Executive director

Run the Community. Build the Team. Own the Results.

Cardinal Senior Living is looking for an Executive Director to lead Walnut Ridge Senior Living in Kentwood, Michigan. You will be responsible for bringing together resident experience, clinical and operational execution, occupancy, financial performance, regulatory compliance, team leadership, and community culture into one high-performing operation.

We're looking for someone who knows what is happening inside their building, understands the numbers behind the operation, develops strong department leaders, addresses problems before they grow, and creates an environment where residents, families, and employees know what good looks like.

This is not a role for someone who simply keeps the building running. We want someone who can make it better!

What You’ll Own:

• Community Performance
• Resident & Family Experience
• Financial & Occupancy Performance
• People Leadership & Accountability
• Compliance, Safety & Risk
• Community Presence & Partnership

A strong Executive Director creates a community where:

• Residents and families trust the leadership team.
• Department leaders understand what they own and are held accountable for delivering it.
• Staffing and performance problems are addressed rather than deferred.
• Occupancy, revenue, labor, and expenses are understood and actively managed.
• Financial variances have explanations and action plans.
• Compliance and safety risks are identified early.
• The building is prepared for surveys and inspections, not scrambling for them.
• Cross-functional commitments actually get completed.
• Problems move toward resolution instead of being passed from person to person.
• The operation becomes stronger over time.

The perfect fit is a leader that is comfortable being accountable for the whole operation, can move from reviewing financial performance to coaching a department leader, speaking with a resident family, resolving an operational problem, and preparing for a regulatory visit without losing sight of what matters most, can communicate clearly and make quick decisions, and hold standards without creating unnecessary drama.

What Cardinal Offers

• Competitive salary
• Performance-based bonus opportunity
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• The opportunity to lead a community with meaningful autonomy and accountability
• The opportunity to grow as Cardinal Senior Living continues to grow

What You Bring

• 3-5+ years of progressive leadership experience in senior living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, healthcare operations, or a comparable multi-department operating environment.
• Demonstrated responsibility for operational and financial performance.
• Experience leading department managers and developing accountable teams.
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance, resident safety, and risk management.
• Ability to manage budgets, analyze financial performance, and respond to operating variances.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, conflict-resolution, and problem-solving ability.
• Ability to build productive relationships with residents, families, employees, healthcare providers, and community partners.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or related discipline highly preferred.

If you want a leadership role where you are trusted to own outcomes, build people, improve performance, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of residents, we want to hear from you.

Walnut Ridge Senior Living, along with Cardinal Senior Living are an Equal Opportunity Employer