Provides structured supervision, coaching, performance management, and accountability to Residential Managers, including regular supervisory meetings and documented follow-up.

· Ensures Residential Managers effectively supervise, train, support, and evaluate their teams and maintain appropriate coverage and communication at each location.

· Directs and participates in recruiting, interviewing, selection, onboarding, training, retention, and succession planning for Residential Manager positions and supports these processes for other residential staff in accordance with agency procedures.

· Reviews and approves staffing schedules, employee hours, timecards, requests for time off, overtime, and deployment of staff within established agency policy, budget parameters, and delegated approval limits.

· Monitors completion of required staff training and ensures training records remain current and compliant; partners with Human Resources and the Training Department on staff and management development.

· Addresses performance concerns promptly and consistently and initiates appropriate performance-management processes, including coaching, conversation forms, performance improvement, and progressive discipline, in collaboration with Human Resources and the Residential Operations Director and in accordance with agency policy.

· Leads or facilitates Residential Manager meetings and ensures managers receive timely, clear communication regarding agency expectations, administrative decisions, regulatory changes, and operational priorities.

RESIDENT SERVICES & PROGRAM QUALITY

· Ensures residents receive high-quality, person-centered and recovery-oriented services that promote safety, choice, independence, community integration, and quality of life.

· Oversees the development, implementation, monitoring, and revision of resident support, recovery, service, goal, and treatment plans as applicable to the program type.

· Ensures appropriate coordination with treatment providers, care coordination, day programs/activities, clinical supports, benefits, behavioral supports, nursing, families, advocates, and other involved parties.

· Participates in admissions, discharges, transfers, team meetings, and service-planning meetings as needed; ensures operational readiness and appropriate follow-through.

· Monitors resident satisfaction, recreational and community activities, active treatment, and meaningful engagement across assigned programs.

INCIDENT MANAGEMENT, DOCUMENTATION & QUALITY ASSURANCE

· Ensures critical incidents, allegations, emergencies, and other reportable events are handled, documented, reported, investigated, and followed up in accordance with applicable regulatory and agency requirements.

· Reviews resident records and program documentation for completeness, timeliness, accuracy, and quality; ensures deficiencies are corrected and sustained.

· Conducts or ensures completion of routine audits of resident records, site documentation, resident funds, financial transactions, fire/safety records, communication logs, and other required program records.

· Establishes, assigns, and monitors corrective actions arising from audits, incidents, surveys, performance concerns, or identified trends and holds Residential Managers accountable for timely, documented, and sustained resolution.

BILLING, FISCAL & ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT

· Oversees completion and accuracy of billing and service documentation and reviews/approves weekly and/or monthly billing as required by program type.

· Identifies billing or documentation discrepancies and ensures timely correction, staff retraining, and preventive follow-up.

· Monitors resident funds and program financial controls and collaborates with Accounting, Benefits, and other departments to support regulatory compliance and fiscal integrity.

· Prepares and analyzes administrative, staffing, compliance, incident, billing, and operational reports as assigned by the Residential Operations Director.

· Manages assigned program financial responsibilities within established approval limits; identifies capital improvement and sustainability needs and develops recommendations for the Residential Operations Director regarding budgets, major expenditures, and opportunities for expansion.

ON-CALL, EMERGENCY & OPERATIONAL COVERAGE

· Participates in the residential on-call rotation and provides leadership support on a 24/7 basis as assigned, including evenings, weekends, and holidays when operationally necessary.

· Responds to urgent staffing, resident, facility, safety, and program issues; takes immediate action within delegated authority to stabilize operations and protect health, safety, and compliance; and promptly escalates matters that exceed established authority or present significant regulatory, financial, legal, personnel, safety, or reputational risk.

· Provides temporary direct operational coverage only when necessary to maintain continuity, safety, or regulatory compliance during an emergency or critical vacancy. Such coverage does not replace the Residential Manager’s ongoing responsibility for day-to-day residence operations.

COLLABORATION & AGENCY LEADERSHIP

· Works collaboratively with Nursing, Behavioral Supports, Intake, Benefits, Quality Improvement, Human Resources, Training, Accounting, Facilities, and other agency departments.

· Promotes effective cross-program collaboration, cross-training, staffing support, and operational alignment across OPWDD and Mental Health residential programs as assigned.

· Establishes and maintains professional relationships with residents, families, advocates, providers, regulators, community partners, and other stakeholders.

· Serves on agency committees and workgroups as assigned, including quality, human rights, incident review, strategic planning, or other operational committees.

· Develops and contributes to proposals, contracts, planning initiatives, and other operational projects as assigned by the Residential Operations Director.

· Performs other duties as assigned.

PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY

· The Area Director is accountable for the overall performance of assigned residential programs and will be evaluated on regulatory compliance and survey readiness; health, safety, and service quality; Residential Manager performance; staffing stability and responsible overtime management; timely and accurate documentation and billing; staff training compliance; incident reporting and corrective follow-up; fiscal controls and resident funds; physical plant readiness; employee retention and development; resident satisfaction; and achievement of operational goals established by the Residential Operations Director.

· Identifies concerns proactively, develops and implements solutions within delegated authority, verifies completion, and escalates matters when additional authorization or organizational intervention is required.

· Delegates work appropriately to Residential Managers while retaining accountability for ensuring assigned responsibilities are completed accurately, timely, and in accordance with agency and regulatory requirements.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

· Strong working knowledge of OPWDD and/or OMH residential regulations, Justice Center requirements, compliance expectations, required training standards, and person-centered/recovery-oriented service models.

· Demonstrated ability to lead multiple residential locations, directly supervise managers, establish clear performance expectations, delegate effectively, make operational decisions within delegated authority, and maintain accountability across a geographically dispersed portfolio.

· Ability to analyze program performance, identify trends and risk, develop corrective strategies, and implement sustainable operational improvements.

· Strong judgment and crisis-management skills, with the ability to make timely decisions and communicate effectively during emergencies.

· Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with residents, families, staff, providers, regulators, and community partners.

· Excellent organizational, interpersonal, presentation, verbal, and written communication skills; highly organized and detail oriented.

· Computer proficiency, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and relevant electronic health/record systems such as Precision Care, as applicable.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

· Bachelor’s degree in Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, Rehabilitation, Health Administration, Business Administration, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred.

· Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in human services or residential operations.

· Minimum of three (3) years of supervisory/management experience, including direct supervision of managers or comparable program leadership experience; five (5) years preferred.

· Demonstrated experience with OPWDD and/or OMH residential services required; experience overseeing multiple sites strongly preferred.

· Where assignment requires performance of a designated professional function such as QIDP or QMHS, the employee must meet the applicable regulatory qualification requirements.

· Valid New York State Driver’s License and ability to travel regularly among assigned program locations.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & FIELD-BASED EXPECTATIONS

• The Area Director is a field-based leadership position requiring regular and consistent presence at assigned residential programs to provide operational oversight, direct supervision, guidance, and support to Residential Managers. The Area Director must maintain flexibility to respond to operational needs across assigned locations.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

· Ability to travel between residential locations and respond to program needs throughout the assigned area.

· Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.

· Substantial movement of wrists, hands, and/or fingers and close visual acuity for reading, documentation review, data analysis, and computer-based work.

Pay: $75,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Tuition reimbursement

Work Location: In person