Executive Director - DC Programs

Executive Director, DC Programs

Innovative Life Solutions / DC Programs / Washington, DC / Full-time

Position title: Executive Director, DC Programs

Entity brand: Innovative Life Solutions

Department: DC Programs

Location: Washington, DC; DC program sites

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer

Supervises: Residential Director; Program Directors

Employment type: Full-time

FLSA status: Exempt 

Schedule: Standard business hours, with availability for site visits and urgent program matters

Work setting: Office and residential and day program sites

Effective date: October 6, 2026

THE ROLE IN BRIEF

The Executive Director leads the operational and clinical performance of Innovative Life Solutions DC programs serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and related behavioral health or medical needs. Reporting to the COO, this leader is accountable for safe, person-centered services, regulatory readiness, staff leadership, fiscal stewardship and program growth, and represents the organization with participants, families, guardians, referral sources, funders and oversight agencies.

About Innovative Life and why your role matters

Innovative Life empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs to live meaningful, self-directed lives. Across DC, Maryland and New Jersey, we provide residential, day habilitation, behavioral, community inclusion, employment readiness and individualized day services, and we measure our success by the outcomes we create: better quality of life, stronger community connection and real progress for the people we support. Our work is guided by five values we call I-CARE: Innovation, Commitment, Attitude, Respect and Excellence.

Every role at Innovative Life exists to make that mission someone's real experience. Whether you support a person directly, keep a home or program running, or work behind the scenes in an office, the quality of your work shapes what the people we support, and their families experience every day. That is why this role matters, and it is why we take the time to be clear about what it involves.

How we work at Innovative Life

Here is what you can count on from us: clear expectations, honest and timely feedback, the support and training you need to do your job well, and leaders who hold themselves accountable before expecting it of anyone else. Here is what we count on from you:

• Communicate clearly and on time, so the right people have what they need when they need it.
• Own your work: know what you are responsible for, follow through, and raise problems early.
• Work as one team across departments and treat every handoff as shared.
• Follow the current approved process and speak up when it is not working so we can fix it together.
• Treat the people we support, their families and your colleagues with respect, integrity and care, every time.

What you'll do

Leadership and Operations

• Lead residential and other assigned DC programs through clear goals, staffing plans, supervision and routine review of service quality and outcomes.
• Supervise, coach and evaluate direct reports; hold them accountable for timely documentation, incident follow-up, corrective actions and staff development.
• Partner with finance and the COO on budgets, census, staffing, overtime, resource allocation and sustainable expansion; monitor operating results and recommend corrective action.
• Coordinate with human resources, quality assurance, nursing and program teams to maintain qualified staff, training completion and effective cross-functional workflows.

Clinical Leadership and Care Coordination

• Strengthen communication and handoffs among providers, hospitals, families or guardians and internal teams during admissions, hospitalizations, discharge and return to services, including medication and follow-up information.
• Guide trauma-informed, person-centered approaches, and support staff in responding to behavioral health concerns, crises and barriers to community participation.
• Review clinical and operational trends, including incidents, hospital use, grievances and care transitions, and lead improvements with nursing and quality assurance.

Compliance and Quality

• Ensure assigned programs meet applicable licensing, payer, contract, accreditation, privacy and organizational requirements; coordinate survey and audit preparation and responses.
• Oversee timely incident reporting, investigations, corrective action implementation and monitoring, in partnership with quality assurance and clinical leaders.
• Use data, record reviews, site visits and feedback from people supported to assess outcomes, identify risks and report progress to the COO and senior leadership.

External Relations and Growth

• Maintain productive relationships with DC agencies, hospitals, community partners, funders and other stakeholders.
• Support referrals, new service opportunities and responsible program expansion; contribute operational and clinical input to proposals and implementation plans.
• Represent Innovative Life Solutions professionally in meetings, and communicate program needs, results and improvement plans accurately.

How we'll measure success together

Reviewed at approximately 90 days and annually thereafter, with additional reviews as needed.

Regulatory readiness. Every licensing survey and audit closed with an accepted plan of correction by its deadline, measured from survey results and QA records.

Incident follow-through. Incidents reported within the required window and corrective actions closed on schedule, measured from the QA tracker each quarter.

Care transitions. Every hospitalization and discharge has a documented handoff and follow-up plan, measured by quarterly record review with nursing.

Fiscal stewardship. Programs operate within approved budget, with census and overtime reviewed monthly with finance and the COO.

Team strength. Direct reports evaluated on schedule and program staff current on required training, measured from HR and learning system reports.