We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Regional Manager to oversee our program operations in the Greater New Orleans/Southshore Areas (Parishes: Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Assumpion, Lafourche, St. Chares, St. James, St. John the Baptist, Terrebonne) . The ideal candidate will have a strong background in management and a proven track record of driving growth and operational excellence.

Special Olympics Louisiana transforms lives through the joy of sport, every day, everywhere. We are part of the world’s largest organization for people with intellectual disabilities: with millions of athletes in countries across the world and millions more volunteers and supporters. We are also a global and social movement. Through the power of sports, people with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths and abilities, skills, and success. Our athletes find joy, confidence, and fulfillment on the playing field and in life. They also inspire people in their communities and elsewhere to open their hearts to a wider world of human talents and potential. The mission of Special Olympics Louisiana is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community. Our vision is to promote acceptance, inclusion, and well-being for people with intellectual disabilities through sports.

Position Summary:

The Regional Manager, Unified Programs oversees the organization’s overall community integration across our program in order to:

• Break down barriers by creating opportunities for athletes with ID to interact with people without ID to build bridges of understanding and more inclusive and welcoming communities.
• Foster acceptance and respect through Unified programs and shared experiences.
• Improve opportunities for athletes to perform at their best through sports and all programs which cater to athletes and their families, including sports, health, education, and leadership. The ideal candidate will be comfortable in a role that blends partnership management, collaborative development, and program planning with basic operational and logistical responsibilities required to ensure plans are well executed.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Unified Sports
  • Identify existing competitions that can be transitioned into regional qualifier events, each with a UCS division to encourage school participation.
  • Coordinate and manage regional qualifier events in each region.
  • Provide ongoing sports training, competition, and technical support to local programs.
  • Manage regional sports competitions and trainings.
  • Develop and maintain working relationships with local sports community.

• Local Program Development
  • Oversee the expansion and sustainability of local programs, ensuring athletes have access to year-round sports training and competition opportunities.
  • Recruit, train, and support volunteer coaches and program staff.
  • Monitor and oversee local program budgeting and expense management.
  • Develop and implement strategies to increase athlete participation and engagement.
  • Provide transition guidance and opportunities for school-aged athletes into community programming.

• Unified Champion Schools
  • Partner with schools and districts to implement UCS programs, fostering inclusion and acceptance for students with and without intellectual disabilities.
  • Train and support educators and administrators in creating quality Unified Sports teams and inclusive school environments.
  • Develop strategies to expand UCS participation across the region.

• Athlete Leadership
  • Empower athletes to become leaders and advocates within the Special Olympics movement and their communities.
  • Recruit athletes for SOLA’s athlete leadership program.
  • Provide opportunities for athletes to participate in decision-making and program development.

• Health and Fitness Programming
  • Champion the integration of health screenings and initiatives into Special Olympics programming at the school and community level.
  • Coordinate and implement all components of fitness initiatives.
  • Collaborate with community partners to promote healthy lifestyles for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
  • Ensure access to health resources and education for athletes and their families.

• Collaboration and Relationship Building
  • Build strong relationships with schools, community organizations, law enforcement agencies, health partners, businesses and government agencies to secure resources and support for Special Olympics programs.
  • Collaborate with other regional staff and SOLA state office to achieve shared goals.
  • Represent Special Olympics Louisiana at local events and meetings.

• Volunteer Management
  • Facilitate athlete and volunteer registration process at the regional level.
  • Recruit and manage volunteers and volunteer committees.
  • Assist with coordination of family activities as needed.

Required Skills:

• Leadership – The capacity for leading and managing a diverse group of people; Foster a high-performance culture characterized by service leadership, collaboration and transparency that will result in strong team morale, effective talent utilization, and partnership across functional areas of the organization
• Communication - Effectively listens to and understands others; clearly conveys one’s thoughts and ideas. Ability to collaborate with teams and define personal roles and responsibilities; which includes the ability to extrapolate plans and create results through critical thinking and exercising sound judgment
• Change Management – Develops workable implementation plans; Communicates changes effectively; Builds commitment and overcomes resistance; Prepares and supports those affected by change; Monitors transition and evaluates results
• Capacity Building – The ability to effectively build organization and staff capacity, developing a high performing workforce (staff and volunteers) and the processes that ensure SOLA operates effectively and efficiently
• Results Oriented – Relentlessly pursues improvement and results; Creates a culture of mutual accountability
• Ethics/values – Works by SOLA’s core values and constructively challenges direct reports to practice SOLA’s core values
• Integrity/Trust – Maintains the confidentiality of SOLA’s financial and corporate data
• Planning/Organizing – Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules people and their tasks; Develops realistic action plans
• Responsibility and Accountability – Takes personal responsibility and ownership for adhering to all company policies and procedures while also completing work timely and in accordance with performance expectations; holds others accountable for agreed to actions, sets priorities and milestones, assigns realistic time frames

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• 3 years program management experience
• Experience working with individuals with disabilities preferred
• Degree or equivalent experience in sports management highly preferred
• Excellent project management skills and team-oriented approach
• Proficient in the use Microsoft Office Business Applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)
• Able multi-task and adapt to change when needed
• Requires Valid Driver’s license and ability to operate a motor vehicle and insurance
• Must be able and willing to travel is 25-35% throughout the State of Louisiana for Special Olympics events

Physical Requirements:

• Physical Activity Level: Sedentary physical activity performing non-strenuous daily activities of an administrative nature
• Physical Demands: Able to lift, carry pull, or move objects up to 25lbs in weight, Substantial movements (motion) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers in a repetitive manner

Reports To: Vice President, Programs

Supervises: Intern and community volunteers

Work Environment:

• This position is remote/home-based with work performed virtually in a telework arrangement 
• Full-time position
• The person in this role must be able to travel on the weekend and be available for evening and weekend SOLA events. Due to the numerous responsibilities of the position, traveling time and other requirements of the position, the 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. concept of work time-frame is impossible to consider. Regional Managers, as well as other key staff of Special Olympics Louisiana, must operate with a time-frame concept of “whatever time it takes to in ensure quality results”.
• This job requires routine driving to attend and support various program events throughout Louisiana, all year round.

Special Olympics of Louisiana offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits, 401(k) and a positive work environment. It is the policy of SOLA to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, SOLA will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.