Program Director

Kessler Center Program Director

As Program Director of the Kessler Center for Easterseals New York in Rochester, you will lead a team of educators, clinicians, and other professionals dedicated to providing high-quality integrated educational, residential, and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Reporting to the Executive Director for Easterseals New York, you will be responsible for ensuring delivery of high-quality services, compliance with regulations, financial stability, program growth, operational excellence, and dignity for all program participants.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Program Operations
• Oversee program operations monitoring performance, ensuring compliance with regulations and best practices, evaluating outcomes, and making data-driven improvements.
• Policies & Procedures
• Review and update existing policies and procedures to ensure consistency and quality throughout the program.
• Relationship Management Funders & State Regulators
• Maintain and strengthen relationships with funders and New York State regulators and including OPWDD, OMH, DOH, and NYSED.
• Community Outreach
• Build partnerships with community agencies, hospitals, and other referral sources to increase program visibility within the region.
• Representing Easterseals New York at public events and promoting awareness and understanding of I/DD issues within the community.
• Program Growth
• Increase the population served by recruiting educational staff to open additional classrooms and evaluating expansion of services through additional programming.
• Regulatory & Funder Communications Management
• Responding on a timely basis to all requests for information from regulators, funders, other care providers, and Corporate Services.
• Program Budget
• Develop program budget to ensure financial sustainability and monitoring expenses and funding to optimize resource allocation.
• Records Maintenance
• Ensure the maintenance of records that meet legal requirements and best practices for documentation of evaluation, clinical care planning and implementation, safety planning, and adverse incidents including agency response.

You're a great fit for this role if you have:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Services, Behavioral Health, Health Administration, Nonprofit management, or related field.
• 10+ years supervisory experience in organizations with complex regulatory and policy environments.
• Worked with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Able to comply with complex regulatory environments, particularly OPWDD, DOH, OMH, and NYSED.
• Strong organizational, administration, and communication skills (both verbal and written) with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to exercise a high degree of initiative, judgement, and discretion to achieve organizational objectives.
• Strong analytical skills enabling accurate assessment of situations and implementation of effective actions.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize work, and handle simultaneous assignments with speed and accuracy.

Compensation & Benefits

• Compensation: $110,000-$125,000/yr
• Benefits
• Health insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• Paid time off (Vacation, Sick, Floating)
• Retirement plan 403(b)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Commuter Benefits
• Life/Accident insurance
• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Long-term Disability Insurance
• Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)

The mission of Easterseals New York is to spread help, hope, and answers. We operate programs that enable people with special needs to achieve equality, dignity, and independence in their own communities. We provide exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities. We change the way the world defines and views disability by making profound, positive differences in people's lives every day. In Rochester, NY, we operate The Kessler Center, an approved private special education (853) school offering both residential (CRP) and day placements for students with developmental disabilities. The Kessler Center is an available option for school districts seeking an out-of-district placement for students who need an alternative educational path due to their developmental disabilities. The Kessler Center has broad expertise working with students across the entire range of developmental disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as with children who struggle with behavioral challenges. In addition to The Kessler Center, we operate a dayhab program and provide respite care. Easterseals New York joined The Fedcap Group in 2015.

The Fedcap Group provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We are an EEO employer committed to diversity.

Job Info

• Job Identification 103088
• Job Category Human Services
• Posting Date 03/24/2026, 04:50 PM
• Degree Level Bachelor's Degree
• Job Schedule Full time
• Job Shift Day
• Locations 402 Rogers Parkway, Rochester, NY, 14617, US