Executive Director of Senior Living

Morningside-House-of-Laure; Laurel (MD); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Morningside Elite Management seeks an Executive Director to guide a senior living community with full operational authority. You will shape culture, drive performance, and ensure residents receive the highest quality of life while partnering with regional and corporate teams.

In this role you will oversee resident care, financial management, sales, regulatory compliance, and team development, serving as the visible leader for residents, families, and staff in Maryland.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, Gerontology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of executive-level leadership experience in assisted living, memory care, or a comparable senior living environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide on-site oversight of community operations, ensuring day-to-day excellence across resident services, staffing, programming, and environment.
• Lead resident care, financial management, team development, sales and marketing, regulatory compliance, and community culture.
• Be the visible, accessible leader for residents, families, associates, and external partners.
• Develop and manage budgets and staffing to maintain sustainable operations while preserving care quality.
• Drive occupancy and revenue through tours, family consultations, and referral relationships.
• Ensure full regulatory compliance with state and federal requirements.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, Gerontology, or related field

Job description

For more than 30 years, Morningside Elite Management has been transforming the way senior care is delivered. As one of the only women-owned and operated senior living companies in the country, we have spent three decades earning the trust of residents, families, and the communities we serve.

Today, Morningside proudly operates 11 senior living communities across Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, providing assisted living, memory care, and respite care. Through trusted partnerships with hospice, home health, rehabilitation, pharmacy, and other healthcare providers, we deliver a comprehensive continuum of support designed to meet each resident’s evolving needs while providing greater peace of mind for the individuals and families we serve. Our communities are consistently recognized as “Best Assisted Living” by the people who matter most—our residents and their families. That recognition isn’t earned through marketing; it’s earned through the relationships we build and the care we provide every day.

At Morningside, our culture is the foundation of everything we do. We Build Trust, Lead by Example, Offer Compassion, Operate with Excellence, and Make Memories in every interaction. These values guide how we care for residents, support families, and work together as a team.

“We’re with you” is more than a promise—it’s our commitment. When families are navigating the challenges of caring for an aging loved one, we provide guidance, proactive communication, and personalized support every step of the way. Our goal is to create communities where residents experience purpose, connection, dignity, and joy—surrounded by meaningful relationships, engaging experiences, and a place they are proud to call home.

These are not aspirational statements, they are the standard we hold ourselves to every day, with every resident, family member, and team member we serve. We bring the fun to senior living and we take the work seriously. If you’re a leader who believes both are possible at the same time, we want to meet you.

Position Summary

The Executive Director is the most important leader in the community. The person who sets the cultural tone, drives operational performance, develops the team, and ensures that every resident experiences the quality of life they deserve. This is a role with full operational authority and accountability, supported by a Regional Director of Operations and Morningside’s corporate teams.

As Executive Director, you will lead all aspects of community operations: resident care and services, financial management, team development, sales and marketing, regulatory compliance, and community culture. You will be the visible, accessible leader for residents, families, associates, and external partners — and the standard-bearer for BLOOM in everything you do.

Key Responsibilities

Community Leadership & Culture

• Provide on-site, hands-on oversight of all community operations, ensuring day-to-day excellence across resident services, staffing, programming, housekeeping, and physical environment.
• Serve as the visible, accessible leader for residents, families, associates, and community partners by maintaining an open presence on the floor and throughout the community.
• Create and sustain a workplace culture where team members feel valued, residents feel known, and families feel confident their loved one is safe and celebrated.
• Lead employee appreciation and retention programs that strengthen team cohesion, reduce turnover, and build loyalty to the community and the Morningside mission.
• Champion Morningside’s BLOOM values and person-centered memory care philosophy, modeling the standard for how every resident is known, honored, and cared for as an individual.

Resident Experience & Care Quality

• Oversee all resident services including admission, individualized service plan development, healthcare coordination, and ongoing care management, ensuring each resident’s dignity, independence, and quality of life is protected at every stage.
• Collaborate with clinical leadership to maintain the highest standards of memory care quality, safety, and programming consistency.
• Maintain an active, personal relationship with residents and families through regular engagement, council sessions, and responsive follow-through on concerns and feedback.
• Ensure all services and interactions reflect Morningside’s commitment to person-centered care by meeting residents where they are, not where the schedule requires.

Financial Management & Business Performance

• Develop, manage, and be fully accountable for the community’s operating and capital budgets, ensuring financial performance aligns with company goals and resident needs.
• Monitor and analyze performance against budget; identify variances early and implement corrective action with confidence and transparency.
• Manage FTE levels, staffing costs, and departmental expenditures to maintain sustainable operations without compromising care quality.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to enhance revenue and reduce cost while preserving the resident experience.

Team Development & People Leadership

• Recruit, hire, develop, and retain a high-performing, mission-aligned team across all departments, ensuring every associate understands and lives the BLOOM values.
• Coach and develop department heads with consistent direction, honest feedback, and genuine investment in their professional growth.
• Partner with the community’s ERAC (Employee Relations & Administration Coordinator) and Morningside’s corporate HR team on employee relations, performance management, and compliance.
• Conduct or ensure completion of thorough and compliant onboarding, orientation, and ongoing training programs for all associates.

Sales, Marketing & Occupancy

• Drive occupancy and revenue performance through active engagement in tours, family consultations, and prospect relationships, demonstrating Morningside’s care philosophy firsthand.
• Partner with the sales and marketing function to develop and execute strategies for achieving and sustaining census targets.
• Build and maintain relationships with referral sources, physicians, hospitals, discharge planners, and community partners to generate leads and grow the community’s presence.
• Represent Morningside publicly as a credible ambassador of quality memory care, in civic organizations, healthcare networks, and local business partnerships.

Regulatory Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Ensure full compliance with all applicable state and federal regulations governing assisted living and memory care operations, including DSS requirements (VA), COMAR (MD), and equivalent requirements in the applicable state of the MEM operation.
• Maintain all required records, licenses, reporting, and documentation in accordance with company policy and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Lead emergency preparedness, safety protocols, and ongoing quality improvement initiatives across all departments.
• Ensure the physical environment, buildings, grounds, common areas, and resident spaces meets Morningside’s standards of excellence and regulatory requirements at all times.

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate is an experienced, compassionate, and results-driven leader who thrives in the complexity of senior living operations and never loses sight of why the work matters.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, Gerontology, or a related field required; graduate degree a plus.
• Minimum of 3 years of executive-level leadership experience in assisted living, memory care, or a comparable senior living environment.