Director of Residential

About the Role

Living Resources is a non-profit human services agency dedicated to supporting and empowering individuals with disabilities or other life-challenging conditions to live with dignity, independence, and happiness. As the Director of Residential Services, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for the organization’s OPWDD-certified residential programs. This role ensures residential services are safe, person-centered, financially sustainable, regulatory compliant, and aligned with the organization’s mission and values. You will work collaboratively with multiple departments to support the successful operation and growth of residential services, directly supervising the Residential Deputy Director and the QIDP Supervisor.

Responsibilities

• Residential Program Leadership:
  • Provide overall leadership, direction, and accountability for the organization's residential services.
  • Establish clear expectations for residential leadership and ensure consistent implementation across programs.
  • Provide coaching, mentoring, and performance oversight to Residential Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, and other residential leaders.
  • Develop a strong leadership pipeline and succession plan for residential services.
  • Establish systems that promote accountability, communication, teamwork, and timely follow-through.
  • Ensure residential leadership is visible and engaged within programs and communities.
  • Promote a culture that prioritizes dignity, respect, independence, choice, and meaningful outcomes for the people supported.
• OPWDD Regulatory Compliance:
  • Ensure residential programs operate in accordance with applicable OPWDD regulations, certification requirements, agency policies, and other applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
  • Maintain operational readiness for OPWDD certification reviews, surveys, audits, and other regulatory inspections.
  • Partner with Quality Assurance and Compliance to identify trends, address deficiencies, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
  • Ensure required residential documentation, reporting, training, monitoring, and quality systems are completed accurately and timely.
  • Maintain familiarity with applicable OPWDD regulations, including requirements related to residential certification, incident management, individual rights, medication administration, emergency preparedness, staffing, environmental safety, and recordkeeping.
  • Ensure corrective action plans are implemented, monitored, and sustained.
• Quality and Person-Centered Services:
  • Ensure services are delivered in accordance with each person's Life Plan, valued outcomes, needs, preferences, and goals.
  • Promote practices that maximize individual choice, independence, community participation, and quality of life.
  • Develop and monitor residential quality indicators and develop improvement strategies when performance does not meet organizational expectations.
  • Review trends related to incidents, complaints, injuries, hospitalizations, behavioral concerns, medication errors, restrictive interventions, vacancies, staff turnover, and other quality indicators.
  • Collaborate with clinical and behavioral leadership to ensure appropriate supports are in place for individuals with complex needs.
  • Ensure concerns involving the health, safety, rights, or welfare of people supported are addressed promptly and appropriately.
• Census, Admissions, and Residential Growth:
  • Maintain accountability for residential census and occupancy across the department.
  • Work closely with Intake and other program leaders to identify appropriate residential placements and fill available vacancies.
  • Develop strategies to minimize prolonged vacancies while ensuring appropriate matching of individuals to residential settings.
  • Participate in residential placement discussions and assess program readiness for prospective admissions.
  • Balance organizational growth and occupancy needs with the clinical, behavioral, medical, staffing, and environmental needs of the people supported.
  • Identify opportunities to right-size residential programs and optimize available resources.
• Financial and Resource Management:
  • Develop and manage residential budgets in collaboration with Finance and executive leadership.
  • Monitor staffing costs, overtime, vacancy rates, program expenses, and other financial indicators.
  • Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency while maintaining quality and regulatory compliance.
  • Ensure residential resources are appropriately allocated based on program needs.
  • Monitor the financial impact of vacancies and develop strategies to improve program sustainability.
  • Participate in budget development, forecasting, and financial planning for residential services.
• Staffing and Workforce Development:
  • Establish appropriate staffing structures consistent with program needs, regulations, individual needs, and approved budgets.
  • Partner with Human Resources and residential leadership to recruit, retain, and develop qualified staff.
  • Monitor staffing vacancies, turnover, overtime, and retention trends.
  • Ensure appropriate onboarding, training, competency development, and ongoing supervision of residential staff.
  • Develop strategies to strengthen employee engagement and reduce turnover.
  • Ensure leadership responds appropriately to employee performance issues and maintains consistent accountability.
  • Promote career development and succession planning throughout the residential department.
• Incident Management and Risk Oversight:
  • Provide leadership oversight regarding significant residential incidents and emerging risks.
  • Ensure incidents are reported, investigated, reviewed, and followed up in accordance with applicable requirements.
  • Analyze incident trends and identify opportunities for systemic improvement.
  • Collaborate with Incident Management, Quality Assurance, Nursing, Clinical Services, and other departments regarding significant incidents and risk concerns.
  • Ensure residential leaders understand their responsibilities for protecting the health, safety, and rights of people supported.
  • Participate in high-level reviews of serious or recurring concerns and ensure appropriate corrective actions are implemented.
• Interdepartmental Collaboration:
  • Develop strong working relationships with Nursing, Quality Assurance, Incident Management, Intake, Finance, Human Resources, Behavioral Services, Maintenance, Compliance, and other organizational departments.
  • Ensure residential services are integrated with day, employment, clinical, and community-based services.
  • Collaborate with Intake to support timely and appropriate admissions and transitions.
  • Partner with Nursing and clinical leadership to address individuals with significant medical, behavioral, or other specialized support needs.
  • Participate in organizational strategic planning and cross-departmental initiatives.
• Operational Performance and Data:
  • Establish and monitor key performance indicators for residential services.
  • Utilize data to identify trends, operational risks, opportunities for improvement, and areas requiring leadership intervention.
• Emergency and Crisis Management:
  • Ensure residential programs maintain effective emergency preparedness and response systems.
  • Provide leadership during significant operational emergencies affecting residential services.
  • Ensure appropriate plans are in place for staffing shortages, environmental emergencies, weather events, utility failures, and other disruptions.
  • Participate in organizational emergency response and continuity planning.
• Strategic Planning:
  • Participate in the development and implementation of the organization's strategic plan as it relates to residential services.
  • Identify opportunities for service innovation and improvement.
  • Evaluate residential program structures, staffing models, service capacity, and operational effectiveness.
  • Recommend changes to residential services based on regulatory requirements, individual needs, organizational priorities, and financial sustainability.
  • Support initiatives designed to strengthen the organization's overall residential service delivery model.
  • Lead with accountability, professionalism, and integrity.
  • Establish clear expectations and follow through consistently.
  • Develop leaders rather than simply manage programs.
  • Address performance and operational concerns promptly.
  • Make decisions based on the needs of the people supported, regulatory requirements, organizational priorities, and available data.
  • Maintain a visible leadership presence within residential programs.
  • Foster a culture where employees feel supported while remaining accountable for performance.
  • Promote collaboration rather than departmental silos.
  • Model person-centered practices and respect for individual rights.
  • Communicate effectively with executive leadership, employees, families, guardians, individuals supported, and external stakeholders.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• A valid NYS Driver’s License.
• Access to reliable transportation.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressively responsible experience in human services, developmental disabilities, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of management or supervisory experience, preferably overseeing multiple residential programs or a large service department.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated knowledge of OPWDD regulations and certified residential services.
• Experience managing budgets, staffing, compliance, quality, and operational performance.
• Demonstrated ability to lead managers and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong written, verbal, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to analyze operational data and translate findings into actionable strategies.

Benefits

• Paid Training.
• Health, Dental & Vision Insurance.
• Payment in Lieu of Health Insurance.
• Tuition Assistance.
• Retirement Programs.
• Opportunities to advance within the agency.