Vice President of Employment Supports

About the Role

Achieva, an organization that advocates with, empowers, and supports people with disabilities and their families throughout their lives, seeks a dynamic and innovative professional to serve as the Vice President of Employment Supports within the Employment Supports department of its largest service organization, Achieva Support.  This position will report to the President of Achieva Support. 

Achieva’s Employment Supports department matches workers with disabilities to gainful employment opportunities that correspond with their skills and interests; establishes relationships with businesses to assist them in becoming more inclusive as an employer of people with disabilities; and actively seeks to grow the footprint and impact of the services offered.

At Achieva, we view employment as a cornerstone of living a life of personal significance.  As such, supporting the employment of people with disabilities is key to our mission, and our single focus toward that goal is the achievement of competitive-integrated employment (CIE), which means paying workers with disabilities competitive wages, assisting them to find and keep typical jobs in the community where they are integrated with coworkers with and without disabilities, and supporting them to maximize their fullest potential.  We do not support the payment of subminimum wages to people with disabilities or the use of congregate facilities to prepare someone for CIE. 

Our Core Values are intertwined in all we do to support people. These values are:

• Respect: Value and celebrate everyone.

• Passion: Be dedicated to Achieva’s mission and vision. 

• Ethics: Infuse integrity, quality and best practices in everything we do.

• Change: Embrace and drive innovation toward inclusive person-centered practices.

• Team: Inspire, challenge and support each other.

If you have a shared vision for the employment of people with disabilities, want to apply your keen business skills to a rewarding opportunity and our values resonate with you, we invite you to apply to be Achieva’s next Vice President of Employment Supports.  For more information about Achieva, see www.achieva.info.  

Oversight Responsibilities

This position is directly responsible for leading management-level employees within the Employment Supports Department and indirectly responsible for all employees within the Employment Supports Department.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Ensure person-centered principles are consistently incorporated throughout the Employment Supports Department.

• Direct, implement and manage the department’s organizational design, structure, goals and action plans.

• Provide leadership in the development of continuous performance improvement systems to ensure delivery of high-quality, efficient, and accessible support and ensure that services, administrative protocols, and procedures are implemented consistently across all sites.

• Direct and monitor the production of timely and accurate reporting of program services and productivity to ensure compliance with contractual obligations, funding source(s), and organizational requirements for effective decision-making.

• Collaborate on budget planning, and monitor fiscal performance of all department programs.

• Establish and monitor productivity standards for all Employment Supports staff.

• Achieve and surpass organizational productivity goals, improving cash flow, and meeting all funding and regulatory requirements.

• Develop and implement plans for the employment services department that effectively serve people we support, funding sources, internal customers, and communities; proactively contribute to efforts that affect local, state, and federal policy to enhance the success of programs

• Design and implement internal systems for quality assurance and effectiveness that identify, quantify, and measure customer satisfaction, program goals and objectives; oversee the managers/directors in the development of program modifications that address identified areas of improvement.

• Proactively identify and inform leadership of any issues that may adversely affect programs, funding, clients, or the organization.

• Establish and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with staff (including across departments), funding sources, constituents, and stakeholders.

• Assure knowledge of and compliance with State and Federal regulatory requirements within all locations.

• Remain current with the trends and developments in program design and funding within the field of employment support.

• Seek and develop new program opportunities, innovation, and service expansion to reach new disability populations and geographic regions consistent with organizational strategic priorities. 

• Establish working relationships with internal and external stakeholders that contribute to the achievement of program goals and objectives.

• Develop and implement strategic priorities.

• Work effectively and cooperatively with the human resources department to ensure agency personnel policies and procedures are followed. 

• Provide support to other Achieva Support programs as it relates to developing initiatives around Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE).

• Seek other opportunities related to Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) with other residential community providers.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Experience and Attributes

• Five-plus years direct experience, with increasing management experience, in the provision of services geared towards assisting people with disabilities to become competitively employed. 

• Bachelor’s degree in human services, rehabilitation science, business administration, or related field is required. A Master’s degree in any of these disciplines is a plus.

• Knowledge of, experience in, and commitment to disability employment best practices and emerging practices, including Employment First, Discovery, Customized Employment, and disability-related Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts.

• Strong business acumen and budget management skills.

• Demonstrated leadership in leading people, programs, and innovation/growth.

• High degree of initiative and independent judgment.

• Professional and diplomatic interpersonal skills with the ability to interact with various personalities.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Strong supervisory and organizational management skills.

• Satisfactory Act 34 clearances are required.

Application Process

Achieva invites interested persons to submit a cover letter that details your fit with the position and a chronological resume to AchievaVP@achieva.info.

Achieva is an affirmative action and an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Achieva is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact the Human Resources Department at 412-995-5000 ext. 650 or AchievaVP@achieva.info.