INTAKE DIRECTOR

About the role

The New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is the largest organization in the United States dedicated to preventing and addressing homelessness. In partnership with other City agencies and nonprofit organizations, DHS works to prevent homelessness before it begins, reduce street homelessness, provide temporary shelter, and connect individuals and families to stable housing — all with a focus on accountability, empathy, and equity. The Division of Shelter Intake oversees day‑to‑day operations of the agency’s Single Adult, Adult Families, and Families with Children intake and assessment sites (both directly run and contracted), ensuring that the City’s most vulnerable populations can access shelter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Responsibilities

• Administer directly operated and/or contracted facilities and ensure the provision of services in a safe, well‑maintained environment.
• Ensure compliance with applicable mandates, agency standards, and regulatory requirements governing the right to shelter and shelter conditions.
• Respond to critical incidents and other significant events affecting clients’ health and/or safety.
• Conduct routine site visits.
• Oversee programming activities and the provision of social services to ensure optimal service delivery.
• Review and conduct analyses to measure programs’ performance and placements against goals, targets, and outcomes.
• Identify needs and make recommendations for improvement.
• Provide direction to enhance communication between the agency and providers.
• Confer with staff regarding programmatic and personnel issues.
• Supervise the shelter contracting process to ensure compliance with terms, conditions, and agency policies and procedures.
• Evaluate Requests for Proposals (RFPs), participate in contract negotiations, prepare contract‑related reports, and participate in the planning of policies, procedures, and programs.
• Liaise and interface with local Community Boards to promote and maintain cooperative community relationships.
• Work on special initiatives as needed.

Requirements

Civil Service Eligibility: Applicants must be permanent in the Administrative Director of Social Services civil service title, or permanent in a comparable title eligible for a 6.1.9 title change, or reachable with a score of 100 on the Open Competitive Administrative Director of Social Services Exam (#1121).

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and four years of progressively responsible experience in a large governmental agency, business firm, civic or community organization operating in the area of social services, including one year at the administrative or managerial level; or education and/or experience equivalent to the above.
• Graduate education or a license may substitute for up to three years of experience in the area of social services, but not for the required one year of administrative/managerial experience:
  • A master’s degree in accounting, business, child welfare, counseling, economics, education, finance, human resources, labor relations, management, management science, nursing, operations research, organizational behavior, personnel or public administration, political science, psychology, sociology, social work, statistics, and/or urban studies may substitute for two years of experience.
  • Graduate education beyond the baccalaureate (30 semester credits in the fields above) may substitute for each year of experience up to a maximum of three years.
  • A valid New York State Registration as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) may substitute for three years of experience.
• All candidates must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and one year of experience at the administrative or management level as described above.

Residency: New York City residency is not required for this position.

Qualifications

• Excellent writing and communication skills.
• Strong computer skills.
• Proficiency with CARES.

Benefits

• Eligibility for federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and state repayment assistance programs (details at studentaid.gov/pslf).
• Position is open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55‑a Program (indicate interest at the top of resume and cover letter).

Pay

$81,358.00 – $119,696.00 per year

Schedule

Monday–Friday, 6:00 PM – 2:00 AM (based on 24/7 coverage)