Senior Center Supervisor (Maryland Deaf Community Center)

Frederick County Government; Frederick (MD); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation and sick leave

Health insurance

Dental, Vision, and FSA

Pension plan

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Frederick County Government seeks an experienced program supervisor to plan and implement health, nutrition, fitness, and social activities for older adults, with emphasis on Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants. The role includes coordinating with staff, volunteers, and partner agencies to ensure accessible, culturally inclusive programming.

Responsibilities include assessing needs, promoting services, and managing program materials and events while ensuring effective communication access.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in human services, social work, psychology, gerontology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in human or aging services.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience directing the work of others.
• Substitutions for the above-listed required education and experience include a Bachelor’s degree.

Responsibilities

• Plan and implement educational, health, nutrition, and social programs accessible to Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants.
• Facilitate health, fitness, education, and recreation programs for the 50+ Community Center.
• Assess needs of older Deaf and hard-of-hearing adults and connect to services.
• Coordinate with staff, volunteers, and partner agencies to deliver inclusive programs.
• Provide guidance to senior center staff and instructors on accessibility and communication.

Skills

Staff supervision

Program planning

Community outreach

Deaf communication

Tech for virtual programs

Education

Associate’s degree in human services, social work, psychology, gerontology, or related field

Job description

Exempt; full-time; 40 hours per week; Monday - Friday; varied hours between 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; full benefits

This position supervises, plans, and implements social, health, nutrition, fitness, and recreation programs for older adults, including both in-person and virtual activities and is primarily located at the Maryland Deaf Community Center in Frederick, Maryland but may assist at other senior center locations when staffing needs require support. The position assesses the needs of older adults, including center participants and homebound individuals, and connects them with Division and community services. Responsibilities include coordinating with staff, volunteers, and partner agencies, assisting with special events and Division initiatives, and managing fiscal purchases. Direction is given to senior center staff.

NOTE: The upper pay range reflects possible wage rates for internal County transfers and promotions, which are calculated per County policy. For external hires, offers are made at the base wage rate, with limited exception.

Frederick County Government values the principles of diversity and inclusion, and strives to ensure equal opportunities for its workforce, applicants and community members.

TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE:

Frederick County offers an extensive compensation package to reflect how highly we value our employees. The following is what you can expect in your first year as a full-time benefited Frederick County Government employee.

• 11 days of Vacation leave with increase after 2 years of employment
• 15 days of Sick leave with unlimited annual carryover
• 11 paid holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays (10 and 11 month employees may not receive all holidays)
• Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan options to include generous County Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution (if enrolled in the high-deductible plan). This is part of a full range of benefits including Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending
• Employee Health Center with no or low-cost primary and urgent care
• 100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit
• County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
  • Vesting after 5 years of service
  • Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc.
• Work/Life balance programs include: Employee Assistance Program and Employee Wellness Program
• Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Other employee-paid benefits such as Deferred Compensation Plan, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Lifetime Benefit with Long Term Care plan

NOTE: Benefited employees will accrue service and leave based on the FTE and/or hours worked per calendar year.

• Plan and implement educational, health, nutrition, and social programs that are fully accessible to Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants, including ensuring communication access and culturally appropriate engagement
• Facilitate, schedule, and promote health, fitness, education, and recreation programs for the 50+ Community Center, ensuring activities are linguistically and culturally inclusive for Deaf community members
• Assess the needs and interests of older Deaf and hard-of-hearing adults to design responsive programs and connect participants with Division and community services that support aging well
• Collaborate with Division staff, the leadership of the Maryland Deaf Community Center, social service agencies, Deaf-serving organizations, and community groups to coordinate accessible senior center programs, outreach, and supportive services
• Provide direction to senior center assistants, instructors, and volunteers, ensuring they understand communication access needs and best practices for supporting Deaf participants
• Assist with planning and facilitating special events, ensuring appropriate accommodations such as interpreters or visual communication tools, and occasionally transporting participants as needed
• Set up, troubleshoot, and host in-person and virtual programming using technology that supports communication access for Deaf participants, such as captioning or visual communication platforms
• Manage fiscal responsibilities, including purchasing supplies and program materials with a county credit card in accordance with policy
• Plan and implement day trips, coordinating ticketing, transportation, communication access, and group support to enhance participant engagement
• Create and distribute a quarterly activity guide that clearly communicates programs, events, and classes, using formats accessible to Deaf and hard-of-hearing community members
• Develop and promote programs that advance Division initiatives and strategic goals, with an emphasis on inclusive, accessible services
• Develop literature and other accessible forms of communication that enhance advertising and broaden marketing efforts to the deaf/hard of hearing community about Division programs and services
• Create, monitor, and maintain participant records, attendance, and program data to meet departmental and Division reporting requirements
• Perform other related duties as assigned

To perform this job successfully, an employee must be able to perform all essential functions satisfactorily. Any employee's position may not be assigned all functions or equipment listed above, and the examples may not cover all functions or equipment that may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their essential functions.

The qualifications/requirements, knowledge/skills/abilities and physical requirements or working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Associate’s degree in human services, social work, psychology, gerontology, or a related field
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in human or aging services
• Minimum of 1 year of experience directing the work of others

Substitutions for the above-listed required education and experience are a Bachelor’s degree as described above.

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / ABILITIES:

A successful incumbent operating in this role displays the following:

• Intermediate knowledge of laws, regulations, and requirements affecting older adults, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community, including principles of gerontology and issues impacting aging populations
• Intermediate knowledge of social services and community resources available locally, including Federal and State programs that support Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and aging individuals
• Knowledge of best practices in senior services, disability services, Deaf-friendly programming, and caregiver support, and the ability to incorporate these into program design
• Knowledge of food service safety and sanitation, accurate math skills for quantity calculations, and the ability to assist with accessible meal distribution programs
• Ability to obtain and maintain CPR and AED certification within 6 months of hire, including awareness of communication accommodations needed in emergency response involving Deaf individuals
• Ability to conduct participant surveys, identify program needs within the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community, and connect individuals with appropriate resources
• Ability to recognize and respond appropriately to crisis situations, including using de-escalation strategies and communication-access tools suited for Deaf participants
• Ability to supervise, schedule, direct, and train staff, volunteers, and instructors, including guidance on culturally and linguistically appropriate interaction with Deaf and hard-of-hearing older adults
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with older adults, Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, persons with disabilities, coworkers, volunteers, and community partners
• Ability to work independently, make informed decisions, manage priorities, and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive personal information from Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants
• Ability to effectively use technology, including virtual platforms, captioning tools, visual communication devices, and standard computer systems, and to set up/maintain equipment for programs and presentations
• Strong communication skills, including clear written communication and the ability to present information using communication methods accessible to Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences (e.g., ASL, visual aids, captioning), as appropriate to the position

PREFERENCE MAY BE GIVEN FOR:

• Minimum 1 year work experience planning and/or leading activities in the deaf community
• American Sign Language (ASL) certificate
• Secondary American Sign Language (ASL) skills with the ability to communicate effectively and independently with deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals
• Adaptive and inclusive recreation experience

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS / WORKING CONDITIONS:

• While working in this position, the employee is required to consistently sit, reach, and perform repetitive motions; frequently walk
• While working in this position, the employee is required to consistently work indoors

• Failure to meet or maintain the minimum qualifications or additional requirements may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination
• Available for varied schedule as needed for special activities or assignments
• Ability to arrange own frequent travel to meetings, work locations, and events as needed, including occasional urgent or time sensitive situations

EXAMINATION PROCESS (may include):

1. An evaluation of training and experience
2. One or more interviews