Assistant Director

Project Renewal is a leading non-profit organization with the mission of ending the cycle of homelessness by empowering individuals and families to renew their lives with health, homes, and jobs. Our comprehensive and integrated 24/7 programs are designed to offer the holistic care our clients need. With a staff of 950+ and an annual budget of $140 million, Project Renewal is one of the larger social service nonprofits in New York City.

Title:                  Assistant Director

Program:           Compass House Women’s Shelter (Employment)

Salary Range:   $73,000-$77,000 annually

Program Description:

The Compass House Women’s Shelter is a 90-bed, 24/7 emergency shelter for general population homeless women that are employable or are already employed. Our comprehensive services include case management, occupational therapy, workforce development services, and housing placement assistance.

Overall Responsibilities:

Under the general direction of the Program Director, with latitude for independent action, the Assistant Director coordinates with the Building Manager and the Director of Social Services to ensure that the day-to-day operations are up to but not limited to the standards of Project Renewal, Department of Homeless Services (DHS), and Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA); supervises Shift Supervisors, and Residential Aides, making sure the shelter is staffed by them on a 24/7/365 basis in accordance with DHS guidelines, which include the necessary ongoing First Aid/CPR training, fire safety certification, and Opiate Overdose Prevention Training; oversees the activities providing for the safety of the residents and staff in the building; performs related work.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The essential duties of the Assistant Director include but are not limited to the following activities:

• Monitors day-to-day activities to ensure there is a clean, safe, and secure environment provided for both clients and staff. Regularly tours the interior and exterior of the building to make sure conditions are in accord with established standards. Initiates corrective action if necessary
• Ensures that required Incident Reports are prepared by staff and submitted to both Project Renewal and DHS staff in a timely fashion, providing all relevant information and documentation as soon as possible following the incident
• Supervises Operations Department staff to ensure that services are being provided to the clients, security protocols are being followed, and that notations are being made in the designated logs.
• Ensures that staff are provided training in required skills, including communicating and interacting with clients, security protocols and use of security equipment, record keeping and incident reporting
• Monitors the implementation of the Shelter Emergency Plan, which includes conducting required Fire Drills three times a month; maintaining the records to have current certificates for Fire Safety Warden, scheduling staff for training as needed
• Participates in case conferences in response to client complaints, using conflict resolution techniques to amicably resolve issues

• Assists the Program Director in compiling information and documentation needed to defend a claim submitted by either a client and/or staff member
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Program Director
• Available to respond to emergencies on a 24/7/365 basis, especially after normal working hours, weekends, and holidays

Physical Activities:

While performing the duties of this position, the Assistant Director must be able to navigate the 6-story facility by foot, climbing up and down the stairwells, in order to observe staff and see clients. Furthermore, the Assistant Director must stand to talk to clients and staff, sit for extended periods of time at the computer, reach or squat to get records from files.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• A Bachelor’s degree in social work, public administration, psychology, education, sociology, occupational or physical therapy, or other related human services fields with a minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience working with homeless individuals and/or managing a residential building providing services to homeless individuals. Two (2) years of the required experience must have been in a managerial or supervisory capacity; preferred.
• An Associate’s degree in the aforementioned fields with four (4) years of experience and three (3) years having been in a managerial or supervisory capacity
• A High School Diploma or GED equivalent with five (5) years of experience and four (4) years having been in a managerial or supervisory capacity
• Bilingual or multilingual a plus

Preferred Certificates and Credentials:

• First Aid/CPR, Fire Guard certification F-02 and/or Fire Safety Coordinator F-80

Preferred skills:

• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to manage and motivate staff to accomplish stated program goals and objectives while developing their individual and group skills.
• Team building: Ability to develop and foster, through demonstration, a team spirit, enabling staff to overcome the challenges of providing needed services to the client population.
• Communication: Excellent oral, writing, and listening skills are a must.
• Organizational: The ability to work well within a highly pressurized, deadline environment, while meeting the short- and long-term mandates of the program.
• Interpersonal: An ability to interface with clients as well as all levels of staff.
• Computer: Knowledge of case management software as well as proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite

Project Renewal is an equal opportunity employer.  Its long-standing policy has been to embrace the equality of opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to actual or perceived race, color, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, religion or creed, gender (see separately issued Gender Discrimination policy for more detail), physical or mental disability, age (18 and over), military status, arrest record, marital status, domestic partnership status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristic, sexual orientation, status as a victim or witness of domestic violence, sex offenses or stalking, unemployment status or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws.