Program Manager - Residential Program

Position Summary

The Program Manager (PM) provides leadership, supervision, and operational oversight for assigned residential, day, community-based, or other service programs at The Kennedy Collective. Under the direction of senior leadership, the Program Manager oversees the delivery of person-centered services, supervises and develops employees, ensures regulatory compliance, manages program operations and resources, and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to promote health, safety, community inclusion, and positive individual outcomes. The Program Manager is responsible for fostering high-quality service delivery, supporting employee performance and development, and ensuring programs operate in accordance with Connecticut DDS regulations, agency policies, and organizational goals. 

Core Competencies

• Person-Centered Leadership: Leads programs that promote dignity, choice, independence, and person-centered practices while ensuring services align with each individual's goals, needs, and rights. 
• People Leadership & Performance Management: Recruits, develops, coaches, and supervises employees while fostering accountability, engagement, professional growth, and a high-performing, inclusive team culture. 
• Communication & Relationship Management: Builds collaborative relationships and communicates effectively with individuals served, families, guardians, employees, interdisciplinary teams, regulatory agencies, and community partners while maintaining accurate, timely, and confidential documentation. 
• Professionalism, Ethics & Strategic Leadership: Demonstrates integrity, ethical leadership, accountability, cultural competence, sound judgment, strategic thinking, and continuous improvement while advancing The Kennedy Collective's mission, vision, values, and stewardship of organizational resources. 
• Business Acumen & Operational Excellence: Effectively manages program operations, staffing, scheduling, budgets, resources, and organizational priorities while driving operational efficiency, quality outcomes, and fiscal responsibility. 
• Quality, Compliance & Risk Management: Ensures compliance with Connecticut DDS regulations, licensing requirements, agency policies, and applicable laws while promoting continuous quality improvement, risk mitigation, and regulatory readiness.. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Operations

• Provide leadership, supervision, coaching, and performance management to assigned employees while fostering a culture of accountability, professionalism, person-centered practices, and continuous improvement. 
• Oversee the daily operations of assigned residential, day, community-based, or other service programs to ensure high-quality services, regulatory compliance, and positive individual outcomes. 
• Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate Individual Plans (IPs/ISPs), behavioral support plans, nursing protocols, and other individualized services. 
• Conduct employee performance evaluations, provide ongoing coaching and feedback, address performance concerns, recognize employee achievements, and implement corrective action, disciplinary action, and performance improvement plans in collaboration with Human Resources and agency policy. 
• Manage staffing, scheduling, recruitment, onboarding, training, and program coverage, including participation in on-call responsibilities as assigned. 
• Monitor program performance and service delivery to ensure individualized support is implemented effectively and consistently. 

Regulatory Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Ensure compliance with Connecticut DDS regulations, licensing requirements, accreditation standards, agency policies, and applicable federal and state laws. 
• Participate in licensing reviews, Quality Service Reviews, audits, investigations, and corrective action initiatives while promoting continuous quality improvement. 
• Review and approve documentation within the organization's electronic health record (EHR) and other agency systems to ensure accuracy, completeness, and regulatory compliance. 
• Ensure incidents, investigations, abuse and neglect reporting, GERs, DDS reports, restrictive procedures, assessments, emergency information, and other required documentation are completed accurately and within established timelines. 
• Monitor staff compliance with required trainings, certifications, medication administration requirements, and other regulatory qualifications. 

Financial & Administrative Responsibilities

• Manage assigned program budgets, purchasing, petty cash, billing, inventories, operational expenditures, and administrative reporting in accordance with agency policies and regulatory requirements. 
• Oversee individual financial accounts, benefits, and personal funds, when applicable, in accordance with agency policy and DDS requirements. 

Health, Safety & Individual Supports

• Promote and protect the health, safety, dignity, privacy, and rights of individuals by ensuring compliance with HIPAA, abuse and neglect reporting requirements, emergency preparedness procedures, and agency policies. 
• Collaborate with healthcare professionals, families, guardians, and interdisciplinary team members to coordinate quality services, healthcare needs, medication administration, and person-centered supports. 
• Respond appropriately to behavioral, medical, environmental, and operational emergencies while maintaining safe, clean, and supportive program environments. 
• Promote meaningful community inclusion, employment, recreation, skill development, self-advocacy, and person-centered outcomes. 

