Area Director - Metro North Area Office

The Northeast Region of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) is seeking a person with excellent organizational and management skills to head the Metro North Area Office leadership team in an active, challenging, and rewarding environment in Wakefield, MA. The Area Director fulfills a critical role in the Area Office as the highest DDS management position at the local level.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Manages a 84 million dollar allocation which is directed to the procurement, development and delivery of a comprehensive array of residential, day, clinical, family and support services for approximately 2000 individuals and their families
• Determines the priority of need for available services within the limits of available resources, including individuals eligible for the Federal Home and Community Based Services Waiver and for maximizing waiver revenue by appropriately matching waiver-eligible individuals with needed services
• Supervises management team, which could include the Assistant Area Director, Clinical Director, Service Coordinator Supervisors, Program Monitor, Program Coordinator, Health Care Coordinator and BCBA. Also, indirectly supervises additional twenty plus area office staff
• Ensures labor contract compliance and meeting the ongoing training and development needs of a diverse labor force
• Provides leadership in the implementation and oversight of the Department's Risk and Incident Management Systems
• Demonstrates exceptional communication skills to deal respectfully and professionally with a diverse group of citizens and public officials, ensuring compliance to rules and regulations
• Provides ongoing direction and leadership of the Citizen Advisory Board
• Provides emergency on-call response during off hours as part of the management team which could include emergency calls involving individuals in psychiatric, medical and forensic crisis
• Contributes to the overall performance of the Region and to statewide leadership initiatives

Preferred Qualifications

• Skilled in managing, directing and motivating people
• Strong interpersonal written and verbal communication skills
• Proven ability and technical knowledge in planning, coordinating and prioritizing for optimal performance
• Ability to evaluate, monitor and set standards for accomplishment
• Demonstrated leadership and team building skills
• Ability to resolve/mediate conflicts

Schedule

Day shift, 8:00 – 4:30, Monday-Friday, with Saturday and Sunday off. Flexibility is required to meet the needs of the Area Office; there may be occasional night and weekend meetings with individuals, guardians, families and other agencies.

Minimum Entrance Requirements

Applicants must have at least (A) six (6) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management of which (B) at least two (2) years must have been in a supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below.

Substitutions

• A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience
• A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience
• A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required (A) experience
• A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required (A) experience

Pre‑employment Screening

Recommended candidates must successfully complete pre‑employment screening which includes:

• Criminal background check (CORI) by regulations set forth by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (

Equal Opportunity Statement

An Equal Opportunity / Affinitive Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.

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