Program Support Coordinator

Perkins School for the Blind; United States; On-site; USD 74,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental & Vision Insurance

401(k) Plan

Job summary

Perkins School for the Blind is seeking a Program Support Coordinator to perform essential administrative and operational tasks across school, residential, and Expanded Core Curriculum programming. The role emphasizes scheduling, supervision, data reporting, family liaison work, and continuous improvement across cottages.

The position requires collaboration with staff across facilities, food services, and transportation, with a focus on safety, compliance, and program quality to ensure a

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Three (3) years experience working with special needs children or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• First Aid and CPR/AED Safety Care training.
• Sign Language (dependent on program needs).
• Valid driver's license and willingness to drive school vehicles including chair cars.

Responsibilities

• Administrative & Operational Support: schedule, supervise, and oversee overnight staff; plan student activity and staff coverage for shifts; maintain cottage files and audit readiness; supervise during vacancies; assist data reporting for IEPs and transitions; act as liaison for families; support admissions and transitions; drive continuous improvement.
• Facilities Coordination: supervise Domestic Service Workers; serve as central operations contact; manage maintenance requests; coordinate with Food Services and campus events.
• ECC Skill Building: promote student self-advocacy, independence, and confidence through structured activities; foster an inclusive, safe environment.
• Medical/Training Clearances: obtain vehicle clearance, operate and train staff on equipment, ensure health records are current.
• Licensing Compliance: ensure cottage department complies with licensing standards; conduct monthly environmental walkthroughs; track trainings and certifications.

Skills

Communication

Confidential information handling

Team leadership

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Interpersonal skills

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree

3+ years experience with special needs children

CPR/AED/First Aid training

Sign Language

Valid driver's license

Job description

Perkins helps children with disabilities find their place in the world. An international NGO, we are committed to delivering best-in-class education to children, providing immersive training and support to professionals and families, advocating for inclusion, and accelerating innovation for people with disabilities. At Perkins, we think courageously, act collaboratively, and we own our work. Join a supportive community committed to growth where your work makes a difference.

What you can expect as our Program Support Coordinator: As our Program Support Coordinator you perform a number of essential administrative and operational tasks directly related to the successful operation of school, residential, and expanded core curriculum programming.

How you will make an impact:

