Activities Director

Lamwork; United States; On-site; USD 45,021 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

Lamwork is searching for an Activities Director to lead resident engagement in a senior living environment. The role involves overseeing a comprehensive activities program tailored to resident needs and ensuring regulatory compliance in care practices.

Key responsibilities include coordinating individualized care plans, managing the departmental budget, designing activity calendars, and ensuring a high standard of care delivery. Candidates should have certifications such as Certified Activities Professional and possess strong clinical and management skills.

Qualifications

• Strong combination of clinical documentation expertise and program management capability is crucial.
• Advanced skills in regulatory compliance and program planning are required.
• Certification as a Certified Activities Professional (CAP) or similar is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate individualized care plans for each resident, reviewing them quarterly.
• Design and publish monthly activity calendars for residents.
• Lead the budgeting process for the activities department.
• Oversee the volunteer program, from recruitment to scheduling.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and complete documentation.

Skills

Activity Program Planning

Individualized Care Plan Documentation

Electronic Health Record Systems

Resident Engagement Platform Management

Regulatory Compliance Knowledge

Empathy

Leadership

Communication

Organizational Skills

Adaptability

Education

Certified Activities Professional (CAP)

Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS)

Activity Director Certified (ADC)

National Certification in Activity Therapy (NCAT)

Job description

Activities Director career guide explores resident engagement programs, regulatory compliance, and care plan development in senior living settings. Discover key skills, job requirements, and career paths.

Activities Director Overview

1. What Is an Activities Director?

An Activities Director leads the full resident engagement program inside a senior living, skilled nursing, or long‑term care community, ensuring that each resident has access to meaningful physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual activities tailored to their abilities and preferences. Day to day, they design monthly calendars, conduct individualized resident assessments, coordinate volunteers, oversee transportation logistics, manage a departmental budget, and maintain the documentation required by state and federal care regulations. Because the activities program directly affects survey outcomes and resident quality of life, employers hold this position to a high standard of regulatory fluency and compassionate leadership. Based on Lamwork's research across Activities Director job data, the role consistently appears at the intersection of therapeutic recreation, compliance management, and person‑centered care delivery.

2. Activities Director Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate individualized care plans for each resident, reviewing and revising them quarterly to reflect nursing input and care conference outcomes.
• Design and publish a monthly activity calendar that spans cognitive, physical, social, and spiritual programming for residents across all ability levels.
• Lead the departmental budget process, forecasting needs, tracking expenditures, and submitting financial reports to facility administration.
• Oversee the volunteer program from recruitment and orientation through ongoing scheduling and community‑partner coordination.
• Ensure regulatory compliance by participating in QAPI committee meetings, adhering to CMS Conditions of Participation, and maintaining complete activity documentation and attendance records.

3. Activities Director Required Skills

Lamwork's review of Activities Director postings shows that a strong combination of clinical documentation expertise and program management capability is the most consistent differentiator among competitive candidates.

• Hard Skills: Activity Program Planning and Calendar Development, Individualized Care Plan Documentation (including MDS/RAPs), Electronic Health Record Systems (PointClickCare, MatrixCare), Resident Engagement Platform Management (LifeLoop, Touchtown), Regulatory Compliance and QAPI Process Knowledge
• Soft Skills: Empathy, Leadership, Communication, Organizational Skills, Adaptability

Typical Career Progression for an Activities Director:

• Activity Assistant
• Activities Director
• Director of Life Enrichment/Resident Services Director

Reaching the senior Activities Director level typically takes five to eight years, depending on the setting and certification status. Advancement is accelerated by earning the Certified Activities Professional (NCCAP) credential, demonstrating clean survey outcomes, and taking on budget ownership or multi‑site programming responsibility.

5. Activities Director Certifications

• Certified Activities Professional (CAP) – validates core competency across programming, care planning, and regulatory standards
• Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) – signals clinical‑level therapeutic recreation expertise with broad employer recognition
• Activity Director Certified (ADC) – entry‑level NCCAP credential widely required or preferred by long‑term care employers
• National Certification in Activity Therapy (NCAT) – recognized for directors in psychiatric and specialty care environments

6. Activities Director Salary in the United States

Activities Director salaries in the United States typically range from $45,021 to $67,000 per year, based on the most recent data from Glassdoor.

Pay for Activities Directors varies most noticeably by care setting and facility size, with skilled nursing facilities and larger multi‑site senior living operators generally offering higher compensation than smaller assisted living communities. Holding an NCCAP credential or Therapeutic Recreation Specialist licensure also moves compensation meaningfully upward.