General Responsibilities

• Maintain professional, respectful, and timely communication with individuals served, employees, families, guardians, community partners, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders while preserving confidentiality. 
• Maintain all required trainings, certifications, licenses, and qualifications for both self and assigned employees in accordance with agency, Connecticut DDS, and regulatory requirements. 
• Demonstrate professionalism, ethical conduct, cultural competence, accountability, and person-centered leadership consistent with The Kennedy Collective's mission, vision, values, and policies. 
• Promote employee engagement, accountability, and professional development by fostering a positive work environment and supporting employee growth and retention. 
• Provide leadership and operational support across programs, locations, shifts, and service settings as assigned to meet organizational needs. 
• Perform additional duties, assignments, and projects as assigned to support organizational operations and the needs of individuals served. 

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent required. 
• Valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and satisfactory driving record. Must be able to travel between assigned programs and transport individuals served, as needed. 
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a Connecticut DDS or comparable human services setting. 
• Minimum of two (2) years of supervisory or leadership experience, including staff supervision, scheduling, coaching, and performance management. 
• Demonstrated knowledge of Connecticut DDS regulations, licensing requirements, person-centered practices, Individual Plans (IPs/ISPs), and regulatory compliance. 
• Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written form and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, families, guardians, regulatory agencies, and community partners. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, electronic health record (EHR) systems, and other technology platforms used to support program operations and documentation. 
• Ability to work independently while exercising sound judgment, professionalism, and initiative in a person-centered environment. 
• Must complete and maintain all required agency, Connecticut DDS, PMT, CPR/First Aid, Medication Administration Certification (as applicable), and other required trainings, certifications, and qualifications. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Human Services, Psychology, Social Work, Special Education, Rehabilitation, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related field. 
• Experience managing Connecticut DDS residential, day, or community-based programs. 
• Experience with program budgeting, staffing, scheduling, quality assurance, licensing reviews, and regulatory compliance. 
• Experience conducting employee performance evaluations, coaching, corrective action, and performance improvement planning. 
• Experience with electronic case record (ECR) systems and incident reporting. 
• Experience working with culturally diverse populations; bilingual skills preferred. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of Connecticut DDS regulations, person-centered practices, licensing requirements, and quality assurance principles. 
• Strong leadership, supervisory, coaching, and performance management skills. 
• Ability to build and maintain professional relationships with individuals served, employees, families, guardians, regulatory agencies, and community partners. 
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, decision-making, conflict resolution, and time management skills. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to prepare accurate documentation, reports, and correspondence. 
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment, and respond effectively to behavioral, medical, operational, and emergency situations.  

Physical Requirements

• Ability to assist individuals with activities of daily living, including lifting, transferring, repositioning, mobility assistance, and personal care as required. 
• Ability to safely lift, carry, push, and pull up to 50 pounds independently and greater weights with assistance or adaptive equipment when appropriate. 
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, reach, climb stairs, and perform repetitive physical activities throughout the workday. 
• Ability to perform approved physical intervention techniques, emergency evacuations, and other safety-related responsibilities following required training. 
• Ability to travel between assigned program locations and transport individuals served, as needed. 

Working Conditions

• Primarily works within residential homes and community-based settings, including transportation to appointments, employment, recreational, and community activities. 
• Regular interaction with individuals served, families or guardians, interdisciplinary team members, healthcare providers, and community partners. 
• Frequent travel between assigned program locations for supervision, meetings, training, audits, and operational support.  
• Schedule may include days, evenings, weekends, holidays, on-call responsibilities, and emergency coverage based on operational needs.  
• Must be available to provide leadership and operational support across programs, locations, shifts, and service settings as assigned to meet organizational and staffing needs.  

Success Measures

• Programs consistently operate in compliance with Connecticut DDS regulations, agency policies, licensing standards, and applicable laws. 
• Individuals receive high-quality, person-centered services that promote health, safety, independence, choice, and meaningful community participation. 
• Assigned employees demonstrate strong performance, accountability, engagement, and compliance with required training and certification requirements. 
• Documentation, incident reporting, financial records, and administrative responsibilities are completed accurately, timely, and in accordance with regulatory and agency requirements. 
• Program operations, staffing, budgets, and resources are effectively managed to support organizational goals and positive individual outcomes. 
• Positive, collaborative relationships are maintained with individuals served, families, guardians, employees, interdisciplinary team members, community partners, and regulatory agencies. 
• Safe, clean, inclusive, and well-maintained program environments are consistently maintained while supporting a culture of quality improvement and person-centered excellence.