EARLY CHILDHOOD & SPECIALTY SERVICES MANAGER

Job Description

Job Description

Job Summary

Join Home of Guiding Hands in improving the lives of children and families through high-quality early intervention and specialty services.

The Early Childhood & Specialty Services Manager provides operational and strategic leadership across Early Childhood Education (ECE), Early Start Therapies (EST), Infant Development Assessments (IDA), Life Planning, and Counseling services. This role is accountable for divisional performance, including service utilization, access to care, financial outcomes, and regulatory compliance.

The Manager leads through program supervisors and clinical staff to ensure efficient, scalable operations while maintaining high-quality, person-centered services. This role owns divisional scorecards, drives performance through data, and ensures systems are in place to support sustainable growth and strong operational execution.

This position is ideal for a leader who can translate strategy into execution, build accountability across teams, and drive measurable results.

Tasks, Duties, and Responsibilities

• Own overall performance of Early Intervention & Specialty Services, including utilization, service access, financial outcomes, and compliance
• Develop, monitor, and drive divisional scorecards aligned with organizational goals
• Identify performance gaps and implement corrective actions to improve operational and financial results
• Ensure programs are positioned for sustainable growth and scalability
• Oversee operational performance across programs, ensuring timely service initiation, efficient workflows, and consistent service delivery
• Ensure systems are in place to support referral flow, intake coordination, scheduling efficiency, and documentation compliance
• Monitor key operational metrics such as caseload distribution, assessment turnaround time, and service timeliness
• Remove barriers to service delivery and ensure programs maintain readiness to accept new referrals
• Own divisional budget performance, including revenue, expenses, and margin
• Monitor billing processes, authorization utilization, and service capture to ensure financial stability
• Identify opportunities to improve financial performance through operational efficiencies and growth
• Partner with Finance to ensure accurate forecasting, reporting, and revenue cycle management
• Provide leadership, coaching, and accountability to direct reports, including Supervisor, IDA Manager, and specialty program staff
• Ensure clear expectations, role clarity, and accountability at all levels of the organization
• Support hiring, workforce planning, and staff development to meet program needs and growth goals
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Drive referral growth and conversion across programs
• Monitor and improve key growth metrics, including referral volume, conversion rate, and days from referral to service start
• Support outreach and partnership efforts with Regional Centers and community stakeholders
• Ensure programs maintain accessibility and responsiveness to community needs
• Ensure all programs meet regulatory, contractual, and documentation requirements
• Oversee documentation compliance, audit readiness, and billing accuracy across programs
• Ensure appropriate oversight of clinical quality through Supervisors and licensed staff
• Identify and mitigate operational and compliance risks
• Use data and reporting tools to drive decision-making and continuous improvement
• Ensure consistent use of systems for tracking referrals, service delivery, and program performance
• Run effective L10 meetings and ensure alignment with EOS practices

Values

Innovation – We encourage creativity and innovation because we believe that by striving for more efficient and effective ways of doing things, we can achieve exceptional results. Our drive for success is shared by all. Our organization focuses on solutions and refuses to maintain the status quo. We challenge our team to be ahead of industry trends as we strive to lead and not follow.

Collaboration – We believe that working together collaboratively is the foundation of a culture that values teamwork, communication, and cooperation. This belief is central to every part of our business, both internally and externally, and strengthens our community.

Accountability – We take responsibility for our actions and for delivering on our commitments. We believe that by being transparent and accountable, we build trust and maintain the respect of our stakeholders.

Respect – We treat everyone with respect and dignity. We value inclusivity and believe that by upholding a culture of respect, we can foster a positive and supportive work environment. We treat others as we would want to be treated.

Empathy – We value empathy and understanding in all our interactions. We seek to understand the perspectives and needs of our colleagues, clients, and stakeholders to meet them with kindness and compassion.

Knowledge, Skills, and Education

• Master’s Degree in Human Services, Early Childhood Education, Business Administration, or related field required
• Minimum 5 years of experience in human services, early intervention, healthcare, or related field
• Minimum 3 years of leadership experience, including supervision of managers or program leaders
• Strong understanding of Regional Center systems, Early Start, and/or developmental disability services preferred
• Demonstrated ability to manage program operations, budgets, and performance metrics
• Strong analytical skills with ability to use data to drive decision-making and results
• Experience leading teams, building accountability, and improving operational performance
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Highly organized with strong problem-solving and execution skills
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational follow-through
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and program management systems
• Must be 18 years of age or older at the time of hire
• Must receive criminal record clearance from DOJ
• Must have valid California Driver’s license, safe driving record, and have been licensed to drive at least 2 years
• Must maintain current and adequate auto insurance

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

This position requires balancing administrative responsibilities with active engagement in program operations and staff support across multiple service locations. Regular local travel within San Diego and Imperial Counties is required. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to see, talk, hear, walk, bend, stoop, sit, stand, reach, and lift objects weighing up to ten pounds repeatedly during a shift.

* Home of Guiding Hands is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity/expression), age, marital status, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

About HGH

Home of Guiding Hands is a non-profit organization that was established in 1967 by a small group of dedicated and ambitious community members. The Mission of HGH is "to improve the lives of those we serve". We support children and adults in San Diego and Imperial Counties with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome, epilepsy, autism, and cerebral palsy. We provide a full continuum of care including residential care in specialized group homes, independent living support, respite care, and adult foster home services. Additionally, we provide early childhood assessments and services, tailored day support, Life Planning workshops, county-wide transportation services, and on-site activities at our resource center.

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