• Administrative & Operational Support
  • Asleep Overnight Oversight: Manage scheduling, supervision, and operational oversight for asleep overnight staff.
  • Student Activity & Staff Coverage Planning: Ensure effective activity planning and adequate staff coverage for all shifts, with targeted focus on high-need evening and weekend time frames.
  • Cottage File & Audit Readiness: Organize and maintain cottage files, logs, and reports to ensure audit readiness and full compliance with licensing regulations.
  • Operational Leadership & Vacancy Coverage: Provide direct supervision and operational coverage for ACRLs and CRLs as needed during short-term vacancies and long-term leaves, assuming additional supervisory assignments directed by the ADSL to maintain continuous leadership across shifts.
  • Data Reporting: Assist in the collection and organization of student progress data from residential staff; ensure that data is formatted correctly for inclusion in IEP and Transition portfolios.
  • Family Liaison Support: Act as an alternative point of contact for families regarding non-clinical, administrative questions (e.g., packing lists, activity schedules, or transportation logistics).
  • Admissions & Student Transition Logistics: Support the Assistant Directors of Student Life (ADSLs) in coordinating administrative, operational logistics for student transitions including outside admissions, inter-cottage moves, and program transitions (such as Lower School and Deafblind moves into residential living).
  • Continuous Improvement: Regularly assess cottage and program needs to identify operational or resource gaps, help execute targeted action plans to drive ongoing improvements.
• Facilities Coordination
  • Domestic Service Worker Supervision: Directly supervise Domestic Service Workers (DSWs), ensuring cottage cleanliness and environmental standards meet student needs as well as health and safety regulations.
  • Operational Communication Hub: Act as a central point of contact for cottage-related operations, proactively streamlining communication between residential staff, Facilities, and Food Services.
  • Maintenance Request Management: Support CRLs and ADSLs to oversee the submission and tracking of cottage maintenance requests, providing active follow-up to ensure swift resolution and safe living environments.
  • Food Services & Dining Operations: Support CRLs and ADSLs to partner with Food Services to manage routine student meal planning, accommodate specialized dietary needs, and coordinate catering or logistics for campus events.
• Student Empowerment Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) Skill Building
  • Actively promote student self-advocacy, personal independence, and self-confidence through structured social and organizational activities.
  • Inclusive Culture & Environment: Provide leadership that fosters a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment; model and reinforce positive social interactions that honor student dignity and empower both students and staff.
• Medical and Staff Training Clearances
  • Vehicle Clearance: Obtain and maintain Perkins Vehicle Driver Clearance, with willingness to drive program vehicles (including chair cars) to support student transportation needs. Maintain willingness to obtain required clearances to train staff on as needed.
  • Equipment Clearances & Appliance Training: Maintain willingness to obtain required clearances to operate and train staff in areas including student appliances use, mobility equipment, and mechanical lifts (e.g., Hoyer lifts), and driving school vehicles.
  • Medication Administration Clearance: Maintain clearance to administer medications, help to ensure compliance with all health and safety regulations, and ensure that all student health-related documentation in the cottages is current and accurate.
• Compliance Management Departmental Licensing Compliance
  • Ensure the entire residential department remains in continuous, full compliance with all external licensing standards and institutional regulations.
  • Cottage Environmental Walkthroughs & Quality Checks: Conduct monthly cottage environmental walkthroughs—including completing standardized safety, hygiene, and accessibility checklists—and help manage necessary follow-ups to ensure student living spaces remain safe, clean, compliant, and properly structured for student needs (e.g., CVI accommodations and physical mobility access).
  • Professional Development & Certification Tracking: Maintain and update the department's professional development database, tracking completion dates for all staff mandated trainings and core certifications (e.g., CPR, First Aid, Safety Care).
  • Training Credential Lifecycle Monitoring: Monitor training credential lifecycles and proactively alert ADSLs and staff when certifications are nearing expiration to prevent compliance gaps.
• Knowledge and Skills
  • Ability to communicate effectively both orally and written
  • Ability to maintain confidential information
  • Ability to lead diverse work groups
  • Ability to work well in a team and individually
  • Exhibits sound and accurate judgment
  • Ability to interact in a consultative professional manner
  • Demonstrated strong organizational skills
  • Ability to prioritize and manage several responsibilities concurrently
  • Ability to utilize available resources and creative problem solving skills in supporting the growth and performance of staff
  • Knowledgeable about the impact of vision impairment on development, classroom learning and community access
  • Familiarity with various types of low vision devices (optical and non-optical) and assistive technology
  • Knowledge of state and federal laws regarding the education of students with visual impairments and other disabilities
  • Knowledge of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and understanding of how the Expanded Core Curriculum for Students with Visual Impairments is designed to support access to the general education curriculum

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor's degree required
• Three (3) years experience working with special needs children or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Safety Care training
• Sign Language (dependent on program needs)
• Valid driver's license and willingness to drive school vehicles including chair cars

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Generally, the essential functions performed are typical in a school environment and involve work with special needs students requiring lifting or exertion of up to 50 lbs. of force occasionally. Typically, essential functions routinely require stooping, kneeling, crouching and crawling. Workers are required to ascend and descend stairs, walk, bend, reach, and handle objects, travel independently, and use hands to operate tools and equipment specific to the discipline, computer and keyboard. Work requires expression or exchange of ideas and the ability to receive detailed information. Work requires ability to compare, compile, analyze, and coordinate data and information; ability to instruct or train others; and ability to utilize effective interpersonal skills and behaviors. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Salary Range

$74,200.00-$104,800.00

Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Wellness programs available
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employer-Paid Life & Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) Plan with employer match
• Education Benefits: Tuition reimbursement day one
• Paid Time Off
• Employee Recognition Programs
• EAP
• Legal services
• Referral bonuses
• Credit union access
• Pre-tax MBTA passes

Perkins is located in the heart of Watertown, adjacent to the Charles River and less than 1 mile from food & entertainment at Arsenal Yards.

Perkins is an equal opportunity employer. View the Perkins Notice of non-discrimination. Through Perkins's core programs and services, we work to fulfill our mission of serving children and young adults with multiple disabilities and their families around the globe, as well as the educators, professionals and researchers who support them, by focusing on innovation and excellence in educational services, accessibility and professional development. At Perkins, diversity and inclusion are at the core of our mission and we firmly believe that people with different backgrounds and experiences bring unique and necessary perspectives.