Executive Director | Walnut Ridge Senior Living

Cardinal Senior Living; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Performance-based bonus

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Autonomy with clear expectations and-

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Walnut Ridge Senior Living in Kentwood, Michigan is seeking an Executive Director to lead the entire community, aligning residents’ experience, occupancy, and financial performance into one successful operation. You’ll shape the leadership team, strengthen culture, and drive performance.

If you’re energized by building great teams, solving meaningful challenges, and creating a community where residents and employees thrive, this role offers autonomy, clear expectations, and accountability to

Qualifications

• 3+ years of leadership in senior living or healthcare operations.
• Proven responsibility for operational performance and financial management.
• Experience coaching department leaders and building high-performing teams.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Knowledge of resident safety and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to analyze financial performance and manage budgets.
• Proficiency with MS Office suite.
• Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Admin or Business preferred.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, develop, inspire, and hold department leaders accountable.
• Drive occupancy, revenue, labor, expenses, and overall financial performance.
• Build meaningful relationships with residents and families.
• Set priorities and move the operation forward with clear direction.
• Maintain high standards for safety, regulatory compliance, and excellence.
• Develop leaders, influence performance, and turn plans into action.
• Create a culture of accountability and quality across departments.

Skills

Leadership experience

Operational performance

Team coaching

Communication skills

Relationship building

Budget knowledge

Regulatory compliance

MS Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration or Business

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Outlook

PowerPoint

Teams

Job description

Kentwood, Michigan | Cardinal Senior Living

Run the Community. Build the Team. Own the Results.

Great communities don't happen by accident. They're built by great leaders.

At Cardinal Senior Living, we believe an exceptional Executive Director does more than manage a building. They build high-performing teams, create experiences residents and families can trust, and lead an operation that gets stronger every day.

We're looking for that kind of leader at Walnut Ridge Senior Living in Kentwood, Michigan.

Someone who sees opportunities where others see obstacles. Someone who brings people together, makes confident decisions, and takes pride in turning challenges into results.

If you want the autonomy to lead, the opportunity to build something meaningful, and the accountability that comes with owning outcomes, keep reading.

The Opportunity: Lead Like an Owner. Make an Impact.

As Executive Director, you'll lead the entire community, bringing together people, operations, resident experience, occupancy, and financial performance into one successful operation.

You'll have the opportunity to shape your leadership team, strengthen community culture, improve performance, and build lasting relationships with residents, families, employees, and community partners.

We believe in giving capable leaders room to lead, clear expectations, and the support and accountability needed to succeed.

This isn't about maintaining the status quo.

It's about taking something good and making it exceptional.

What You'll Own

• Build a Team That Wins Together
• Recruit, develop, inspire, and hold accountable a team of department leaders who take pride in their work. Create a culture where people know what's expected, feel valued, and are motivated to deliver their best.
• Drive the Business Forward
• Take ownership of occupancy, revenue, labor, expenses, and overall financial performance. Know your numbers, recognize opportunities, solve problems, and turn business insights into measurable improvements.
• Create an Experience People Talk About
• Build meaningful relationships with residents and families. Set the tone for exceptional service, trust, responsiveness, and a community people are proud to call home.
• Lead with Confidence and Purpose
• Make decisions, establish priorities, and move the operation forward. Address challenges directly, bring the right people together, and turn plans into action.
• Build Systems That Deliver Results
• Create consistency across departments through clear expectations, strong communication, disciplined execution, and accountability. Maintain high standards for resident safety, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence.
• Be the Face of Your Community
• Develop relationships with families, referral partners, healthcare professionals, and the surrounding community. Build a reputation that attracts residents, strengthens partnerships, and makes Walnut Ridge a place people want to live and work.

The Kind of Leader Who Thrives Here

• You don't need someone standing over your shoulder to tell you what needs to happen next.
• You see the bigger picture, understand what drives performance, and enjoy the challenge of bringing people and processes together to achieve results.
• You're equally comfortable reviewing financial performance, coaching a department leader, connecting with a resident's family, or tackling a difficult operational decision.
• You build relationships naturally and understand that the best results come through people, not around them.
• You appreciate clear expectations and high standards, but you also want the freedom to think, improve, and execute.
• You aren't intimidated by accountability. You're motivated by the opportunity to make a measurable difference.
• And perhaps most importantly, you understand that behind every financial result, operational improvement, and leadership decision are people who depend on us to get it right.

What Success Looks Like

You'll know you're making an impact when

• Residents and families trust your team and enthusiastically recommend your community.
• Your department leaders take ownership, solve problems, and develop stronger teams.
• Occupancy, financial performance, and operational efficiency improve through intentional leadership.
• Employees are engaged, supported, accountable, and proud of where they work.
• Clinical quality, resident safety, and regulatory standards are consistently maintained.
• Challenges are addressed early, decisions become action, and commitments get completed.
• Your community becomes stronger, more successful, and better positioned for the future.

Your success will be visible in the results you deliver, the people you develop, and the community you build.

What Cardinal Offers

• Competitive salary
• Performance-based bonus opportunity
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Meaningful autonomy with clear expectations and accountability
• The opportunity to develop leaders, influence performance, and leave a lasting impact
• Opportunities for professional growth as Cardinal Senior Living continues to expand

What You Bring

• 3+ years of progressive leadership experience in senior living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, healthcare operations, or a comparable multi-department environment.
• Demonstrated responsibility for operational performance, financial management, and team leadership.
• Experience building, coaching, and holding department leaders accountable.
• Understanding of resident safety, regulatory compliance, risk management, and service excellence.
• Ability to analyze financial performance, manage budgets, and implement operational improvements.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, decision-making, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to build productive relationships with residents, families, employees, healthcare partners, and community stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related field highly preferred.

Ready to Build Something Exceptional?

Some leaders are comfortable keeping things running.

Others want to make things better.

If you're energized by building great teams, solving meaningful challenges, driving results, and creating a community where residents and employees thrive, we want to meet you.

Your leadership can shape the future of Walnut Ridge Senior Living.

Walnut Ridge Senior Living and Cardinal Senior Living are Equal Opportunity Employers.