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Division Head for Homelessness and Housing Services

City of Cambridge, MA
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ABOUT THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE:
The City of Cambridge is a diverse and vibrant community that people of different ethnic, racial, religious, national, and other backgrounds call home. We take pride in our city’s diversity and strive to create a workplace that is reflective of the community we serve. The city is also deeply committed to creating an environment in which all our employees are treated equitably and feel included. We seek to hire, develop, and advance individuals who value antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI), and are committed to embedding ADEI best practices and tenets in all aspects of our work.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS:

The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) creates and coordinates services that enhance the quality of life for Cambridge residents. Driven by the needs of residents, DHSP’s extensive services and programs touch almost every sector in the city: from newborns to senior citizens, from school-aged children to homeless families, from non-profit organizations to local employers.

 

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Division Head for Homelessness and Housing Services has responsibility for managing the department’s comprehensive efforts to serve residents who are unhoused or unstably housed. The position has oversight of the citywide planning and development efforts that support Cambridge’s Continuum of Care (CoC), the publicly funded, multi-agency service system that develops and implements strategies to address homelessness in Cambridge for individuals and families. The position also supports the work of the Cambridge Multi Service Center (MSC), the operational arm of DHSP’s housing stability work. The MSC houses and coordinates programs and services that assist Cambridge residents to maintain stable housing, including referrals to emergency shelter, food pantries, and substance abuse and mental health services, as well as support in applying for rental assistance and navigating affordable housing opportunities, public benefits systems and employment and education services. Staff at the MSC also provide services to support 22 men living in permanent supported housing at the YMCA and are responsible for the Cambridge Coordinated Access Network which makes access to housing more equitable for those experiencing homelessness.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: 
The Division Head will provide leadership and strategic direction for the system-level work to eliminate homelessness, as well as effective oversight of programmatic efforts to prevent eviction. The Division Head will be knowledgeable about the complex systems governing affordable housing and homeless services and will have the ability to think deeply and creatively about approaches to best serve residents. The Division Head will provide supervision and support to a dedicated and diverse team of about 25 staff and will be a member of the DHSP leadership team, reporting to the Assistant City Manager for Human Services.

The Division Head’s specific duties include, but are not limited, to the following:

  • Provide overarching leadership, direction, and coordination of all DHSP programs, services, and planning efforts to address homelessness and housing instability.
  • Serve as the point person for policy decisions related to homelessness and update and advise the Assistant City Manager on issues related to housing stability.
  • Support the communitywide planning process to disburse federal and state funds through the CoC and ensure oversight and compliance mechanisms are in place.
  • Supervise a diverse team of staff working on different, but related functions, and support their professional growth and development.
  • Use data to drive policy and program design decisions, and to identify gaps in the service system.
  • Represent the City and DHSP at City Council hearings, Ad Hoc Committees, community meetings or other public gatherings where homeless policies or prevention services are discussed.
  • Collaborate with other city departments including the Office of the Housing Liaison and Community Development Department as well key community partners such as the Cambridge Housing Authority, affordable housing providers, legal advocates and community-based partners.
  • Create and manage budgets from multiple funding streams, ensuring compliance with city, state and federal guidelines.
  • Actively engage in and support the Department’s Race and Equity Initiative.

 Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Experience and Education

  • Minimum 5 years’ experience in a leadership position in human services, affordable housing, homeless services or related field.
  • Demonstrated experience leading strategic planning or multi-stakeholder planning processes.

 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  • Knowledge of community responses to homelessness and of issues related to housing and income insecurity.
  • Knowledge of mainstream and specialized affordable housing resources.
  • Strong supervisory skills and proven ability to lead a diverse team.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with partners from a variety of sectors.
  •  Strong time-management and organizational skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment with multiple deadlines.
  •  Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in MS Office including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint; Calendly.
  • The City of Cambridge's workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.

 PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS, WORKING CONDITIONS, WORK FLEXIBILITY AND ACCOMODATIONS

  • Ability to access, input and retrieve information from a computer.

     
  • Ability to answer phones and maintain multiple files.

     
  • Ability to lift a minimum of at least 10 lbs.

     
  • Ability to travel to meetings within the city.

     
  • Be comfortable to work primarily in a standard office environment with moderate noise level, telephones, personal computers, printers, and other office equipment.

     
  • This position may be eligible for hybrid work under the City’s Telework Policy depending on operational needs.

     
  • Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.