Program Lead- Penn Hills PA

Merakey; Penn Hills (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 27,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Retirement plan

DailyPay

Well-being platform

Backup care services

EAP

Tuition reimbursement

Employee discounts

Online learning access

Job summary

Merakey seeks a Program Lead to oversee day-to-day operations of a residential program. You will supervise staff, coordinate activities, and ensure high‑quality services while managing a caseload of participants.

The role emphasizes safety, emergency response, and medication support, with opportunities to collaborate with the Program Manager and QCO for incident management and scheduling.

Qualifications

• Must be 18 years old or older.
• High school diploma or GED or 4–5 years in human services residential setting.
• 1–3 years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day program activities and staff.
• Coordinate schedules, supervise DSPs, and approve timecards.
• Ensure safety, respond to emergencies, and manage ADLs.
• Medication management and incident reporting in coordination with QCO.

Skills

Staff supervision

Program coordination

Safety compliance

Emergency response

ADL support

Education

High school diploma or GED

NADSP certification within first year

Job description

Wednesday thru Saturday 3p-11p; Tuesday Admin Day; Sunday and Monday off

Description

The Program Lead plays a critical role in the day-to-day management and oversight of specific programs or services within their identified Division. Reporting to the Program Manager, this position is responsible for coordinating program activities, supervising program staff, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality services to program participants. This role may manage a caseload of their own.

Rate of pay - $19.48 OR $21.48 with the selection of enhanced pay.

Staff Management

• Provide guidance, support, and direction to staff members
• Assign duties and responsibilities to staff based on program needs and individuals’ strengths
• Conduct regular check-ins and provide feedback to staff regarding performance and areas for improvement

Client Care and Safety

• Ensure the safety and security of clients and staff by enforcing program policies and procedures
• Monitor client behavior and intervene as necessary to de-escalate conflicts or address concerns
• Respond to emergencies or crises effectively, following established protocols and seeking assistance as needed

Additional job duties:

• Work with the Program Manager to oversee the work of the DSPs
• Approve all DSP timecards and leave requests
• Prepares and manages house schedules in coordination with the Program Manager
• Direct Care responsibilities to include but not limited to activities of daily living (ADLs), food preparation and/or feeding, maintaining required supervision requirements
• Medication management and administration
• Incident Management in coordination with Program Manager and QCO
• Manages all household needs to include but not limited to menu development, grocery shopping, housekeeping
• Ensure ongoing upkeep and maintenance of assigned home
• Ensures overall cleanliness ongoing
• Daily maintenance needs (lightbulbs, filter cleanings, etc.)
• Identifies needed repairs and submits maintenance requests

Merakey offers generous benefits that promote well-being, financial security, and work-life balance, including:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus access to healthcare advocacy support.
• Retirement plan -- both pre-tax and Roth (after-tax) options available for employee contributions.
• DailyPay -- access your pay when you need it!
• On the Goga well-being platform, featuring self-care tools and resources.
• Access Care.com for backup childcare, elder care, and household services.
• Confidential counseling, legal, and financial services through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Tuition reimbursement and educational partnerships.
• Employee discounts and savings programs on entertainment, travel, and lifestyle.
• Access to Pryor Online Learning for free online personal development classes.

Merakey is a non-profit provider of developmental, behavioral health, and education services. More than 8,000 employees provide support to nearly 40,000 individuals and families throughout 12 states across the country each year. Merakey strictly follows a zero-tolerance policy for abuse.

Merakey is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer! We deeply value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ethnic background, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, or disability status. Moreover, we are committed to creating teams that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. Merakey welcomes all Veterans to apply!

Requirements

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• Must be 18 years old.
• Must have a verifiable High School diploma/G.E.D. OR 4 -5 years' experience working in a human services residential setting
• 1-3 total years of experience required
• Willingness to obtain NADSP Certification obtained within first year of hire, if required

This Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or on any other basis prohibited by law. Information on race, gender and national origin will only be used for statistical and recordkeeping purposes, and will not be used in making any employment decisions. All information provided will be kept separate from your expression of interest. Providing this information is strictly voluntary, and you will not be subjected to any adverse action or treatment if you choose not to provide this information. If you do not choose to answer these questions, we ask that you select "Decline to Identify" for each question. Thank you for your voluntary cooperation.