Sr. Director of Housing Services

Senior Director of Housing Services

Mission Statement: Father Bill’s & MainSpring is committed to ending and preventing homelessness in Southern Massachusetts with programs that provide emergency and permanent housing and help people obtain skills, jobs, housing, and services. We help people who are struggling with homelessness or are at risk of homelessness to achieve self-sufficiency.

Father Bill’s & MainSpring is a growing and dynamic social service agency with particular expertise in emergency and permanent housing, job training and placement, and prevention services for individuals and families in need. Over the next five years, our strategic focus includes an increase in affordable, permanent supportive housing, a more efficient model of care for families experiencing homelessness, commitment to an enhanced delivery model to reduce the need for shelter, and improved community relations.

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Housing Services role will oversee all permanent supported housing services and housing administration functions that FBMS manages across Southern Massachusetts, spanning over 40 communities. This individual will lead the response to homelessness with an emphasis on stabilization, housing first, harm reduction-oriented housing services. This is achieved through a progressive engagement strategy, person centered case management and a commitment to low barrier housing. This individual must have an understanding and empathy for those dealing with homelessness and other related issues. With the support of a team of Directors and managers, the Senior Director of Housing Services is responsible for oversight of over 70 employees, all administration, compliance, and service provision activities for a variety of public/private grants and contracts. This includes the administration of HUD funded CoC housing, as well as other state supported rental assistance from a variety of funding sources.

FBMS has an excellent reputation and strong relationships with many public funders and nonprofit partners. It also has a longstanding commitment to program and strategic planning, and to evaluation of its performance outcomes and trends. The ideal candidate will be a team player, must possess strong leadership and critical thinking skills and facilitate collaboration across multiple internal and external systems and programs. This individual must also possess a strong clinical understanding of the needs of our target populations and a history of working with individuals and families with mental health, substance use and housing instability needs.

Shared Accountabilities

As a member of the senior leadership team, this role must be committed to working collaboratively with their senior leadership counterparts. The following areas should be a specific focus for all senior leadership.

• Manage all departments with fiscal responsibility, setting and adhering to budgets and partnering with Finance to ensure fiscal compliance.
• Ensure compliance, program fidelity and contract management.
• Learn and understand the roles and department responsibilities for each area of the agency in an effort to ensure a wholistic lens and approach to all decision making.
• Collaborate cross functionally, engage others in decision making by asking for input and feedback and ensure transparency in communications.
• Oversee and lead strategic planning activities towards intentional growth and program development.
• Collaborate, support, and participate in on-site and off-site external relations initiatives that foster positive community engagement for the advancement of the organization’s mission and goals. This includes but is not limited to, funder visits, volunteerism, and representing FBMS in the community.
  
  

Duties And Responsibilities

Leadership

• Ensure all programs and services are delivered within a harm reduction, person centered, low threshold framework.
• Participate in strategic planning and program development as it relates to services, contract fidelity, and program evaluation.
• Participate in the development and revision of agency and program specific policies and protocols; and lead the implementation of new and/or revised policies and protocols related to participants and staff.
• Maintain in-depth knowledge about services and programs offered in the permanent housing department.
• Familiarity with state and federally funded programming as well as the administration of a variety rental assistance programs.
• Develop and maintain relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, maintaining strong community reputation of the organization. Represent FBMS in the community at events and meetings.
• Bring strategic, visionary, and collaborative thinking to the programs and operations of the organization and implement initiatives to advance FBMS’ mission, goals, and objectives.
• Provide strategic leadership to a team of over 70 FBMS staff with a focus on strong performance management, retention, engagement, and professional development.
  
  

Financial Management

• Develop regular reports on progress, budgets, and expenditures as it relates to various departmental activities, including leased housing and contract expenditures.
• Monitor fund balances of assigned programs and related financial activity for the purpose of ensuring that expenses are within budget limits and/or fiscal practices are followed.
• In partnership with the Finance team, ensure the organization is operated on a sound fiscal basis.
• Participate in the annual budgeting process and ensure programs, projects and operations are administered and managed in accordance with budgetary guidelines and constraints.
  
  

Housing Administration Management

• Steer compliance and housing subsidy team in a manner that is diplomatic, inclusive, transparent, communicative, open and fair, promoting high performance and toward FBMS’ mission, values, strategic plan and annual operational and financial plans.
• Serve as point of contact for funders and facilitate and project manage contract audit preparation and hosting.
• Ensure systems and controls are in place and operating in the leasing and rental assistance programs.
• Monitor lease up process and work with teams to maximize occupancy and remove unnecessary impediments to housing. Manage requisite reconciliation of rental payments to landlords and from housing authorities and/or participants.
  
  

Housing Services Management

• Ensure effective management of FBMS programs, working with a team of Program Directors and maintain appropriate internal controls and procedures.
• Work with management team to ensure adequate program staffing and support.
• In partnership with Program Development department, oversee monitoring and evaluation of housing services. Utilize timely reporting to ensure programs are meeting goals and maintaining compliance with all contracts. Interface with funders, identifying and resolving any concerns.
• When needed, work with supervisors and Human Resources to assess situations related to staff, and program participants, making appropriate decisions and recommendations as needed.
• Support the program team in supporting high need individuals and families in housing stabilization.
• Support the program team in collaborating with their counterparts to ensure cross-regional access to housing.
• Work in partnership with the program development and shelter services team on the coordinated entry housing system, ensuring fidelity to this process across the continuum of care.
• Support an environment of collaboration and teamwork between programs, operations, housing administration and property management services across the regions, maintaining a singular focus of moving people toward a housing solution to their homelessness.
  
  

Skills & Competencies

Requirements:

• Master's Degree in human services-related field preferred and 5-8 years of increasing responsibility within a nonprofit required. Minimum of 5+ years prior supervisory experience.
• Superb critical thinking and decision-making abilities, excellent project management and communication skills.
• Strategic vision and capacity to teach and develop leadership within the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain strong working relationships and influence multiple stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience leading multiple teams
• Expected to report to designated management personnel, without the threat of retaliation, any concerns regarding the company’s policies and procedures on privacy and any observed practices in violation of that policy.
  
  

Other

• Safety & Security: Actively promotes and personally observes safety and security procedures and uses equipment and materials properly.
• Travel: Local travel may be required. Valid driver’s license and good driving record required.
• Physical Demands: The demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Must be able to verbally convey detailed information or important instructions or ideas accurately or quickly.
• Must be able to hear average or normal conversations and receive ordinary information. Average visual acuity is necessary.
  
  

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee. Other duties as assigned may be part of the job.

Father Bill’s & MainSpring is an equal opportunity employer.