Executive Director

The Cordwainer Memory Care, Norwell, Massachusetts |

The Cordwainer is seeking an exceptional Executive Director to lead our award-winning memory care assisted living community in Norwell, Massachusetts.

We are an independently owned, 54-apartment, stand‑alone memory care community created with a singular focus: providing an exceptional environment and quality of life for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Since opening, The Cordwainer has earned recognition for excellence in memory care, innovative programming, design and resident experience. We are proud of what we have built—and we are looking for a leader who shares our commitment to continually raising the bar.

We are seeking someone who is hardworking, engaged and accountable; someone who genuinely cares about residents, families and employees and who takes ownership of the community they lead.

The Opportunity

The Executive Director has overall responsibility for the operations, culture and performance of The Cordwainer.

This is a highly visible, hands‑on leadership position. Our Executive Director should know our residents and families, be present and accessible to employees, develop strong department leaders, understand the business and notice the details that make the difference between a good community and an exceptional one.

The Executive Director will lead an established management team including nursing/resident care, programming, dining, facilities, human resources, business office, and sales leadership, and will work closely with experienced, hands‑on ownership.

What You’ll Lead

The Executive Director will:

• Provide overall leadership and direction for the community and its department leaders
• Build a positive, accountable and collaborative workplace culture
• Develop strong managers and hold leaders accountable for their departments
• Maintain exceptional relationships with residents and families
• Ensure outstanding resident care, service and quality of life
• Maintain compliance with Massachusetts assisted living and Special Care Residence requirements
• Maintain continuous readiness for certification reviews, inspections and regulatory requirements
• Oversee staffing, labor management, recruitment, retention and employee performance
• Work closely with nursing and resident care leadership to promote resident safety and best practices in dementia care
• Oversee budgets, expenses, labor and overall financial and operating performance
• Partner with our Sales Director and ownership to maintain strong occupancy and ensure prospective residents are appropriate for The Cordwainer
• Oversee safety, emergency preparedness and overall operational readiness
• Identify issues early, take ownership and follow through
• Continually look for opportunities to make an already strong community even better

Who We’re Looking For

Our ideal candidate has meaningful leadership experience in assisted living, memory care, senior living or a related senior‑care environment and a demonstrated ability to lead people and operations successfully.

We are looking for someone who:

• Has strong senior living operational and leadership experience
• Understands the unique needs of residents living with dementia and their families
• Has successfully led and developed managers and frontline teams
• Understands regulatory compliance, staffing and quality assurance
• Is comfortable with budgets, labor management and financial performance
• Has excellent judgment and knows when to act, when to listen and when to ask questions
• Communicates exceptionally well with employees, residents and families
• Is organized, responsive and follows through
• Is comfortable addressing difficult issues directly and thoughtfully
• Is visible and engaged in the community—not someone who manages primarily from an office
• Is curious, open to new ideas and continually looking for ways to improve
• Takes pride in both the big picture and the details

Prior Executive Director experience is strongly preferred. We will also consider an exceptional senior living leader who has demonstrated the ability, judgment and drive to successfully take the next step into an Executive Director role.

Candidates must meet the education and experience requirements applicable to an Assisted Living Residence Manager and Special Care Residence Manager in Massachusetts.

Why The Cordwainer?

The Cordwainer offers something increasingly difficult to find in senior living: the opportunity to lead a sophisticated, highly regarded community without layers of corporate hierarchy.

At 54 apartments, we are large enough to have a strong professional leadership team but small enough for our Executive Director to truly know the residents, families and employees.

We are independently owned. Ownership is engaged and accessible. Good ideas are encouraged, decisions can be made quickly, and the Executive Director has a meaningful voice in how the community operates and evolves.

We are looking for someone who wants more than the next job. We want a leader who will take pride in The Cordwainer, become invested in its people and its success, and help us continue to build something special.

Compensation & Benefits:

$125,000–$140,000 annual base salary, commensurate with experience, plus performance‑based bonus. Benefits include health and dental insurance, life insurance, 401(k), paid time off, paid holidays and complimentary meals.

Position:

Full‑time, on‑site. As the leader of a 24/7 community, occasional evening and weekend presence is expected for special events and as operational needs arise.

The Cordwainer is an Equal Opportunity Employer.