Homeless Response Manager

About Community Solutions

Community Solutions is a non-profit organization that works to achieve a lasting end to homelessness that leaves no one behind. We envision a more equitable future where homelessness is never inevitable or a way of life, for anyone. Since 2015, we have led Built for Zero, a movement of more than 140 cities and counties using data to radically change how they work and the impact they can achieve — and proving that it is possible to make homelessness rare and brief. Nearly half of those communities have reduced homelessness in their communities, and 13 of those communities have ended veteran or chronic homelessness. In order to help communities equitably and sustainably end homelessness, we are also working to identify solutions that can address gaps in housing, disrupt inflow into homelessness, and produce more racially equitable systems.

Community Solutions seeks leaders at every level: extraordinary, mission-oriented people not satisfied with the status quo. We are a team of values driven innovators motivated by results. We eagerly seek and support diverse applicants. We pride ourselves in developing an inclusive workplace culture that encourages staff to bring their whole selves to work every day.

Position Overview

The Homeless Response Manager contractor role will be funded for three years from start date (no later than June 30th) This role will support the Director of Community Impact in operationalizing the homeless response team concept. This role is accountable for managing the homeless response strategy and a team of two Homeless Response specialists within the Community Impact department, which supports Built for Zero communities. This includes implementing strategies to coach and build capacity with community leaders and staff, the development of relevant tools and content, and ongoing engagement and relationship management with community teams around this work.

Demonstrated effectiveness in people and team management is critical to success in this role. The Homeless Response Manager will be responsible for managing the performance of a team of approximately 2 staff as well as developing and managing a portfolio of community projects. This position will manage and support a strong team culture and the successful achievement of the team’s ambitious goals, including surrounding the building of this new capacity at Built for Zero. The candidate should be a systems thinker with strong people skills, including humility. Demonstrated experience in driving population-level results in homelessness response work or other sectors such as population health and emergency response is required.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Success in managing a system of interventions and a thriving team to deliver this work will require:

• Developing effective practices for assisting local teams in encampment resolution
• Running timely and comprehensive fulfillment of all Homeless Response team deliverables
• Establishing and supporting processes for the systematic, strategic implementation of the Homeless Response Team projects including internal and external requests for support and documentation of effective practice.
• Managing the coordination and alignment of interdependent lanes of work effectively.
• Gathering and adapting promising tactics into an evolving open-source playbook of best practices in encampment response work
• Supporting learning and evaluation processes across interventions that surface new learnings and recommendations
• Refining measures of encampment resolution progress that are meaningful, time-bound, comprehensively applicable, and establishing practices for regular review and iteration to maintain relevance
• Monitoring staff performance and providing timely feedback
• Develop and oversee multi-agency teams with partner organizations, where applicable, to implement local encampment resolution projects

Professional Experience and Qualifications:

The Built for Zero team draws on a set of core competencies to support communities in their journey towards ending homelessness. These include facilitation for results, utilizing quality improvement methods, managing stakeholders and community teams, and focusing efforts on human-centered approaches to solutions to homelessness. The Homeless Response Manager should have minimum baseline capabilities in each of these areas.

In addition, the person in this role should have demonstrated the following:

• Five to seven years previous work experience in a relevant professional environment requiring adaptive leadership
• Previous experience successfully managing a team to outcomes and demonstrated ability to support team members to thrive in their roles
• Previous experience effectively building and maintaining a team culture in alignment with organizational values
• Strong people management skills, including ability to motivate teams across time zones and geographies in high-pressure environments
• A high level of comfort and experience using data for problem-solving and decision-making
• Experience designing and delivering projects aimed at improving a system and/or addressing a complex problem. General content knowledge of local Continuum of Care governance and programs for people experiencing homelessness is a plus
• Exceptional project management skills, as evidenced by leading projects to successful and measurable completion
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Exceptional political and strategic relationship management skills
• Excellent and collaborative ability to manage without authority through soft power
• Demonstrated ability to nimbly collaborate and problem-solve across a diverse set of stakeholders to achieve shared results
• Ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced, dynamic team environment and demonstrate a willingness to shift easily between various responsibilities with diverse stakeholders

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position supervises staff members including ongoing professional development.

Software/Apps Used:

• Microsoft Office
• Google Business Apps
• Asana
• Zoom
• Slack
• Social media software and applications
• Salesforce

Salary Range:

The salary range for this position is between $104,468 - $138,657. The actual salary is commensurate with the

candidate's experience.

Work Environment:

This position can be located anywhere within a reasonable travel distance of partnership locations. Community Solutions neighborhood partnerships are presently located in New York City, Hartford, and Washington DC. Community Solutions has office space available for use in New York City. The position provides for the flexibility to work from a remote location without the standard support available at an office.

Travel Requirements:

Travel may be required to attend semi-annual team retreats, community visits, and other on-site training or convenings. Additional travel may be needed and will be negotiated on an individual basis pending availability.

Diversity and Inclusion:

We strive for inclusivity and diversity by attracting extraordinary people from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. We seek to employ an all-star team of people who vary by their race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, age, culture, religion, veteran status, physical and mental abilities. We promote equal opportunity in the recruitment, selection, training, compensation, promotion, and benefits of all employees. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.