Aspire Living & Learning Seeks Chief of Adult Services

About Aspire Living & Learning

Aspire Living & Learning is a non-profit human services agency making a meaningful difference in the lives of neurodiverse adults and children. The mission of Aspire Living & Learning is to serve neurodiverse children and adults who are discovering their passions, unlocking potential, and thriving. We provide residential programs, day support, special education, and employment services in partnership with families and in collaboration with public and private health, human service, education and other government agencies. Headquartered in Vermont, our 1,200 team members serve individuals across four Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Maryland).

Aspire recently finalized a new strategic plan which will direct the organization's efforts through 2025. This plan is centered on three core goals:

• Learning: facilitating ongoing learning throughout all levels of the organization.
• Integration: continuing to harmonize perspectives, practices, and programs across the Aspire culture.
• Impact: striving to lead our industry as both a service provider and an employer.

Opportunity Going Forward

Entering the organization at a crucial moment of time, the new Chief of Adult Services (CAS) will provide critical, timely leadership, systems-thinking, and relational aptitude to the management of Aspire's Adult Services function, which makes up 70% of the organization's business. The need for the new CAS role emerged from Aspire's recent strategic planning effort, and thus the person who fills it will both oversee the day-to-day operations of Aspire's current Adult Services work and envision and enact a future that includes more effective internal collaboration, streamlined operations, and increased growth and impact.

As defined in the new strategic plan, Aspire is moving from a "paternalistic" approach, i.e. believing that the service provider knows what is best for their clients, to a "partnership-based" approach, i.e. asking the client what is best for them in order to live the life they have dreamed about. While there is widespread buy-in in Aspire's new strategic philosophies and plan, the organization now needs to connect the ideas to specific, measurable actions that embody these shifts. Positioned at the intersection of Aspire's central office functions (FI, HR, etc.) and the organization's state-level Adult Services operations, the CAS will serve as a key connector and leader of Aspire's next phase of organizational evolution.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief of Adult Services will serve on the eight-person Executive team that provides leadership across the entire organization. In this capacity, the CAS will play an integral role in informing, creating, and executing the strategic direction of Aspire. The CAS will directly manage five staff members, four of whom oversee program operations in an Aspire state (CT, MA, MD, NH) and one of whom oversees facilities. The CAS will serve as the face of Aspire amongst the internal Aspire operating sites as well as within the external Adult Services field, including state and federal collaborators, experts, and innovators.

This position is flexible in terms of location. The successful candidate will live within a commutable distance of one of Aspire's offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Maryland and be willing and able to travel ~10 days/month to visit Aspire sites and staff members, attend Executive Team gatherings, represent the organization at external gatherings, etc.

Desired Credentials/Profile of the Ideal Candidate

• Knowledge of and passion for work with and on behalf of neurodiverse individuals and the people who support them.
• A minimum of ten years of multi-faceted leadership experience in the human services field within an organization of comparable size and/or multi-state organization
• Proven ability to facilitate positive organizational evolution at both the theoretical and tactical levels involving a broad and diverse staff
• A courageously authentic, decent human being who can have fun at work, be self-reflective and vulnerable, and engage with others in transparent, open, and honest ways

Skills and Experience

Energetic, Optimistic Organizational Leader

• Mission-driven leader who is aligned with Aspire's strategic plan and guiding principles
• Strong, experience-informed belief in person-centered treatment and support for neurodiverse individuals
• Systems-thinker who can draw clear connections between an organization's desired direction and the specific processes and actions that will result in positive organizational development
• Unwavering in the pursuit of a vision tied to goals, with clear follow-through and a willingness to take risks when necessary
• Inspires staff to achieve high-quality service delivery, including an appreciation for the value of data and quality measures

Inspiring Manager of Teams and Individuals

• Exceptional builder of a transparent, supportive, action-oriented team culture centered on relationships, results, and learning
• Confident in his/her/their ability to manage across their group of Executive Team peers and up to the CEO with clarity and a focus on mutual accountability
• Proven ability to lead other leaders in their growth and development, including supervisory, facilitation and team-building skills
• Able to hold self and others to equally consistent high levels of expectations, accountability and performance

Exceptional Communicator and Collaborator

• Delights in serving as an external representative of Aspire within the ID/DD field
• Stays abreast of trends and best practices in the Adult Services field
• Fosters, nurtures, and sustains partnerships with key stakeholders at the state and federal levels
• Leads and inspires effective collaboration between central support departments and Adult Service program operations, ensuring streamlined communication and organizational efficiency

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with a starting salary range of $140,000-$170,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications. Aspire Living & Learning also offers a comprehensive and generous benefits package including medical (80%+ covered by Aspire), dental (75%+ covered by Aspire), life, disability (short-term and long-term), and pet insurances in addition to a 403b (with 2% match), free telehealth services, an EAP, and FSA participation. This position will also have access to unlimited PTO as well as a leased car for business and personal usage.

COVID 19 Consideration

Please note that Aspire Living & Learning has adopted a COVID-19 vaccination policy to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and individuals we support. As a condition of employment, employees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless an exemption is approved for medical or religious reason or as otherwise required by law.

Application Process and Additional Information

Candidates must include a resume and a cover letter that describes how their qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of Aspire. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Upload required documents to: https://eostransitions.applicantpool.com/jobs/.

Aspire Living & Learning believes it must play an active role in creating a community of employees that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable. Our work benefits greatly from the contributions of people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, LGBTQ people, and individuals with disabilities. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.

This executive search is being conducted by Eos Transition Partners consultant, Erin Cox. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential, and any questions can be submitted to Erin at: ecox@eostransitions.com.