About Journey Found:
Headquartered in Manchester, CT, and established in 2013, Journey Found (JF) is a proven leader in providing behavioral, residential, and many other support services to Connecticut individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities, enabling them to become all they are capable of being. Journey Found currently serves 73 adults with intellectual disabilities ranging in age from 21-82 in small (mostly 3-person) group homes and apartments, in individualized day support services, and a growing number in their own or their family’s homes. Services are person-centered, and each person has an individual plan of service that addresses their hopes, wants, and needs in each aspect of their life: home, work, recreation, medical, and sometimes education.
Journey Found’s annual budget is $19 million, 95% of which comes from contracts with the state of Connecticut. The organization has 292 employees (~166 FTEs) and is governed by an actively engaged 10-member board.
Opportunity Going Forward:
The Senior Director of Operations provides oversight of all the agency's operations and acts as the internal face of the organization. This role is critical in helping fulfill Journey Found’s mission of providing the best person-centered services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and to secure its sustainability in service to this mission.
The Senior Director of Operations is a dynamic leader and creative individual who works to maintain and expand the high-quality services provided by the organization. The candidate is willing to learn and remains flexible enough to adjust priorities to ensure the organization continues to fulfill its mission as new service trends emerge, and changes in the environment occur. Journey Found’s next Senior Director of Operations will join the team at an exciting time. The field is changing, with innovations in technology presenting new ways to serve the people Journey Found supports. The new Senior Director of Operations will have the opportunity to work with the CEO to explore and realize the impact of new service models that align with Journey Found’s person-centered culture, leaving an imprint on the organization and the lives it touches. In addition, there is a strong team in place, and the new Senior Director of Operations will be able to partner with team leaders who have been providing high-quality services to the people JF serves while looking for growth opportunities within the organization.
The Senior Director of Operations reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer under the general direction of the Board of Directors. The position is based in JF’s Manchester, CT office and is expected to be on-site for the majority of the Monday-Friday work week, with the flexibility to work remotely as their schedule and commitments permit. This individual has direct supervisory responsibilities for five professionals in the role of Director of Support Services, the Facilities Manager, and the Director of Clinical Services. This role indirectly supervises the organization’s nursing department and approximately 250 Direct Support Professionals.
The Senior Director of Operations Key Responsibilities Include:
Management and Administration
- Foster a work culture of success, empowerment, team building, and reward organizational effectiveness.
- Effectively resolve conflicts, deal with challenging situations, and make smart decisions.
- Assure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, statutes, licensure, accreditation (where applicable), and agency policy.
- Provide on-call support to the organization.
- Critically evaluate situations and strategically plan solutions.
- Firmly, promptly, and effectively manage crisis situations.
- Adeptly collect and analyze data to inform decisions that lead to positive outcomes.
Organizational Engagement
- Make strong connections with the staff and people supported.
- Strongly focus on stakeholder engagement.
- Effectively communicate with families of people supported.
- Approach working with teams and mediating positive outcomes in a proactive manner.
Clinical Oversight
- Partner with the Director of Clinical Services to ensure high-quality services are provided.
- Ensure the Clinical Team completes continuing education to promote learning and best practice approaches to clinical supports.
- Effectuate a Person-Centered approach using applied behavior analysis (ABA) techniques and strategies.
Facilities Oversight
- Develop and evaluate proactive facilities management plans.
- Ensure all Journey Found homes are maintained to the highest standards, and they reflect positively upon their communities.
- Manage a network of vendors and property managers in support of Journey Found’s mission.
- Negotiate contractual agreements and manage capital improvement projects.
- Maximize the efforts of the Facilities department by triaging work orders.
Desired Credentials/Profile of the Ideal Candidate:
There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally with Journey Found. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We will most likely be interested in your candidacy if you demonstrate most of the qualifications and attributes listed below:
- A sincere commitment to Journey Found’s mission of delivering high-quality, person-centered services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- Five or more years of managerial and administrative responsibilities in a non-profit organization or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
- At least three years of experience working with the CT Department of Developmental Services (DDS).
- An established track record of fostering a successful and effective team-based work culture.
- Experience in non-organic growth through strategic partnerships, such as contractual collaborations, joint ventures, affiliations, and mergers.
- While a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, administration, or a related field is required, an advanced degree in any of these fields or an MBA is an added advantage.
Critical Attributes:
The ideal candidate will embody many, if not all, of the following attributes.
Our next Senior Director of Operations,
- Is flexible and ensures frequent communication with all stakeholders within the JF community.
- Is kind and compassionate, yet firm and confident.
- Has a natural curiosity that leads to learning and personal & professional development.
- Can effectively influence others and drive successful outcomes, while also having the humility to be influenced.
- Has excellent interpersonal skills and fosters a team-oriented, mission-centered work culture where staff are rewarded for their dedication and encouraged to innovate.
- Demonstrates exemplary communication skills, particularly in public settings.
- Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, growing their personal network, and participating in professional societies.
Compensation and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is commensurate with experience and qualifications. Journey Found offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, prescription, dental, vision, and tax-advantaged flexible spending and reimbursement accounts; a 403(b)-retirement plan; company-provided life insurance and long-term disability; Employee Assistance Plan coverage for one’s entire family; eleven paid holidays; and a very generous bank of paid time off.
Application Process and Additional Information:
Candidates must include a resume and a cover letter that describes how their qualifications and experience match the role of the Senior Director of Operations and the mission of Journey Found. If taking the job requires a candidate to move to Connecticut, the candidate should mention why that is a good fit for them at this time. Please note that Journey Found does not provide relocation assistance.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Interested candidates should apply for the Senior Director of Operations role via the job positing on the Journey Found website, or the corresponding internet job board.
Journey Found creates an environment in which employees are treated with respect, diversity is valued, and equitable opportunities for advancement and training are available. Journey Found will not discriminate in its programs or policies based on race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, military status, genetic information, or any other category protected under applicable law.
All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential, and any questions can be submitted to Colleen Vaiciulis, Chief of Staff at: [email protected]
