Director of Emergency Housing

Purpose 

The Director of Emergency Housing leads the YWCA's multi-site emergency shelter operations, ensuring safe, trauma-informed, person-centered services that promote long-term housing stability. Working in partnership with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the Director advances the YWCA's strategic framework and mission of Eliminating Racism and Empowering Women by managing program operations, ensuring compliance with funder and regulatory requirements, supervising staff, and building strong community and agency partnerships.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Framework

• Identify opportunities for new programs, initiatives, and projects to accomplish the goals established in the strategic framework.
• Lead projects and initiatives within the Emergency Housing department to accomplish the goals established in the strategic framework.
• Partner with the Senior Leadership Team to evaluate and prioritize new and existing programs, initiatives, and projects based on their alignment with the strategic framework.

Programs and Services – Operations

• Lead multi-site emergency shelter operations, including capacity, admissions, discharges, facilities, safety, food service, purchasing, and inventory.
• Set and implement short- and long-term program goals aligned with the YWCA’s mission, agency priorities, community needs, contracts, and funder requirements.
• Create and use documented policies, procedures and work instructions to build systems with measured outcomes to determine next steps for improvement and growth
• Partner with agency finance to direct budgeted funds in a timely manner to best serve clients and meet their needs 
• Recognize and develop staff and accomplish program goals.
• Organize and maintain intentional staffing structures to support the department's culture of accountability, leadership, and supervision.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Resident Services & Crisis Management

• Direct shelter case management services to promote long term housing stability and timely manner.
• Ensure respectful, trauma-informed, person-centered, culturally responsive services informed by participant assessments, strengths, goals, and changing needs.
• Lead and coordinate staff, internal partners, and external resources to address service barriers, complex situations, safety concerns, and participant support needs.
• Lead incident management by reviewing reported incidents, coordinating timely response and documentation, ensuring appropriate follow-up, and developing and monitoring corrective action plans to reduce recurrence and improve participant safety and service quality.

Compliance, Reporting & Quality Assurance

• Ensure OTDA, HUD, and DSS compliance with reporting, audit, site visits, and inspections.
• Ensure compliance with applicable YWCA policies, contracts, grants, program standards, and funder requirements.
• Provide Staff with documented procedures that ensure maintenance of accurate, complete, timely documentation and program data, and prepare required internal, external, and funder reports.
• Conduct quality-assurance reviews, preserve audit readiness, identify documentation or compliance gaps, and complete corrective actions through resolution.

Culture of Leadership & Supervision

• Lead Emergency Housing Supervisor and other assigned staff, including role-specific training.
• Create and use documented policies, procedures and work instructions to set clear expectations and apply consistent performance management practices that reinforce individual and team accountability.
• Provide regular supervision, coaching, and actionable feedback using objective measures wherever possible to recognize strong performance and identify opportunities for growth.
• Foster a positive, trauma-informed, and collaborative team culture by using person centered & strength-based coaching to identify opportunities for employee growth and advancement.

Advocacy - Community & Agency Collaboration

• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with DSS, emergency housing providers, relevant CBO's, other stakeholders and internal partners
• Partner with Senior Leadership team to identify opportunities to represent the YWCA in community meetings, discussions and round tables
• Cultivate the YWCA's reputation in the community by serving and speaking up as a leader and expert in your field when representing the YWCA
• Exemplify the YWCA's mission of Eliminating Racism and Empowering Women when representing the YWCA
• Act as an Ambassador between Senior Leadership team and Emergency Housing department, build bridges and help the team understand, contribute to, and navigate the YWCA's strategic framework
• Use Objective data and stories to communicate program accomplishments, challenges, emerging needs, and trends to YWCA leadership to contribute to the development of YWCA's Strategic Framework.

Qualifications

Certifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, Human Services, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, or related field required; master’s degree preferred. Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.
• Minimum of three (3) years of progressive leadership experience in emergency housing, shelter services, residential programs, or related human services field.
• Experience working with individuals and families experiencing homelessness, housing instability, substance use disorders, mental health needs, domestic violence and other complex barriers.
• Experience with audits, regulatory compliance, and contract management with the relevant funders and regulatory bodies.
• Demonstrated experience with program operations, staff supervision, compliance, reporting, quality assurance, and performance management.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent leadership, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to deliver and receive both positive and constructive feedback effectively.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and oversee operations across multiple sites.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and electronic data management systems.
• Ability to manage crises, high-pressure situations, conflict resolution, and de-escalation effectively.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed and person-centered approaches.
• Ability to analyze operational data and implement improvements.
• Ability to interpret and manage within agency and department program budgets.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and the mission of the organization.

Terms of Employment

This is a grant funded position, which may not exist beyond the duration of the grant period or any subsequent renewal of it. When the grant or any subsequent renewal ends, grant employees may be terminated, and their positions may cease to exist. There is also no guarantee of continued employment for the duration of the grant.

 A grant-funded employee may apply for and be considered for employment in another YWCA position in the same manner as any other applicant. If hired into another position, the employee’s wage/salary from the grant position does not necessarily follow the employee into the new position.

Work Environment

Work is performed in an emergency shelter setting. Must be willing to travel unaccompanied to areas where the population served lives. Must be available to work 37.5 hours per week, and the work hours may include evenings or weekends.

At YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County, our mission is to help everyone find their place in the world. This means we continually celebrate the diverse community different individuals cultivate. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we stay true to our mission by ensuring that our place can be anyone’s place.