Sonida Senior Living · 1 day ago
National Director of Resident Experience
Dallas, TX
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
7+ years expSonida Senior Living is one of the nation’s leading operators of independent living, assisted living and memory care communities for senior adults. The National Director of Resident Experience provides leadership and strategic oversight of life enrichment and resident engagement programs across multiple states, ensuring high-quality programs that promote purposeful living and well-being for residents.
Assisted LivingElder CareHealth CareHome Health CareLifestyle
Responsibilities
Develop and lead the organization’s life enrichment strategy across all communities, ensuring a consistent and innovative approach to resident engagement
Partner with Marketing to Create program standards, tools, and guidelines that reflect the company’s brand, values, and resident-centered philosophy
Partner with Operations, Memory Care, and Wellness teams to align engagement programs with residents’ physical, cognitive, social, and emotional well-being
Lead scalable national or regional initiatives (such as themed events, intergenerational programs, volunteer partnerships, and community engagement campaigns) that communities can easily adopt and personalize
Define key performance indicators to measure program impact and establish a regular cadence for reporting outcomes to executive leadership
Build and manage strategic community and vendor partnerships such as museums, schools, local organizations, and entertainers to expand offerings and manage cost
Provide program guidance and consultative support to community life enrichment directors and executive directors to ensure effective implementation and consistency across communities
Conduct community visits, audits, and performance reviews to assess program quality, participation, and resident satisfaction
Serve as subject matter expert on life enrichment and dementia engagement programs, supporting both internal teams and external partners as needed
Monitor program compliance with state regulations, safety standards, and documentation requirements for activities programs
Oversee program budget frameworks, recommend cost effective vendor options, and guide communities on resource allocation
Develop organizational guidelines for risk management and safety related to off-site events, resident transportation, and high touch programs
Provide follow-up coaching and support after reviews or incidents to ensure continuous improvement
Design and implement onboarding, certification, and continuing education programs for Life Enrichment, Magnolia Trails and Activity Directors
Coach community leaders to build engagement skills, creativity, and leadership capacity within their teams
Lead quarterly webinars, workshops, and leadership development sessions focused on resident engagement excellence and best-practice sharing across communities
Develop and maintain standardized competency checklists and skill validation tools for community teams
Ensure staff receive dementia-specific, behavior support, and person-centered training aligned with Magnolia Trails™ principles and industry best practices
Research emerging trends in senior engagement, technology, and wellness programming to continuously evolve the organization’s offerings
Partner with Marketing and Communications to promote engagement programs, share best practices, and highlight resident stories that reinforce Sonida’s brand and signature programs
Utilize data, feedback, and outcomes to measure program impact and drive continuous improvement
Implement and scale technology enabled engagement tools and assess ROI and resident impact
Lead pilot programs across communities, evaluating outcomes and developing rollout strategies for successful initiatives
Collaborate with Dining, Wellness, and Clinical leaders to create integrated programs that enhance residents’ overall experience
Serve as a liaison between corporate departments and field teams to ensure alignment of strategy and execution
Contribute to enterprise-wide projects and committees related to resident experience, wellness, and programming
Engage families and volunteers as partners in programming and develop standardized communication and onboarding resources to support their involvement
Partner with Marketing on program storytelling and collateral that highlight resident engagement and support occupancy and retention initiatives
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Therapeutic Recreation, Gerontology, Human Services, Hospitality, or related field required
7+ years of progressive experience in life enrichment, resident engagement, or activities management in senior living or healthcare
Demonstrated ability to develop, standardize, and scale programs across diverse communities
Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills
Proven success in training, mentoring, and building teams
Ability to work collaboratively across departments and influence community level implementation through partnership
Willingness to travel frequently (40–60%) across multiple states
Preferred
Master's degree
3+ years in a regional or multi-site leadership capacity
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) or National Certification for Activity Professionals (ADC/ACC)
Experience managing program budgets and vendor relationships
Familiarity with data collection and reporting tools (Excel, Power BI, LMS) to analyze program metrics and present results to leadership
Experience designing programs for memory care and managing regulatory documentation for activity programming
Company
Sonida Senior Living
Sonida Senior Living offers senior housing and services, including independent living, assisted living, and memory care.
5001-10000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$1.08BKey Investors
Conversant Capital
2026-01-05Post Ipo Debt· $900M
2024-08-15Post Ipo Equity· $84.52M
2023-06-29Post Ipo Equity· $13.5M
Leadership Team
Kevin Detz
Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
Company data provided by crunchbase