Area Director

Commonwealth of Massachusetts • Plymouth, MA

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is seeking an experienced, highly motivated, and dynamic leader to serve as the Area Director for the Plymouth Area Office. The Area Director is the highest-level DDS management position at the local level and provides strategic leadership and day-to-day oversight of the Area Office and the comprehensive network of services and support available to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Requirements

• At least six (6) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management.
• Of the above, at least two (2) years must have been in a supervisory or managerial capacity.
• Excellent judgment, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to effectively balance individual and family needs, service quality, regulatory requirements, fiscal stewardship, workforce management, and competing operational priorities.
• Ability to interpret, implement, and ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, procedures, standards, contractual requirements, and agency directives.
• Strong problem-solving, negotiation, conflict-resolution, and decision-making skills.
• Strong computer and data-management skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and the ability to effectively utilize databases, reports, and information systems to analyze information, monitor performance, and support management decision-making.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise a high degree of professional judgment, discretion, integrity, and confidentiality when managing sensitive individual, personnel, provider, fiscal, and organizational matters.
• Ability to work effectively in a highly responsible and visible leadership position, demonstrating flexibility, initiative, responsiveness, and the ability to successfully manage changing priorities and emerging needs.

Nice To Haves

• Significant experience in human services management.
• Significant experience in intellectual and developmental disability services.
• Significant experience in fiscal and contract administration.
• Significant experience in organizational leadership.
• Significant experience in community-based service systems.
• Significant leadership and management experience within a complex human services environment.
• Strong understanding of services and supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Excellent organizational and administrative skills, with demonstrated ability to establish priorities, manage multiple complex responsibilities, meet deadlines, and effectively oversee a multifaceted service delivery system.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively and professionally with individuals and families, staff, providers, community partners, senior leadership, government officials, state agencies, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated senior-level leadership and management experience, including strategic planning, staff supervision and development, performance management, organizational change, decision-making, and promoting accountability within a complex organization.
• Significant experience working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with demonstrated knowledge of person-centered services, community-based supports, and practices that promote choice, independence, inclusion, self-determination, and quality of life.
• Knowledge of and experience with Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waivers, including waiver-funded services, eligibility and service requirements, documentation, compliance, and the use of Waiver resources to support individuals in community-based settings.
• Demonstrated experience developing, managing, monitoring, and overseeing multi-million-dollar budgets, including fiscal planning, expenditure monitoring, forecasting, resource allocation, and alignment of resources with programmatic and operational priorities.
• Significant experience with contract administration, procurement, and provider oversight, including contract development and negotiation, performance monitoring, fiscal accountability, evaluation of service outcomes, and compliance with contractual and program requirements.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex human services programs and operations across multiple functional areas, including the coordination of administrative, clinical, programmatic, fiscal, and personnel responsibilities.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex operational, programmatic, clinical, and fiscal information, identify trends and emerging concerns, evaluate alternatives, and make sound and timely management decisions.
• Experience with quality management, risk management, incident management, investigations, and regulatory compliance within a human services or similarly complex service environment.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage and respond to complex, sensitive, urgent, and high-risk situations, exercising sound judgment and appropriately coordinating and escalating issues when necessary.
• Demonstrated experience leading, supervising, mentoring, and developing professional and management staff, including establishing expectations, promoting accountability, supporting professional development, and fostering an effective and collaborative workplace.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective partnerships with individuals and families, provider organizations, advocacy groups, community organizations, governmental entities, and other stakeholders.
• Experience collaborating with senior government officials, municipal partners, state agencies, healthcare organizations, educational systems, public safety entities, courts, or other community-based organizations.
• Demonstrated commitment to person-centered practices, individual rights, equity, inclusion, self-determination, and meaningful community participation for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience.
• A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience.
• A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required (A) experience.
• A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required (A) experience.

Responsibilities

• Overall accountability for the administrative, clinical, programmatic, personnel, contractual, and fiscal operations of the Area Office.
• Oversight of residential, day and employment, clinical, family support, and other community-based services.
• Management of a multi-million-dollar budget.
• Provider contracting and performance.
• Resource allocation.
• Quality and risk management.
• Leadership and development of Area Office staff.
• Ensuring the availability and coordination of 24-hour emergency on-call response capacity for complex, urgent, and high-risk situations.
• Serving as the senior DDS representative at the local level and a key liaison with individuals and families, provider organizations, municipal officials, other Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) agencies, healthcare and educational partners, public safety agencies, advocacy organizations, and other community stakeholders.
• Developing and maintaining effective partnerships to address individual and systemic needs and promote coordinated, responsive, and high-quality community-based services.
• Assessing local service needs and leading the planning, development, procurement, monitoring, and evaluation of services and supports.
• Overseeing the appropriate allocation of available resources, including Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver resources.
• Providing leadership and oversight of the Individual Support Plan (ISP) process.
• Working collaboratively as a member of the Southeast Regional Management Team with Regional and statewide leadership to implement DDS priorities, address complex operational and service-delivery issues, strengthen provider capacity, and advance the mission of the Department.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Benefits
• Outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package.
• Work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed