Executive Director

Job Summary

The Executive Director is the chief administrative officer of North Iowa Juvenile Detention Services / North Iowa Regional Services. The position reports directly to the multi-county Board of Directors and provides overall leadership, direction, and administration for the agency’s juvenile detention, adult crisis stabilization, youth crisis, Access, transport, and GPS monitoring programs. The Executive Director ensures services are delivered safely, ethically, and effectively, in compliance with licensing standards, the Iowa Administrative Code, contractual and funding requirements, and public-entity laws. This position directs agency operations, personnel, fiscal management, contracts, policy development, facilities, and quality assurance, and holds final administrative authority over staff supervision and accountability. The Executive Director works with the Board on strategic planning, budgets, and program development, and serves as the agency’s primary representative to member counties, courts, regulatory agencies, funders, and community partners. The position also provides on-call leadership during emergencies and critical incidents to support the agency’s 24/7 operations.

Duties The following duties are considered essential functions of the position and is not a comprehensive list of activities, dutis, or responsibilities and must be performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Promote the agency’s mission and values, set service and leadership standards for staff, and carry out the strategic priorities and long-term direction established with the Board of Directors.
• Oversee daily operations across all agency programs to ensure services are organized, consistent, high-quality, and aligned with agency expectations.
• Direct agency business operations in compliance with the laws and standards governing Iowa public entities, including public employment, public purchasing and bidding, open meetings, public records, local budget law, and audit requirements.
• Ensure agency-wide compliance with licensing and accreditation standards, including 441 IAC Chapter 105 (juvenile detention and shelter care homes) and Chapter 24 (mental health and crisis response services), as well as contractual and funding requirements, HIPAA, and other federal, state, and local regulations.
• Work with the Board of Directors on long-range planning, position approvals, budgets, policy direction, program development, and other organizational needs.
• Identify, evaluate, and pursue opportunities for new program development, service expansion, community partnerships, and funding sources that align with agency needs, mission, and strategic priorities.
• Supervise, support, and evaluate direct reports, and ensure that all agency staff are supervised and evaluated in accordance with agency policies and performance expectations.
• Maintain final administrative oversight of personnel matters, including hiring, discipline, grievances, performance management, employee development, and separations, ensuring consistency, fairness, proper documentation, and compliance with agency policy.
• Lead the development, negotiation, review, and execution of contracts and agreements with Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), insurance providers, Iowa HHS, the Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization (ASO), and other funding or regulatory entities; ensure contract terms support agency operations, reimbursement requirements, compliance obligations, service delivery expectations, and long-term organizational sustainability.
• Lead agency-wide policy and procedure development, review recommendations from leadership staff, approve final revisions, and ensure policies are implemented, communicated to staff, and kept current, compliant, and aligned with licensing standards, funding requirements, and organizational priorities.
• Oversee the agency’s fiscal management, including budget development, budget approval, budget monitoring, expenditure control, purchasing oversight, financial reporting, and resource allocation.
• Review and approve agency purchases, expenditures, payroll-related financial processes, and budget items, and monitor billing, reimbursement, and grants to ensure accurate and timely revenue management, in accordance with agency policy, approved budgets, and public purchasing requirements.
• Coordinate and maintain relationships with key administrative and operational partners, including benefit administrators, building and liability insurance providers, legal counsel, auditors, contractors, vendors, and other professional service providers.
• Review agency-level program data, significant incident trends, restraint or intervention trends, documentation concerns, safety issues, grievances, complaints, and quality assurance findings to identify organizational risk, needed improvements, and agency-wide corrective action.
• Maintain high-level responsibility for regulatory and facility compliance, including fire marshal inspections, building safety expectations, emergency preparedness, drills, inspections, insurance requirements, and related corrective actions.
• Coordinate and approve major repairs, renovations, purchases, and capital improvements, including RFPs, bids, contract review, and documentation, in accordance with applicable State of Iowa purchasing principles for public entities.
• Complete or oversee annual reports and required administrative, regulatory, compliance, fiscal, and program reporting.
• Stay current on legal and compliance matters relevant to the agency, including human resources, public employment requirements, licensing standards, policies, funding requirements, and other operational risks.
• Serve as the primary administrative representative for the agency with governing boards, county officials, regulatory agencies, courts, law enforcement, child welfare partners, mental health providers, schools, families or guardians, referral sources, and community stakeholders.
• Provide leadership during emergencies, critical incidents, staffing crises, investigations, regulatory reviews, and media-sensitive or legal matters, and respond directly to crises, including de-escalation and approved physical holds when required.
• Provide on-call leadership and report to the facility as needed to support the agency’s 24/7 operations.
• Perform other executive leadership, administrative, fiscal, compliance, and organizational duties as assigned by the Board of Directors.

Pay: $85,000.00 - $165,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person