Memory Care Director Jobs in Ridgefield, CT (NOW HIRING)

Reports To: Chief Clinical Operations Officer

Assigned Region: Region 1 (MA / CT / NY) or Region 2 (OH / NJ / DC)

Summary: The Corporate Director of Memory Care & Experience / Lifestyle provides strategic leadership and operational support for both Memory Care and Experience & Lifestyle programs across an assigned region of Maplewood and Inspir communities. Two Corporate Directors share portfolio-wide coverage — one for Region 1 (MA / CT / NY) and one for Region 2 (OH / NJ / DC). Within the assigned region, each Director is accountable for consistent execution of person-centered dementia care and vibrant, trend-forward resident engagement, aligned with the MSL Truly Living model and each brand’s standards of excellence. Beyond the assigned region, each Director serves as the enterprise subject-matter expert (SME) in a designated area of specialty — Memory Care or Experience & Lifestyle — ensuring the organization retains depth of expertise across the portfolio.

•      Regional operational ownership — The Director owns day-to-day performance and outcomes for both Memory Care and Experience & Lifestyle within the assigned region, providing close, consistent support to community-based directors and coordinators through regular field presence.

•      Enterprise subject-matter expertise — The Director serves as the company-wide lead and internal expert in the designated domain of specialty, available to both regions for guidance, program design, training, and clinical or experiential differentiation.

Accountability and Cross-Regional Authority

The regional Director holds primary accountability for all outcomes within the assigned region. The enterprise SME holds approval authority, in both regions, over the items listed below. This structure preserves single-point regional accountability while protecting enterprise consistency in each specialty.

The following require enterprise SME review and approval in both regions:

• Regulatory survey responses and plans of correction in the SME’s domain
• Launch or material revision of any enterprise-wide program in the SME’s domain
• Dementia-care training curriculum and CDP-qualifying seminar content
• Elopement drill methodology and quarterly drill review findings
• Adoption of new engagement technology or digital platforms at enterprise scale
• All other matters — including routine community operations, field visits, coaching, and lifestyle calendar oversight — are owned by the regional Director without SME review.
• Where the regional Director and the enterprise SME cannot align on a cross-regional matter, the decision escalates to the Chief Clinical Operations Officer.

Essential Functions:

Regional Operational Leadership & Brand Standardization

• Own daily operations of both Memory Care and Experience & Lifestyle departments across all communities in the assigned region, ensuring adherence to each brand's standards of excellence.
• Provide direct support and guidance to community Memory Care Directors and Experience/Lifestyle Directors to foster a consistent, high-quality resident experience.
• Implement and refine scalable operational best practices that promote consistency across the region while allowing personalization to meet local and individual resident needs.
• Conduct regular field visits, audits, and operational reviews across the region to evaluate performance, reinforce brand standards, and provide hands-on support.
• Lead regular strategic check-ins with community directors to address opportunities, trends, and challenges.
• Lead with strong time management, prioritization, and accountability across locations to maximize productivity and resident engagement.
• Foster a positive, inclusive environment rooted in compassion, creativity, and purpose — driving a culture of wellness, joy, teamwork, and innovation.

Memory Care Oversight

• Ensure consistent execution of memory care philosophy, standards, and clinical practices aligned with the MSL Truly Living model.
• Champion compassionate, person-centered dementia care and interdisciplinary care strategies for residents with cognitive impairments.
• Partner with clinical leadership to design and evaluate dementia-specific programs that improve cognitive, behavioral, and safety outcomes.
• Monitor clinical indicators such as behaviors, falls, and elopement events to inform risk mitigation and care improvements.
• Support development and oversight of dementia-specific care pathways and documentation standards.

Experience & Lifestyle Programming

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of Experience, Lifestyle, and resident engagement operations, maintaining a best-in-class brand identity and excellence in service delivery.
• Co-create and implement resident-centric programs that support physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual well-being.
•  Oversee lifestyle calendars and memory care engagement models to ensure vibrancy, variety, dignity, and inclusiveness.
• Champion personalization and engagement — ensuring every experience is meaningful and reflective of resident preferences.
• Promote innovative partnerships, entertainment, enrichment, and wellness opportunities that enhance the overall resident journey.

Innovation, Trends & Technology

• Stay current on emerging trends, research, and best practices in dementia care, senior living, and wellness through conferences, education, and partnerships.
• Evaluate and adopt new technologies and digital engagement platforms that enhance resident connection, engagement, quality of life, and outcomes.
• Encourage experimentation, ideation, and continuous improvement across memory care and Experience & Lifestyle programs.

