Associate Director, NCSS

University of New Hampshire

27d•$80,270 - $143,800•Onsite

About The Position

The NCSS Associate Director serves as the Executive Director’s strategic partner, helping monitor organizational health, advance priorities, and strengthen the quality, fidelity, and long-term sustainability of the National Center for START Services (NCSS). The role leads the development, coordination, supervision, and implementation of START training, consultation, and technical assistance nationally and internationally. It oversees Project Managers, contracts and service deliverables, training and written resources, the National Advisory Council and START Network, and the NCSS implementation team. In partnership with the Executive Director, the Associate Director also provides organizational oversight of quality assurance, policy development, continuous quality improvement, and practices that support START values and fidelity. The Associate Director is a key member of the NCSS leadership team, contributing to strategic planning, organizational decisions, long-term growth, and sustainability. The role leads ongoing assessment and improvement of operations, services, policies, and practices; promotes collaboration across clinical, research, operations, quality, communications, and training teams; and provides executive leadership during organizational or system changes and emergency response efforts. The Associate Director supervises NCSS leadership staff, supports leadership development, ensures compliance with UNH/USNH policies and contractual requirements, and represents the Executive Director in their absence. The role partners with the Executive Director to establish priorities, allocate resources, monitor performance, anticipate staffing and operational needs, and oversee contractual commitments, deliverables, and spend-down billing. It provides strategic leadership for quality assurance and uses evaluation and performance data to improve quality, outcomes, and national reach. The Associate Director supports fidelity to the START Model across implementation, training, consultation, technical assistance, and program development, while also supporting innovation and growth. The Associate Director serves as a liaison among implementation, research, quality, and evaluation activities, and translates research and evaluation into policy, training, technical assistance, and implementation resources. The position builds and sustains partnerships with state agencies, providers, funders, government and legislative partners, national START programs, and other stakeholders. It also develops publications, presentations, educational resources, and implementation standards that support consistency and communicate START outcomes and innovations.

Requirements

Master’s degree in an appropriate academic discipline.
7–10 years of experience in a related field and area of work.
Experience supporting individuals with mental health conditions and intellectual/developmental disabilities (MH-IDD).
Experience working with state and/or local agency leaders to develop implementation and training contracts.
Experience evaluating the effectiveness of programs serving people experiencing IDD.
Extensive experience applying adult learning practices and designing and providing professional development.
Expertise in the field and creativity in incorporating best practices from multiple related fields.
Experience negotiating contracts with state and provider agencies, including writing and/or reviewing scopes of work.
Ability to design, conduct, and evaluate implementation of IDD-MH services in local, state, or national settings using data-based decision-making.
Knowledge of IDD services and mental health services.
Strong leadership skills, including influencing organizational climate, facilitating change, and building consensus across multidisciplinary teams.
Demonstrated transparent, high-integrity leadership.
Ability to communicate the organization’s mission to the community.
Strategic thinking and planning skills, including conveying the organization’s strategic future to staff, stakeholders, and the Advisory Board.
History of generating new revenue streams and improving financial results.
Ability to lead organizational quality assurance, continuous quality improvement, policy development, and implementation of organizational standards.
Experience in training, consultation, and technical assistance supporting individuals with IDD and mental health service needs and their families or caregivers in the community.
Ability to translate implementation science, research findings, and evaluation data into organizational policy, practice, training, and technical assistance.
Leadership and supervisory experience with interdisciplinary supervisees in national-level program development and oversight.
Ability to supervise staff development and teach application of best practices and data-based decision-making.
Ability to supervise and collaborate with internal and external faculty and staff.
Knowledge of and expertise in the START Model, development of START practices, and developing others’ expertise.
Ability to assess organizational systems and implement improvements that strengthen fidelity, quality, and operational effectiveness.
Knowledge of quality improvement methods, implementation frameworks, organizational governance, and performance measurement.
Strong written and verbal communication, interpersonal, and multidisciplinary project skills.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound executive judgment.
Success establishing relationships with influential individuals and organizations, including funders, partner agencies, and volunteers.
Ability to collaborate effectively with groups of varying backgrounds and interests.
Organizational abilities, including planning, delegating, program development, and task facilitation.
Strong financial management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision-making, and reporting.
Creative problem-solving skills applied positively and collaboratively.
Ability to travel nationally as required.
Ability to work regularly from the Institute on Disability’s Durham office.
Experience working with federal funders and legislative policymakers.

Nice To Haves

PhD in an appropriate academic discipline and 5–7 years of experience related to project specialization.
Licensed clinical psychologist, health service provider, or equivalent.
Leadership experience overseeing quality assurance, implementation science, organizational policy development, or fidelity monitoring within a national or multi-state service system.
Experience leading organizational change initiatives and continuous quality improvement efforts.
Experience developing implementation standards, fidelity measures, or evidence-informed organizational practices.

Responsibilities

Contribute to NCSS strategic planning, organizational decision-making, and long-term growth and sustainability.
Lead assessment and improvement of organizational operations, services, policies, and practices in alignment with the NCSS strategic plan.
Promote cohesion, collaboration, and cross-functional integration among clinical, research, operations, quality, communications, and training teams.
Provide executive leadership during organizational, system, or emergency response efforts and support communications during significant system changes.
Supervise NCSS leadership staff and provide coaching and leadership development in leadership, performance management, quality improvement, and supervision practices.
Ensure compliance with UNH/USNH policies, contractual requirements, and organizational procedures.
Represent the Executive Director and provide executive oversight across NCSS operations in their absence.
Partner with the Executive Director to align priorities, operations, policies, and strategic initiatives with the START Model and organizational goals.
Provide executive oversight of quality assurance, policy development, governance, and continuous quality improvement.
Establish organizational priorities, allocate resources, monitor performance, and anticipate staffing and operational needs in partnership with the Executive Director.
Monitor contractual commitments, deliverables, and spend-down billing.
Ensure START Model fidelity across implementation, training, consultation, technical assistance, and program development while supporting innovation and growth.
Develop and approve organizational policies, implementation standards, protocols, tools, manuals, and resources that support START implementation.
Oversee NCSS Quality Assurance and use evaluation and performance data to monitor implementation and organizational outcomes and drive improvement and national reach.
Collaborate with the NCSS Operations Management Team to assign, monitor, and evaluate program development activities across the national network.
Ensure clinical, research, operational, and programmatic priorities remain integrated throughout implementation activities.
Connect implementation, research, quality, and evaluation activities to promote evidence-informed practice.
Identify emerging trends, research opportunities, and implementation strategies that strengthen START outcomes.
Build and sustain partnerships with state agencies, provider organizations, federal funders, government officials, legislative partners, national START programs, and other stakeholders.
Coordinate communication and alignment across departments and disseminate standards, implementation updates, and best practices.
Translate research and evaluation into policy, training, technical assistance, and implementation resources.
Develop publications, presentations, and educational resources about START outcomes and innovations.
Support development of implementation standards and resources that strengthen consistency across the START Network.