Vice President, Program Operations

Aspire Chicago•Hillside, IL

2d•$110,000 - $130,000

About The Position

At Aspire, we believe every person deserves the opportunity to live a full, meaningful life. For more than 60 years, Aspire has partnered with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to build lives filled with purpose, connection, and possibility. We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and mission-driven Vice President, Program Operations to lead enterprise-wide program operations and help shape the future of person-centered services across our organization. This is more than an operations role — it is an opportunity to influence lives, empower teams, strengthen communities, and ensure excellence across a growing, multi-site organization committed to innovation and helping ensure everyone feels included. The Vice President, Program Operations serves as the enterprise leader responsible for the quality, performance, compliance, and operational excellence of Aspire’s core service lines, including: Residential Services, Academies, Clinical Services, and Nursing Operations. Reporting directly to the Chief Program Officer, the VP will drive operational rigor, strengthen accountability systems, mitigate organizational risk, and ensure exceptional person-centered experiences across a decentralized, multi-site service delivery model. This leader will inspire and develop high-performing teams while building scalable systems that support sustainable growth, quality outcomes, regulatory excellence, and financial stewardship.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required, Master’s preferred
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in complex, multi-site operations
Experience leading large-scale service delivery organizations with operational and financial accountability
Background in regulated environments such as healthcare, behavioral health, I/DD services, or related industries
Proven success improving operational performance, quality outcomes, and organizational sustainability
Strong financial acumen and data-driven decision-making experience
Valid Illinois driver’s license with a good driving record
Experience scaling operations, leading organizational growth, mergers/acquisitions, or performance improvement initiatives
Achieves results and drives accountability
Builds strong, inclusive, high-performing teams
Leads through complexity and change
Tackles difficult issues with courage and integrity
Cultivates innovation and operational excellence
Balances strategic vision with disciplined execution
Champions person-centered, mission-driven service delivery