Participant Engagement Manager

Institute on Aging; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 127,000; Full time

Job summary

The Institute on Aging is seeking a PACE Participant Engagement Manager at their San Francisco location. This leadership role focuses on enhancing participant engagement through innovative therapeutic recreation practices. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in activity programming for older adults, particularly in dementia care.

In this position, you will oversee the Activity team, ensuring alignment with participant needs and regulatory standards. Offering a salary range of $120,000–$127,000 annually, the role emphasizes professional growth, community engagement, and fostering a collaborative workplace culture.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation, Recreation Therapy, Music Therapy, Gerontology, Psychology, Social Work, or related field.
• Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) strongly preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in activity programming for older adults.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and supervision for Activity team members.
• Establish and maintain participant-centered excellence.
• Guide the development of individualized engagement strategies.

Skills

Leadership

Therapeutic Recreation

Dementia Care

Communication

Organizational Skills

Cultural Humility

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

EHR documentation

Job description

Overview

IOA is on the forefront of revolutionary healthcare models, reshaping the way people can age in place. Our innovative models transform lives, enhance communities, and save healthcare systems millions of dollars. Rather than focusing on archaic outdated design, we strive to consistently question the status‑quo and create new and more innovative ways to help aging adults and adults with disabilities maintain their quality of life. With over 23 programs, we offer multiple ways to aid seniors maintain their health, well‑being, independence and participation in the community, fulfilling our mission.

Role Summary

The PACE Participant Engagement Manager provides leadership, clinical direction, and strategic oversight of activity programming for On Lok PACE members at Institute on Aging (IOA). This role is responsible not only for supervising staff, but also for establishing a cohesive, outcomes‑driven therapeutic recreation framework that promotes engagement, functional participation, psychosocial well‑being, and quality of life for participants. Reporting to the PACE Senior Director, the Participant Engagement Manager is a member of the PACE Leadership Team and IOA Management Team. The Participant Engagement Manager ensures activity programming is delivered in alignment with Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) goals, regulatory requirements, and the mission of providing integrated and comprehensive care and enrichment to PACE participants.

Responsibilities

• Leadership & Supervision – Champion engagement innovation and culture change, transforming traditional activities into vibrant, meaningful experiences and building team norms, workflows, and competencies to support participant‑centered excellence. Provide daily supervision and leadership for Activity team members, modeling and coaching professional, participant‑centered practices. Establish clear expectations for performance, conduct regular coaching, drive ownership and maintain accountability for execution and results. Strengthen individual and team competency through professional development, mentoring, and routine competency checks. Address performance concerns, participate in hiring, training, and onboarding new team members. Cultivate team engagement and cohesion to promote goal alignment, communication, and collective problem‑solving. Maintain a consistent presence across multiple day rooms to observe programming, mentor staff, and ensure a positive and engaging environment.
• Program & Clinical Development – Provide clinical and programmatic oversight and promote various group activities, special events, and individualized engagement in multiple day rooms that are intentionally designed to support engagement and functional participation. Partner with other PACE leadership and staff to ensure that care is reflective of What Matters Most to each participant, and that staff are consistently soliciting participant‑stated goals for Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) care planning. Ensure that activities programming is inclusive, culturally responsive, and aligned with participant preferences, functional abilities, cognitive status, and care plan goals. Provide oversight of thorough, high‑quality assessments, care planning, and documentation to ensure clinical integrity, compliance, and alignment with therapeutic goals. Serve as the therapeutic recreation subject‑matter expert within the IDT. Engage directly with participants to assess satisfaction, encourage participation, and model best practices in engagement. Guide the development and implementation of individualized engagement strategies. Establish and oversee a PACE dementia engagement program, including curriculum development, staff training, coaching, and performance standards to ensure consistent, high‑quality dementia‑informed care across disciplines. Advance and oversee a volunteer program that builds community connections, elevates program visibility, and meaningfully enhances social connection, engagement opportunities, and individualized attention.
• Quality & Performance Excellence – Establish and uphold standards for documentation, regulatory compliance, safety, and the latest dementia and therapeutic recreation practices across the Activities department. Define, monitor, and evaluate engagement, participation, and therapeutic outcome measures in collaboration with the IDT. Participate in and/or lead quality improvement initiatives using data, staff input, observation, and participant feedback to continuously strengthen program efficacy and participant experience. Serve as a clinical resource and mentor to Activities and other program staff in dementia care, psychosocial engagement techniques, and evidence‑informed therapeutic recreation practices and principles.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation, Recreation Therapy, Music Therapy, Gerontology, Psychology, Social Work, or related field.
• Credentials: Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) strongly preferred; other relevant certifications (Certified Activity Director (ADC), Activity Consultant Certified (ACC), or Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA) considered based on experience and demonstrated expertise in therapeutic recreation).
• Certifications: First Aid and CPR certification required within 6 months of hire.
• Experience: Minimum 8 years of experience in activity programming for older adults; minimum 3 years of supervisory experience; strong background in dementia care and experience working in adult day health, PACE, long‑term care, community living, or memory care settings.
• Dementia certification preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to motivate and develop staff, lead change, and manage team dynamics.
• Experience conducting recreation assessments, developing care plans, and ensuring regulatory compliance in ADHC or PACE environments.
• Experience applying therapeutic recreation principles to support populations with behavioral, cognitive, or psychosocial needs using non‑pharmacological approaches.

Skills and Attributes

• Proven ability to lead, mentor and coach staff, fostering professional growth, accountability, and a collaborative team culture.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead change, introduce new frameworks or expectations, and support staff through transitions.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and conflict‑resolution skills, with the ability to navigate team dynamics and support cohesion.
• Strong organizational and time management skills; ability to prioritize, delegate, and balance clinical, operational, and leadership abilities.
• Creative, flexible, and enthusiastic with a passion for participant engagement.
• Possesses cultural humility when working with multilingual, multicultural participants, families, and staff.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, EHR documentation, and activity scheduling systems.

Compensation

Range: $120,000–$127,000 per year. This amount is not necessarily reflective of actual compensation that may be earned, nor a promise of any specific pay for any specific employee, which is always dependent on actual experience, education and other factors. This range does not include any additional equity, benefits or other non‑monetary compensation which may be included.

Legal EEO Statement

Institute on Aging is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Institute on Aging is committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive work environment and providing equal opportunities to all employees and job applicants without regard to age, race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic disposition, neuro‑diversity, disability, veteran status or any other protected category under federal, state and local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. IOA reserves the right to adjust work hours or duties when appropriate.