Position Title:
- Director of Behavior Services (DBS)
Department:
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Reports To:
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Classification:
- Full-Time, Exempt
Location:
- Northern Colorado (primary clinic location, with travel to client service sites)
Compensation:
- $90,000–$150,000 annually, commensurate with experience
Position Summary
The Director of Behavior Services is the clinical leader of the ABA department at Lighthouse Behavior Services. This role carries full ownership of clinical quality, treatment integrity, and the professional development of all behavior-analytic staff. The DBS sets and enforces clinical standards, supervises BCBA trainees, determines whether ABA is an appropriate intervention for prospective clients, and mentors the clinical team on the execution of effective treatment. This is a high-responsibility, high-autonomy position. The DBS works in close partnership with the Practice Manager, who holds the direct supervisory relationship with staff and manages performance, productivity, and administrative accountability. The DBS holds dotted-line clinical authority over all behavior-analytic personnel and is the final decision-maker on clinical matters.
Clinical Oversight and Standards
The DBS is responsible for ensuring that every client receives effective, ethical ABA services. Dayto-day, this includes:
- Conducting treatment plan quality reviews and ensuring plans reflect current best practices and individualized goals Developing and maintaining clinical protocols, including crisis and escalation procedures
- Performing treatment integrity and fidelity checks across the caseload
- Establishing and maintaining caregiver training standards
- Determining the appropriateness of ABA as an intervention for new referrals, including evaluating population fit, service setting, and treatment modality
- Identifying and resolving barriers to clinical standard execution, collaborating with the Practice Manager when barriers are operational or performance-related
- Determining the appropriate service setting for each case (clinic, home, school, community, telehealth) based on clinical effectiveness
Supervision and Mentorship
The DBS provides clinical mentorship to all behavior-analytic staff and serves as the primary supervisor for BCBA trainees pursuing certification. Supervision hours must meet or exceed BACB ethical guidelines, with additional hours provided at the DBS’s clinical discretion based on trainee needs.
- Provide direct supervision to BCBA interns and candidates in accordance with BACB requirements
- Mentor BCBAs and the Lead Clinician on clinical reasoning, treatment design, and professional development
- Model effective service delivery by initiating new cases, identifying systemic issues, and using those cases as training opportunities before transitioning them to other clinicians
- Build a culture of clinical rigor, ethical practice, and continuous learning within the ABA department
Caseload Expectations
The DBS will carry active cases. The primary purpose of the DBS caseload is to stay connected to direct service delivery, identify systemic issues firsthand, and create structured training opportunities for interns and newer clinicians. The DBS initiates new cases, works through clinical and operational challenges, and transitions those cases to other team members as appropriate. Interns support the DBS caseload under supervision.
Collaboration with the Practice Manager
The DBS and Practice Manager operate as partners with clearly delineated responsibilities:
- The Practice Manager holds the direct-report relationship with all ABA staff and manages scheduling, productivity, performance reviews, and disciplinary matters
- The DBS holds dotted-line clinical authority and is responsible for clinical standards, treatment quality, and professional development
- When clinical performance issues arise, the DBS identifies the concern and works with the Practice Manager to determine the appropriate response
- Both roles require consistent, transparent communication to avoid gaps or conflicting direction to staff
Schedule and Work Environment
This is an in-person role based at the primary ABA clinic location, with regular travel to client service sites including homes, schools, and community settings. Remote supervision is available and supported by existing technology, but in-person presence is the default when it serves the clinical outcome. The schedule flexes around clinical need. Some weeks may require evenings, early mornings, or weekend hours to align with client availability and treatment demands. There is no standing remote work arrangement. The driving factor in all scheduling decisions is the delivery of effective treatment.
Required Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, Psychology, Special Education, or a closely related field
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification, active and in good standing
- Qualified to supervise BCBA trainees per BACB standards
- Demonstrated experience designing and overseeing ABA treatment programs across diverse populations and service settings
- Strong clinical reasoning and the ability to evaluate treatment effectiveness, adjust protocols, and resolve complex clinical situations
- Experience mentoring or supervising other clinicians
- Proficiency with ABA electronic health record and data collection platforms
Preferred Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience as a BCBA
- Experience in a clinical leadership or director-level role
- Experience building or scaling an ABA department
- Familiarity with multiple service delivery models (clinic, home, school, telehealth)
Compensation and Benefits
- Annual salary: $90,000–$150,000, based on experience and qualifications
- Paid time off: 2 weeks lump-sum PTO, increasing to 3 weeks after the third year of employment
- Flexible work schedule structured around clinical priorities
- Additional benefits package (details provided during the interview process)
$90,000–$150,000 | Full-Time | BCBA Required
Lighthouse Behavior Services is looking for a clinical leader to run the ABA department. This is not a caseload-heavy BCBA role with a "director" title. This is the person who sets clinical standards, determines whether ABA is the right intervention, supervises the next generation of BCBAs, and shapes what effective treatment looks like across the department. You will have the authority to match.
What the role looks like: You oversee clinical quality for a team of 25+ RBTs, BCBAs, and BCBA trainees. You carry cases, but strategically: you take on new clients, work through the hard parts, train interns in the process, and transition the caseload. You partner closely with a Practice Manager who handles the operational side (scheduling, productivity, performance) so you can stay focused on clinical excellence. You decide the service settings. You design the protocols. You run supervision. You are the clinical standard.
What we're looking for:
- BCBA certification, active and in good standing
- Master's degree in ABA, Psychology, Special Education, or related field
- Qualified to supervise BCBA trainees per BACB standards
- Strong clinical reasoning across diverse populations and settings (clinic, home, school, community, telehealth)
- Experience mentoring clinicians, not just managing them
- 5+ years as a BCBA preferred
What you get:
- Full clinical autonomy over the ABA department
- A department in a growth phase that you get to build
- $90K–$150K salary based on experience
- 2 weeks PTO (increases to 3 weeks after year 3)
- Flexible schedule built around clinical priorities
- A team that includes interns at every stage of their BCBA journey, so the mentorship pipeline is already in motion
- Additional benefits package discussed during interviews