Program Director - Family Shelter DS
About The Position
Brooklyn Community Services (BCS) operates family shelters providing safe, supportive, and dignified transitional housing for families with children experiencing homelessness. Our shelter programs are guided by a trauma-informed, strengths-based philosophy and offer a comprehensive continuum of services—including case management, housing placement, recreation, and supportive programming—to help families achieve stability and permanent housing as quickly as possible. All shelter staff are expected to uphold BCS's commitment to equity, cultural humility, and client-centered care. The Program Director provides executive-level leadership for all aspects of the family shelter, overseeing daily operations, program quality, fiscal management, regulatory compliance, and staff development. The Director is the primary point of accountability to BCS leadership, funders, and oversight agencies, and is responsible for fostering a shelter culture grounded in dignity, safety, and continuous improvement.
Requirements
- Master's degree in Social Work, Public Administration, Human Services, or a related field required.
- Minimum of five years of progressive leadership experience in shelter, housing, or social services, including at least three years in a supervisory or management role.
- Demonstrated knowledge of NYC DHS and HRA shelter regulations, CARES, and HELPSME systems; familiarity with DHS PATH intake process.
- Working knowledge of NYC Local Law 35 (2023) mental health staffing and reporting requirements.
- Exceptional leadership, communication, crisis management, and organizational skills.
- Ability to manage complex, multi-departmental operations.
- Candidates will be subject to a criminal background check in accordance with applicable law, including NYC Fair Chance Act requirements.
Nice To Haves
- Bilingual ability (Spanish or another language spoken in the community served) strongly preferred.
Responsibilities
- Direct all day-to-day shelter operations, ensuring 24/7 safety, program quality, and regulatory compliance.
- Develop, implement, and monitor program policies, procedures, and operational standards in alignment with DHS, HRA, OTDA and BCS requirements.
- Lead the implementation of trauma-informed, strengths-based service models across all departments.
- Maintain shelter census management, tracking occupancy, placements, and exits to permanent housing.
- Serve as primary on-call contact for critical incidents, emergencies, and operational escalations.
- Supervise, mentor, and evaluate department directors and senior staff, including the Director of Social Services, Shift Operations Supervisors, and Maintenance Supervisor.
- Lead recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies to build and sustain a high-performing multidisciplinary team.
- Foster a collaborative, equity-centered workplace culture that supports staff wellbeing and professional growth.
- Conduct regular team meetings, performance reviews, and supervisory sessions.
- Ensure full compliance with DHS, HRA, and other regulatory standards; prepare for and facilitate all site inspections and audits.
- Oversee program budget management, including expenditure monitoring, variance analysis, and reporting to finance and senior leadership.
- Prepare and submit required programmatic reports to funders and oversight agencies on schedule.
- Maintain accurate documentation across all systems, including CARES, HELPSME, and internal BCS platforms.
- Ensure compliance with NYC Local Law 35 (2023), including maintaining the required ratio of at least one full-time mental health professional per 50 families and submitting the annual LL35 report to the Mayor and City Council Speaker as required.
- Ensure that operational structures protect the confidentiality of mental health services provided to residents, in accordance with LL35 requirements, including maintaining appropriate information-sharing boundaries between clinical and non-clinical shelter staff.
- Represent BCS in community forums, funder meetings, and interagency collaborations.
- Build and sustain partnerships with service providers, housing resources, and community organizations to enhance shelter programming.
- Respond to community concerns and neighbor relations matters professionally and constructively.
Benefits
- BCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
- Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
