Senior Director, Operations at Optima Living in Edmonton, AB, CA

About Optima Living
Founded in 2007 by two friends inspired by their families’ dementia journeys, Optima Living was created to provide a more home-like experience in seniors housing and care. What began as a personal mission has grown into one of Western Canada’s leading senior living and continuing care providers.
Today, Optima Living offers Independent Living, Assisted Living, Supportive Living, Long-Term Care, Brain Health, and Memory Care across Alberta and British Columbia. Our innovative approach includes Spark, Your Wellness, Your Way; our proprietary brain health and care model. As the only Top 10 Canadian senior living and care provider focused exclusively on Western Canada, we proudly serve more than 4,300 residents.
Guided by our North Star, Let us welcome you home™, we are committed to People, Place, and Community. With a resident-first philosophy and a focus on innovation, we are redefining aging with purpose creating communities where seniors live with dignity, connection, and joy.
Position Summary
Reporting to the Head of Operations, The Senior Director, Operations provides strategic and operational leadership across multiple seniors care locations, driving performance excellence in financial management, resident care, and regulatory compliance. The role is accountable for the overall success of each location through the development and execution of short and long-term operational strategies, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and service excellence. The ideal candidate is a dynamic, results-oriented leader with a proven track record in multi-site operations management within the seniors care or broader healthcare sector

Responsibilities & Accountabilities
Strategic Leadership & Organizational Performance
• Develop and execute strategies, deploy tactics to attain short and long-term financial and mission-critical operational goals
• Implement operational processes, produce sustainable growth, and minimize risk
• Monitor financial and operational metrics, measured against organizational objectives
• Understand current market trends and competition
Financial Oversight & Resource Management
• Oversee all aspects of day-to-day operations at each location, including finance, budget planning, sales and marketing
• Manage budgets and monitor labour costs
• Oversee the management of capital expenditure projects as undertaken by each location, plan projects in accordance with approved guidelines, and ensure expenditures meet cost projections and completion deadlines
• Ensure optimum occupancy, revenue, and profitability for each location
Compliance, Quality & Risk Management
• Ensure compliance with standards and regulations
• Lead accreditation and audit compliance strategic processes
• Conduct routine inspections of services provided at each location
• Liaise with the clinical quality specialist to ensure sound clinical practices are implemented and maintained at each location
Resident Care & Service Excellence
• Ensure each location delivers the highest level of care and attention to residents
• Manage strong relationships with key stakeholders at Health Authorities, capital partners, families, residents, and the community at large
People Leadership & Human Resources
• Lead by example through professional operations and communication
• Evaluate performance of General Managers at each location
• Support the leadership team at each location with Human Resources management
Stakeholder & Community Relations
• Manage strong relationships with key stakeholders at Health Authorities, capital partners, families, residents, and the community at large
General Responsibilities
• Frequent travel is required up to 50%
Qualifications and Experience
• Minimum (8) eight years senior living and care industry experience as a senior leader
• Completion of degree in Business Administration, Healthcare, Finance, or related discipline
• Valid driver’s licensed required for travel up to 50% of the time
• Experience with unionized environment is preferred
• Exceptional interpersonal and leadership skills
• Superior organizational skills with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Superior oral and written communication skills, fluently in English
• Demonstrate the ability to prioritize and problem solve
• High integrity and a strong sense of ethics as well as the ability to handle sensitive information with tact and discretion
• Strong computer literacy skills
• Strong financial acumen is required
Conditions of Employment:
• Clear Police Information Check
• Clear Vulnerable Sector Check