Director, Crisis Solutions

WHAT WE DO

Our Community Impact department advances UWGLA’s mission by generating advocacy, awareness, and accessibility in support of LA’s most vulnerable populations. We’re equally as passionate as we are efficient – tackling poverty at its root and leveraging our collective creative talents to innovate impactful solutions where others see insurmountable odds. We’re the people’s ‘people’, building influential coalitions across communities, industries, and political coalitions that allow us to expand the realm of possibilities for those who have historically been deprived.

WHY WE NEED YOU

We are inviting collaborative and creative leaders with a passion for preventing and ending houselessness to apply for our Director, Crisis Solutions role.

You will contribute to building a new system of community care by successfully engineering solutions to street homelessness, ensuring stability and security for older adults, and innovating new approaches to benefits and food security.

You will have the unique opportunity to re-imagine the social safety net and reinforce systems of mutual aid in neighborhoods across the County of Los Angeles.

HOW YOU’LL CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAUSE

Systems Change Leadership

o Ensure our work is aligned to a clear vision and actionable strategies to achieve that vision, and when that shared strategic vision does not exist, find a path to create one.

o Build and foster trusted relationships with key stakeholders critical to driving systems change and understanding the impacts of those changes on people in LA who are struggling to find support in the short term and prosperity in the long term, so that each person feels a deep sense of belonging in their community of choice, with the resources to live, work, and thrive together.

o Continuously leverage and expand your expertise in special populations experiencing homelessness to democratize access to knowledge that will facilitate positive change at scale.

o Meaningfully engage partners and stakeholders as force multipliers to increase the effectiveness of our collective advocacy for systems change.

Project Management

o Accurately understand the specific needs of the people we are trying to help, and ensure that our projects are designed and positioned to meet those needs, and that success metrics accurately inform our assessment of the project's impact.

o Build comprehensive and agile project management plans which accurately determine resource requirements, timelines, milestones, contingencies, and stakeholder involvement/engagement.

o Continuously monitor project progress at each stage, making adjustments and adaptations as needed and documenting progress, challenges, and mitigation steps along the way.

o Communicate clearly and routinely with key stakeholders about project design and progress, managing people's expectations and ensuring accuracy, accountability, and transparency.

o Collaborate with all key project stakeholders to leverage their knowledge and expertise to ensure project success or timely course correction.

Grant Seeking

o Support grant writing and reporting for large-scale proposals targeting $1 million asks that benefit the long-term sustainability of the Crisis Solutions team and drive community impact; this includes active participation in preparing grant applications, grant execution, monitoring, and reporting

o Manage non-personnel budget expenditures of relevant grants to ensure all available funds are being spent appropriately and efficiently to maximize impact

Team Management & Development

o Mentor and coach a diverse team of impact professionals to grow skillsets, support individual professional development goals, and inspire team members to both lead and follow

o Provide direct but respectful constructive feedback in real-time and during formal review periods to elevate team performance, maintain accountability, and reach goals

WHAT 1 YEAR OF SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

Set the groundwork for the renewal and strengthening of Measure H – LA County’s most critical resource stream to end homelessness.

o Host 25 convenings with local policy makers, funders, and academic experts to align policies/systems, reduce confusion, and achieve unity of effort.

o Reduce the time it takes to use a permanent housing resource by at least 30 days through person-centered design and process improvement incentives to nonprofit and government agencies.

o Reinforce and build the capacity of 100 organizations through support from our Strategic Investments team

o Bring over 1,000 unhoused residents inside during the day/night through our Shelter Improvement Initiative and Daytime Services investments.

o Supercharge our front-line workforce by bringing retention, recruitment, and data supports to over 1,000 essential workers in homelessness and in-home care.

Contribute to the launch resident-centered Community Care Networks that reconstruct a community-based social safety net by distributing emergency resources and vital upstream supports in targeted communities across LA County.

o Bring the “Street Strategy” to life by hosting Homeless Registries in UWGLA’s high priority neighborhoods that brings community wide support to over 250 residents and demonstrate a new housing placement and retention strategy.

o Expand access to healthy food for 10,000 residents across our priority neighborhoods through streamlining our Emergency Food and Shelter Program, launching community gardens, hosting community-resident centered CalFresh redesigns, and investing in neighborhood based mutual aid.

SKILLS YOU’LL NEED TO SUCCEED (The Must-Haves)

Education & Experience:

o High school diploma or GED required; Bachelor’s degree is preferred

o Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in homelessness services, systems change, affordable housing, crisis response, or public policy is required

o Minimum 3 years of experience supervising and developing direct reports

Personal Qualities:

o You enjoy a hybrid environment that includes both in-person and remote work styles and are able to work from our DTLA office on Tuesdays and Thursdays

o You are able to provide documentation of your status as fully vaccinated with primary series of COVID-19 vaccine upon being hired.

o You understand the value of racial equity as an organizational operating principle and are committed to continued learning on issues related to race, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE A FIT (The Nice-to-Haves)

Active listening is a common practice - you look for what was said in addition to how someone said it.

You can adapt and pivot quickly without so much as feeling dizzy.

You know how to build a plane while you fly it and thrive in the face of ambiguous situations.

You can communicate the complexities of impact work in an authentic and engaging manner that solidifies commitment from prospective donors.

You understand the power of forming coalitions to address complex issues and - most importantly - know how to build a collaborative unit that possesses the skills to advocate, articulate and persuade key stakeholders on important causes that affect the community.

You work well with others - stakeholders and colleagues alike would agree that you are the quintessential “Team Player”

You know how to create a presentation that's visually engaging and tells a story that's comprised of many parts including text, pictures and charts.

You understand the all aspects of data analysis - the graphs, charts, facts and figures - well enough to explain the story they tell to others.

When placed at a crossroads, you can be decisive and can choose the best option after taking into consideration multiple key factors.

You can light a spark in the dimmest of rooms with your energy and passion for the work you do.

You know how to maintain effective partnerships to ensure all parties involved - from internal departments to external stakeholders - stay aligned with goals, expectation and deadlines.

You are passionate about non-profit work and committed to understanding UWGLA's landscape as it relates to business, community and politics.

You manage relationships with direct reports in a way that's respectful, supportive, and committed to their long-term success.

You can be persuasive when getting someone to see the glass as half full vs. half empty and focus on the outcome vs. the obstacles they may face to get there.

You are action-oriented, proactive, and self-sufficient when it comes to managing your workload.

Logic and reasoning come naturally to you, making you an efficient problem solver to common challenges.

You are great speaking in front of a crowd of high-profile individuals and commanding the stage.

Your strong work ethic gets going when the going gets tough during late nights, early mornings or weekend assignments.

You stay calm under pressure and can meet tight deadlines when necessary.

Your written communications are on ballpoint when it comes to ensuring the messaging is compelling, accurate and tailored to the audience.

You have no issue transforming a problem into a solution with your troubleshooting skills.

You know your way around the Microsoft Windows operating systems and all it's essential programs including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Hiring Salary Range: $100,000-130,000 dependent on internal equity and a variety of job-related factors including, but not limited to, experience, training, education, and market demands.

The benefits available for this position include medical, dental, vision, 403(b) plan, pension, life insurance coverage, disability benefits, paid holidays, and paid time off.