Operations Manager - Westport, CT

Ascend Autism Group

Westport, CT

Full Time

Salary - $60,000-$70,000 annually

About Us:

Ascend Autism is a family-centric, tech-enabled autism therapy company serving children and families across the Northeast. Through a natural and accessible approach to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Ascend Autism is elevating outcomes for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). At Ascend Autism, we prepare kids and families for what’s next.

About the Role:

The Operations Manager will support the day-to-day operations of Ascend Autism’s Westport center and play a key role in ensuring the center runs smoothly, efficiently, and in alignment with company standards. This role requires a highly organized, hands-on operator who can manage scheduling, support BT/RBT hiring and onboarding, maintain center systems, coordinate facility needs, and help create a positive experience for employees, clients, and families.

The Operations Manager will also serve as an important center-level leader in staff communication, family coordination, and operational follow-through. This position includes meaningful involvement in BT/RBT interviews, onboarding, schedule management, customer service, and employee accountability conversations related to reliability, attendance, tardiness, and professionalism. This role requires working in-person 5x per week at our Westport, CT location. 

The ideal candidate:

The ideal candidate is proactive, detail-oriented, adaptable, and comfortable working in a fast-paced healthcare services environment. This position will partner closely with the Center Director, clinical leadership, HR, and other support teams to promote operational excellence, strong communication, schedule consistency, and a high-performance culture grounded in collaboration, honesty, problem solving, accountability, and clinical excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

• Center Operations & Daily Execution

• Support the day-to-day operations of the center to ensure a safe, organized, clean, and professional environment

• Maintain center organization, inventory, materials, supplies, and operational readiness in alignment with client and staff needs

• Identify facilities, maintenance, or vendor-related issues and coordinate timely follow-up as needed

• Help ensure the center remains compliant with applicable company policies, procedures, and operational standards

• Assist therapists and center team members with client-related operational needs, as appropriate

• Support special projects, center events, and other operational initiatives as assigned

• Scheduling, Attendance & Staffing Coordination

• Create, update, and maintain center schedules for behavior therapists in coordination with clinical and operational leadership

• Coordinate shift coverage, schedule changes, call-outs, and staffing adjustments in a timely and organized manner

• Maintain strong visibility into staffing needs and proactively communicate scheduling risks or gap

• Partner with the Center Director and clinical team to support schedule consistency for clients, families, and employees

• Monitor attendance, tardiness, and schedule adherence, escalating concerns and participating in follow-up conversations as appropriate

• Participate in difficult conversations with employees related to attendance, reliability, schedule consistency, professionalism, and center expectations

• Use scheduling systems accurately and consistently to support real-time communication and execution

• BT/RBT Hiring, Interviewing & Onboarding

• Conduct second/final round interviews and site visits for BT/RBT candidates who advance beyond the initial screening stage

• Evaluate candidates for reliability, professionalism, communication skills, schedule fit, culture fit, and readiness to work with young children with autism

• Provide hiring recommendations to the Center Director, HR, and recruiting team based on final-round interviews and site visits

• Coordinate BT/RBT onboarding and training logistics for the center

• Partner with HR and recruiting teams to support candidate flow, interview scheduling, hiring needs, and new hire readiness

• Help ensure new employees are welcomed, prepared, and supported during the onboarding process

• Support training coordination and follow-up to ensure employees understand center expectations, workflows, scheduling requirements, and company standards

• Family Communication & Customer Service

• Serve as a professional and responsive point of contact for family communication related to scheduling, attendance, center logistics, and operational questions

• Build rapport and maintain positive relationships with families through timely, clear, and solutions-oriented communication

• Coordinate with clinical leadership to ensure family communication is accurate, appropriate, and aligned with each client’s care team

• Support family-facing communication during schedule changes, staffing updates, center events, and other operational matters

• Participate in difficult or sensitive conversations with families, when appropriate, in partnership with the Center Director and clinical leadership

• Help ensure families experience Ascend as organized, responsive, compassionate, and professional

• Systems, Reporting & Administrative Operations

• Maintain accurate and timely updates in CRM, scheduling, HR, and other operational systems

• Prepare weekly operational reports for the Center Director and leadership team

• Track key operational items, follow-ups, and documentation with a high level of accuracy and accountability

• Respond to employee, family, and client inquiries or issues in a timely, professional, and solutions-oriented manner

• Support administrative documentation, internal communication, and operational workflows as needed

• Use Microsoft Office and other technology platforms to improve organization, visibility, and execution

• Culture, Communication & Team Support

• Promote a positive center culture that supports high morale, accountability, teamwork, and excellent client service

• Build strong rapport with employees, families, clients, and cross-functional support teams

• Serve as a reliable point of contact for operational questions, scheduling needs, and day-to-day center support

• Communicate clearly and professionally across clinical, administrative, and leadership teams

• Model Ascend’s values and help reinforce expectations related to reliability, professionalism, attendance, communication, and center readiness

• Support a culture of accountability by addressing issues directly, professionally, and in partnership with leadership

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, ideally in Business, Operations Management, Healthcare Administration, Human Services, Education, or a related field

• Minimum of 3+ years of experience in operations, management, administration, customer service, healthcare services, education, childcare, or a related leadership role

• Experience interviewing, onboarding, coaching, or managing frontline employees preferred

• Experience in healthcare services, behavioral health, childcare, education, ABA, or a related service-based environment preferred

• Facilities management or vendor coordination experience preferred

• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills

• Ability to handle sensitive conversations with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment

• Ability to manage multiple priorities, adapt quickly, and follow through in a fast-paced environment

• Comfortable using technology, scheduling systems, CRM platforms, and productivity tools to support day-to-day execution

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records, schedules, reports, and documentation

• Collaborative, team-oriented, and comfortable working closely with clinical, HR, and operational leadership

Benefits:

• Competitive salary with bonus opportunity

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k) match

• PTO and paid holidays

• Tuition reimbursement

• Referral program

• Career advancement opportunities for top performers

• Supportive and collaborative team culture

Work Environment:

• Center-based environment supporting children receiving ABA therapy

• Moderate to loud noise level at times

• Frequent interaction with employees, clients, families, and clinical team members

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, and frequent bending

• Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds at a time

• May be required to assist with center organization, supplies, materials, and light operational tasks

Ascend Autism is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to make all personnel decisions without discriminating based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, physical disability, mental disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, national or ethnic origin, or any other protected status.

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