Senior Director of Nursing

Aspire Living & Learning

20d

About The Position

At Aspire Living & Learning, we don't just talk about making an impact, we live it. For more than 40 years, we've supported neurodiverse children and adults across New England and Maryland as they discover their passions, unlock their potential, and live more independently in their communities. Our person-centered services evolve with people's needs, from education and behavioral health to residential and community-based supports. We empower people to live lives shaped by their own interests, choices, and strengths. Join our collaborative, mission-driven team and bring your skills to work that makes a real difference every day.
Aspire Living & Learning is currently seeking a Senior Director of Nursing to serve as Aspire’s senior nursing leader, responsible for the overall quality, consistency, and strategic direction of nursing services across Aspire’s multi-state footprint. This role strengthens Aspire’s nursing infrastructure in response to increasing medical complexity, aging populations, and organizational growth. The Senior Director of Nursing establishes enterprise standards for nursing practice and medication management, reduces clinical and regulatory risk, and ensures nursing investments translate into measurable improvements in quality, compliance, and outcomes for the people we serve. The role works in close partnership with Operations, Quality, Finance, and Workforce Development to ensure nursing services are aligned, sustainable, and responsive to evolving needs. This leader must reside within and be willing to travel regularly throughout Aspire’s service footprint (MA, CT, NH, MD, VT).

Requirements

• Active Registered Nurse (RN) license, with multi-state licensure or ability to obtain required state licenses.
• 7–10 years of progressive nursing leadership experience in the IDD field, including oversight of nursing services in multi-site and/or multi-state environments.
• Strong knowledge of medication administration systems, delegation practices, and regulatory requirements in IDD and/or behavioral health settings.
• Experience supporting individuals with IDD, aging adults with complex medical needs, and individuals receiving behavioral health or psychotropic medications.

Nice To Haves

• Prefer Master’s degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, or a related field.
• Experience with eMAR implementation preferred, HRST or similar risk stratification tools, and oversight of both internal and contracted nursing models.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Aspire’s senior nursing authority, accountable for nursing practice quality, patient safety, and regulatory compliance across all states and service lines.
• Reduce clinical and regulatory risk by strengthening medication oversight, standardizing documentation practices, and proactively addressing trends in incidents through root cause analysis, hospitalizations, and audit findings.
• Ensure consistent, timely nurse involvement in medication changes, hospital discharges, program transitions, and high-risk incident review, positioning nursing as a proactive clinical partner.
• Establish nurse-led oversight of medication administration practices to reduce risk exposure for DSPs and programs.
• Oversee our multi-state footprint, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations and best practices.
• Design and implement a standardized, enterprise-wide nursing model that clearly defines roles, scopes of practice, caseload expectations, supervision structures, and delegation practices.
• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability for both internal nursing staff and contracted nursing providers.
• Ensure nurses are consistently practicing at the top of their license by aligning work appropriately and removing unnecessary administrative burden.
• Provide internal clinical oversight of contracted nursing vendors, including setting quality and documentation standards and monitoring performance and responsiveness.
• Partner with executive and operational leadership to evaluate internal, contracted, and hybrid nursing models based on quality, risk reduction, and cost effectiveness.
• Lead Aspire’s medication management infrastructure, including selection, implementation, and oversight of an electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) system across all states.
• Guide adoption of medication administration technologies that reduce errors and improve compliance, ensuring systems support centralized oversight, remote auditing, trend analysis, and timely retraining.
• Standardize nursing documentation practices across states and service lines to ensure accuracy, consistency, and regulatory alignment.
• Partner with Quality & Compliance to conduct joint audits, strengthen medical record integrity, and integrate nursing quality assurance into Aspire’s broader quality systems.
• Ensure consistent tracking of health conditions, diagnoses, appointment follow-through, and staff training and competency requirements.
• Establish standardized training and competency frameworks for nurses, DSPs, and home providers, aligned with state regulations and best practices.
• Develop clear retraining pathways following medication errors or clinical incidents and ensure training reflects the needs of aging populations, individuals with IDD, and those with complex medication regimens.
• Collaborate on psychiatric consultation and clinical support models, as appropriate.
• Lead the implementation and use of HRST or comparable health risk assessment tools to inform clinical oversight, staffing models, and training priorities.
• Analyze hospitalization and emergency room utilization data to identify trends, anticipate risk, and drive preventive clinical interventions.
• Establish standardized workflows to ensure nursing is promptly notified of hospitalizations, medication changes, and critical incidents.
• Lead regular nursing–operations reviews focused on risk trends, system improvements, and continuous learning.
• Serve as a clinical health advisor during investigations, audits, and regulatory reviews.
• Consult and work collaboratively with other health care and clinical professionals ensure integrated, high-quality care.
• Align nursing staffing models and expenditures with quality outcomes and risk reduction goals.
• Partner with Finance and Executive Leadership to evaluate return on investment, inform budgeting, and ensure nursing investments produce measurable improvements in care quality and compliance.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Health, Dental, & Vision Insurance - Choose from multiple medical plans, with vision coverage included at no extra cost.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Saving Account (HSA) options - Use pre-tax dollars for medical and dependent care expenses.
• Lifestyle Spending Accounts with JOON - Monthly funds for wellness, fitness, commuting, childcare, pet care, and more.
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with Employer Match - A 100% match on contributions up to 2% of your salary.
• Generous Paid Time Off - Paid sick, personal, and vacation days, plus holidays.
• Professional Growth Opportunities - Access to training, leadership and management courses, mentorship, and career advancement.
• Employer-Paid Life & Disability Insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Telehealth Services and more!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior