Chief Administrator for Community Programs
The Kresge Foundation
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
The Kresge Foundation in Hartford, Connecticut, is seeking a Chief Administrator for Community Programs to provide executive leadership for one of the largest community-based service systems. This role involves overseeing a vast operational budget and ensuring high-quality services across multiple locations.
The successful candidate will bring over a decade of leadership experience, a Master’s degree, and a passion for enabling individuals with disabilities to achieve independence. The position offers competitive benefits, including affordable healthcare and generous vacation time.
Qualifications
- At least ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience.
- Five or more years in a senior administrative or managerial role.
- Experience with Medicaid-funded services and compliance.
Responsibilities
- Oversee operational oversight for community-based service systems.
- Ensure delivery of high-quality, person-centered services.
- Lead and mentor a team of service delivery professionals.
Skills
Education
Job description
Founded in 1893 as the Connecticut Institute for the Blind, Oak Hill has evolved into a dynamic, forward-thinking organization dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities to live, learn, and thrive.
Today, Oak Hill stands as a leader in providing innovative services and solutions that support independence, dignity, and full community inclusion. Our work spans a comprehensive continuum of care, meeting individuals where they are and supporting them at every stage of life.
From early education through adulthood, Oak Hill partners with individuals and families to unlock potential, remove barriers, and create meaningful opportunities for connection, growth, and success.
Oak Hill’s roots trace back to Emily Wells Foster, whose pioneering vision created one of the nation’s first educational opportunities for children who were blind. That spirit of innovation and advocacy continues to define who we are today. What began as a school has grown into a comprehensive organization supporting individuals with a wide range of disabilities. Our history is not just a reflection of where we’ve been, but a foundation for how we continue to evolve, adapt, and lead.
Oak Hill provides a comprehensive, person-centered continuum of services, including:
- Assistive Technology offering evaluations, tools, and training that increase independence in everyday life
- Integrated Center, bringing together services, supports, and innovation in one collaborative environment
- Outpatient Clinic services, delivering therapeutic and clinical supports tailored to individual needs
- Residential continuum of care, including group homes and supported living arrangements that promote independence, safety, and community connection
- Statewide educational services, including specialized classrooms and supports that meet students where they are
Across all programs, Oak Hill is committed to delivering individualized, high-quality supports that evolve with each person’s goals and aspirations.
Oak Hill’s Community Programs are designed to support individuals in living full and meaningful lives. Through residential services, recreational opportunities, and community engagement opportunities, individuals are empowered to build independence, relationships, and purpose.
Our residential model prioritizes choice, dignity, and inclusion, offering a range of living options supported by experienced, compassionate staff.
Community Programs is built on a simple but powerful belief: every person deserves to live the life they choose. Every day, the Community Programs Team works alongside individuals to help them achieve personal goals, strengthen relationships, maintain independence, and fully participate in their communities.
Oak Hill seeks a collaborative, strategic, and mission-driven leader to serve as its next Chief Administrator for Community Programs (CACP). Reporting to the President & CEO, and serving as a key member of the senior leadership team, the CACP will provide executive leadership and operational oversight for one of Connecticut's largest and most complex community-based service systems, spanning more than 59 sites, seven towns, and a $74 million operating budget.
This role oversees a seasoned leadership team, including the Senior Director of Community Programs, Director of Nursing, Director of Behavioral Services, and other key leaders and over 1000 support staff. The CACP will play a critical role in ensuring high-quality, person-centered services while strengthening organizational effectiveness, fostering leadership development, and helping shape Oak Hill's future strategy and growth.
For more than 130 years, Oak Hill has been a trusted leader in supporting individuals with disabilities to live meaningful, independent lives. As the organization continues to evolve in response to changing community needs, workforce dynamics, and funding environments, Oak Hill seeks a leader who can successfully bridge its rich legacy of care with the innovation required for the future.
This is an opportunity to strengthen and unify a large, complex service delivery system while helping shape the future direction of the organization. The CACP will play a critical role in building an integrated leadership culture grounded in shared accountability, transparency, collaboration, and long-term sustainability. Working across programs and administrative functions, this leader will ensure alignment, operational effectiveness, and consistency in delivering high-quality, person-centered services.
- Provide executive leadership for Oak Hill's residential and community-based programs across a broad network of sites and services.
- Ensure the delivery of high-quality, person-centered services while advancing operational effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and financial sustainability.
- Balance long-term strategic planning with hands-on operational oversight, including program performance, staffing, site operations, emergency response, and service quality.
- Leverage data, community input, and emerging trends to strengthen programs, improve outcomes, and identify opportunities for innovation and growth.
- This role also includes responsibility for appropriate leadership coverage and on-call availability as needed.
- Lead, mentor, and support a team of individuals responsible for delivering services across a large, decentralized system.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, professional growth, and shared ownership.
- Strengthen workforce development efforts by ensuring meaningful training, leadership development, and advancement opportunities throughout the organization.
- Serve as a key member of Oak Hill's senior leadership structure, contributing to organizational strategy, alignment, and decision-making.
- Serve as a visible and trusted representative of Oak Hill within the community and across stakeholder groups.
- Develop and maintain strong partnerships with families, guardians, community organizations, service providers, funders, and regulatory agencies, including DDS, DSS HUD, and other key partners.
- Partner closely with Development and Communications to align organizational messaging with program priorities and outcomes.
- Support the continued advancement of inclusive, community-based services and opportunities for individuals served by Oak Hill.
- Oversee financial management for Community Programs, including budget development, resource allocation, forecasting, and performance monitoring.
- Partner closely with Finance to identify risks, address variances, and ensure strong fiscal stewardship.
- Maintain compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, licensing requirements, and accreditation standards.
- Promote a culture of accountability, transparency, and operational integrity while ensuring timely response to regulatory concerns and investigations.
A Strategic and Operational Leader
You are equally comfortable setting vision and driving execution. You understand how to lead large, complex organizations while maintaining focus on quality, efficiency, and long-term sustainability.
A Builder of Teams and Culture
You enjoy developing leaders, strengthening organizational capacity, and creating environments where people feel supported, accountable, and empowered to do their best work.
A Systems Thinker and Change Leader
You can navigate complexity, connect disparate functions, and bring people together around shared goals. You understand how to lead through change while maintaining trust and organizational stability.
A Mission-Driven Executive
You are motivated by impact and energized by the opportunity to improve outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. You lead with empathy, integrity, and a deep commitment to person-centered care.
- A master’s degree in human services, business administration, or a related field, and at least ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including five or more years in a senior administrative or managerial role, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Demonstrated success leading complex budgets and financial operations in large, multi-site, or decentralized organizations.
- Deep familiarity with Medicaid-funded services, including regulatory, compliance, and reporting requirements at the state and federal level.
- Practical experience in systems serving individuals with intellectual, developmental, or related disabilities.
- Proven ability to assess organizational systems, drive operational improvement, and strengthen service quality at scale.
- Strong executive communication skills with the ability to translate complex information for Boards, leadership teams, staff, and external stakeholders.
- Cultural competency and demonstrated success working across diverse communities and stakeholder groups.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to interpret financial, operational, legal, and technical information and apply data-driven decision-making.
- Ability to manage competing priorities, negotiate effectively, and navigate complex stakeholder environments with sound judgment.
- Capacity to lead effectively in high-pressure or rapidly changing environments, including operational emergencies.
- High level of attention to detail with strong organizational skills and a commitment to accurate, reliable documentation and reporting.
- Ability to provide on-call consultation and support for emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Affordable medical, dental, vision insurance, with costs nearly 50% below the national average.
- 403(b) retirement plan: We contribute 9.5% of your gross earnings annually, whether you contribute or not.
- Free long-term disability insurance: Protection for you if you’re ever sick or injured.
- Life insurance options: Free and low-cost plans for peace of mind.
- Generous time off, with 5 weeks of paid vacation, plus personal days, sick time, and 12 holidays.
The salary range for this position is $175,000 to $215,000.
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Molly Brennan and Alicia Salerno. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile . All inquiries are strictly confidential.
DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com . If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
Oak Hill supports equality for and advancement of all people, based on their qualifications and actions alone, without regard to color, gender, age, religion, national origin, or disability.
DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, DSG | Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. DSG | Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
DSG Global is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.
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