Assistant Residential Program Director - Student Homes
About The Position
SailFuture is hiring an Assistant Residential Program Director to lead the day-to-day operation of a family-style residential home for six teenage boys in foster care in St. Petersburg, Florida. The role leads the home’s Change Agents (Houseparents), who serve as the young men’s primary adults, and reports to the Residential Program Director. The position is based in the home rather than an office and includes housing and meals year-round. The Assistant Residential Program Director supervises staff, keeps youth on track with individual goals and needs, coordinates care and documentation, manages household operations, and supports licensing and compliance. The role also prepares youth and staff for extended sailing expeditions, leads residential supervision while underway, and helps youth translate their experiences at sea into confidence at home. The stated schedule is Monday through Friday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a shared weekend on-call rotation and two sailing expeditions each year. Each expedition follows a two-weeks-on, one-week-off pattern, totaling eight weeks annually. Compensation is a $60,000 base salary plus an opportunity to earn up to a $15,000 annual Impact Award.
Requirements
- Experience working with teens, ideally those impacted by foster care, trauma, juvenile justice, or behavioral health needs.
- Experience supervising staff in residential care, education, behavioral health, or youth development.
- Ability to balance empathy with accountability and clear boundaries.
- Strong organization across people, schedules, documentation, and competing priorities.
- Calm judgment, de-escalation skills, and practical problem-solving ability.
- Ability to pass background screening and meet driving and regulatory requirements.
- Comfort with travel and unconventional settings.
Responsibilities
- Set expectations for Change Agents and coach them through regular one-on-one meetings.
- Address staff performance issues early, document them, and follow through.
- Build staff schedules, manage time off, and maintain adequate coverage.
- Help recruit, interview, onboard, and retain residential staff.
- Know each young person’s goals, risks, school status, and treatment needs.
- Identify early warning signs such as disengagement, substance use, school refusal, or runaway risk, and act before they become a crisis.
- Run intakes, transitions, and discharges, ensuring that necessary steps are completed.
- Ensure drug tests, appointments, medications, and case documentation are completed on time.
- Attend treatment and case-plan meetings and translate goals into daily expectations.
- Coordinate clinical, school, workforce, and residential teams around a consistent plan.
- Manage the weekly home schedule, including school, work, fitness, appointments, family contact, and recreation.
- Manage groceries, meals, supplies, allowances, vehicles, and house traditions.
- Keep the home clean, safe, welcoming, and ready for inspection.
- Support licensing visits, audits, and compliance reporting.
- Prepare youth and staff for extended sailing trips.
- Lead residential supervision while underway on sailing expeditions.
- Help youth turn their accomplishments at sea into confidence at home.
Benefits
- Housing and meals provided year-round.
- $250 per month toward health insurance.
- 401(k) with up to 6% match.
- 15 days of paid time off.
- Domestic and international sailing expeditions.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
