Program Director

Job Description

Job Description

Salary: $62,000-$72,500/Year

Job Title: Program Director
Location: Canton, Ohio
Schedule: Full-time, salaried (on-site / field-based)
Compensation: $62,000$72,500 annually (based on experience)

About Us

We are a growing developmental disabilities (DD) provider committed to high-quality, person-centered residential services. Our CEO remains deeply involved in external relationships (SSAs, guardians, county boards, and strategic growth). We now need a strong internal operator to run the inside of the company.

This role is not an Executive Director position. It is an operations leadership role focused on stabilizing, organizing, and leading our residential services day-to-day.

Position Overview

The Program Director is responsible for the overall performance of our residential programs and management team. You will:

• Lead and develop residential managers
• Build and enforce structure, systems, and accountability
• Absorb daily operational chaos so the CEO can focus on growth and external relationships

If you are the type of leader who can step into a fast-moving environment, quickly assess whats broken, and calmly put order to it, this role is for you.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Oversight

• Lead, coach, and hold residential managers accountable for quality, safety, staffing, and compliance
• Oversee daily operations across all residential sites, ensuring consistent implementation of policies and procedures
• Conduct regular site visits, spot checks, and operational audits
• Monitor schedules, call-offs, and staffing patterns; ensure coverage and effective call-off management systems

People Management & Internal Communication

• Serve as the primary internal point of contact for managers and DSPs for operational issues
• Address employee concerns, DSP complaints, and internal escalations before they reach the CEO
• Coordinate and oversee orientation, onboarding flow, and retraining for residential staff and managers
• Manage performance reviews, corrective action, and follow-through on expectations

Systems, Structure & Compliance

• Create and refine internal processes that reduce confusion, repeated questions, and fires
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, documentation standards, and agency policies
• Partner with HR/recruiting (or oversee that function as needed) to support effective hiring, onboarding, and retention
• Implement and maintain clear internal communication systems between leadership, managers, and direct care staff

Buffer & Bandwidth Protection

• Act as the operational filter between residential operations and the CEO
• Reduce leadership dependency by empowering managers to solve problems independently
• Protect executive time from daily drama, repeated operational questions, and non-strategic issues

Who You Are

We are not looking for another overwhelmed coordinator or a passive task completer.
We are looking for an enforcerorganizer hybrid who:

• Naturally creates structure where there is chaos
• Holds managers firmly accountable while remaining fair and professional
• Thinks in systems and can stop repeated mistakes from happening over and over
• Communicates clearly and directly, both up and down the organization
• Can work under pressure without becoming reactive or overwhelmed
• Is comfortable making decisions and seeing them through

Qualifications

Required:

• 3+ years of leadership/management experience in DD services, residential services, assisted living, behavioral health, or a closely related field
• Bachelor's Degree
• Proven track record of supervising managers or team leads (not just frontline staff)
• Strong understanding of residential operations: staffing, scheduling, documentation, compliance, and crisis response
• Demonstrated experience creating or enforcing processes, policies, and accountability
• Valid drivers license, reliable transportation, and ability to travel regularly between sites

Preferred:

• Experience as a Residential Director, Program Director, Program Manager, PC, or similar role in DD or human services
• Knowledge of Ohio DD regulations and county board/SSA systems
• Experience leading through growth, change, or operational turnaround

What We Offer

• Competitive salary of $62,000$72,500 (commensurate with experience)
• Opportunity to shape and lead the internal operations of a growing agency
• Direct access to and partnership with the CEO
• Supportive leadership that wants you to lead, not just help out
• The chance to build systems, structure, and a leadership culture that actually works

How to Apply

Please submit:

• Your resume
• A brief cover letter that addresses:
  • Your experience leading managers or supervisors
  • A specific example of a time you reduced chaos or fixed a recurring operational problem

Apply through Indeed or send resume to View email address on ziprecruiter.com
Subject line: Program Director [Your Name]

If you are a strong operator who is ready to truly run the inside of an agency and build something stable and sustainable, we want to hear from you.