Enterprise Subject-Matter Expertise

• Serve as the organization’s internal expert and enterprise-wide lead in the designated area of specialty, available to both regions.
• Provide cross-regional consultation, program design, and thought leadership so the company retains depth of expertise as operational responsibility becomes regionally structured.
• Exercise approval authority over the cross-regional items defined under Accountability and Cross-Regional Authority above.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Brand Development to articulate the company’s dementia care philosophy, training standards, and clinical and experiential differentiation.

Partnerships & Collaboration

Build and maintain strong relationships with residents, families, staff, vendors, and community partners to gather insights and strengthen engagement.

Maintain a standing partnership with Brand Development and Marketing, including monthly alignment on experience programming, brand standards, and market-facing differentiation. Secure Brand Development input prior to launch of any enterprise-wide experience or lifestyle program.

 Collaborate cross-functionally with home-office departments — including marketing, culinary, HR, and Care — to ensure program alignment with brand strategy.

Cultivate strategic partnerships with external organizations such as Alzheimer's associations, hospitals, and universities to support programming and referral relationships.

Family & Community Engagement

• Participate, as needed, in family meetings, educational seminars, and transition planning discussions.
• Serve as a visible resource to families navigating cognitive decline, care level changes, and move-in transitions.

Training, Development & Leadership Coaching

• Develop and lead onboarding and continuing-education programs for community Memory Care and Experience/Lifestyle Directors and coordinators.
• Identify developmental needs and implement educational programs that enhance staff competencies and leadership growth.
• Facilitate dementia education, hands-on coaching, mentorship, and leadership training.
• Conduct “Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care” seminars to support Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) designations. (Requires trainer-level credential — see Qualifications.)
•  Implement succession planning and talent-development strategies for future leadership.

Quality Assurance, Compliance & Survey Readiness

• Monitor program outcomes and resident satisfaction data to identify trends, successes, and opportunities for improvement.
• Leverage feedback and analytics to drive decisions, inspire innovation, and elevate the resident experience.
• Oversee QA initiatives including CQE / Trip Reports, monthly audits, elopement drill reviews, and outcomes analysis.
• Ensure documentation, care practices, and staffing models comply with all federal, state, and local regulations.
• Lead communities in survey readiness and respond to identified deficiencies with corrective action plans.

Behavioral Support & Crisis Intervention

• Provide training and coaching to community leaders on managing behaviors related to dementia.
• Guide community directors in crisis management, de-escalation techniques, and personalized care approaches for residents with challenging needs.

Strategic Planning

• Partner with executive and clinical leadership to shape long-term strategic goals for memory care and Experience & Lifestyle initiatives that align with organizational objectives.
• Maintain current knowledge of industry developments and legislative changes that may impact program delivery or resident outcomes.
• Performance in this role is evaluated against the following measures within the assigned region, and enterprise-wide within the designated specialty:
• Regulatory survey outcomes — deficiency rate and repeat-citation rate in memory care and resident engagement domains
• Elopement drill completion and corrective-action closure rates
• CDP certification rate across community Memory Care leadership
• Resident and family satisfaction scores by domain
• Memory care occupancy and length of stay
• On-time delivery of assigned program development and launch milestones

Education/Experience/Licensure/Certification

•      Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in healthcare administration, gerontology, hospitality, or a related field preferred.

•      Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) or equivalent required or obtained within 90 days of placement in the role.

•      Trainer-level dementia credential (NCCDP CADDCT or equivalent) required to conduct CDP-qualifying seminars, or obtained within 180 days of placement in the role.

• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience in senior living, healthcare, wellness, or hospitality, with demonstrated expertise in dementia/memory care and/or lifestyle/resident engagement programming.
• Proven success leading large teams across multiple locations, with strong project-management, communication, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated track record developing and implementing effective programs and services in a senior living setting.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, capable of effectively engaging staff, residents, and family members.
• Creative, visionary, and results-driven, with a sincere passion for serving the senior population.
• Technologically proficient, able to evaluate and implement digital engagement platforms and operational tools.

Travel Requirements

Regular travel within the assigned region to ensure consistency and quality across communities, estimated at 50–60% of working time. Cross-regional travel in support of enterprise subject-matter-expert responsibilities is expected not to exceed five days per month. The regional structure is designed to keep travel concentrated within each Director’s geography.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

Work is performed in community and office environments and requires frequent travel by car and air. The role requires the ability to move about communities for extended periods, including standing and walking through resident neighborhoods; to operate a computer and standard office equipment; and to communicate clearly in person, in writing, and by phone. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

The Director is expected to understand and follow all applicable safety practices, procedures, and emergency protocols in each community visited.