Director, Homeless Services in Traverse City, Michigan at Goodwill Northern Michigan

The Director of Homeless Services provides strategic and operational leadership for Goodwill Northern Michigan’s homelessness response programs. This position oversees shelter, outreach, navigation, veteran services, housing-based case management, and supportive housing services to achieve strong participant outcomes and advance efforts to make homelessness rare, brief, and one-time.

This role is accountable for participant outcomes, service delivery, program performance, government funding, departmental compliance, and representing Goodwill Northern Michigan’s values within the organization and with the community. The Director is also responsible for being an effective partner and active leader within the broader homeless response system, working with community partners to strengthen coordination, identify gaps, innovate solutions, and leverage Goodwill and community capacity to reduce homelessness.

This position requires a leader who is operationally strong, curious, innovative, results-driven, compassionate, and able to make difficult decisions when needed. The Director should be motivated by creating a stronger community for people who are most marginalized and face the greatest barriers to housing stability.

This position pays $80,000+ annually, based on qualifications and experience.

Goodwill Core Responsibilities

• Support and represent the mission, vision, and values of Goodwill Northern Michigan internally and externally.
• Perform work in a safe manner by observing all Goodwill safety policies and procedures.
• Interact with all Goodwill team members, participants, customers, and community partners in a professional manner.
• Respect the diversity of others, including but not limited to those with cultural, ethnic, and gender differences, individuals experiencing homelessness, and persons with visible and non-visible disabilities.

Program Leadership and Operations

• Provide leadership and oversight of Goodwill Northern Michigan’s homelessness response programs, including:
• Goodwill Inn Emergency Shelter
• Street Outreach and Navigation
• Veteran Services, including Patriot Place
• Housing-Based Case Management
• Permanent Supportive Housing Services
• Other homelessness response programs as developed
• Ensure programs operate using housing-focused, trauma-informed, and evidence-based practices.
• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of programs that help individuals and families obtain and maintain stable housing, improve self-sufficiency, and achieve greater independence.
• Drives strong participant outcomes including housing placement, housing retention, stability, self-sufficiency, and connection to community supports.
• Use data, performance metrics, and departmental data systems to support participant services, monitor outcomes, improve performance, ensure compliance, and guide decision-making.
• Drives organizational strength through intentional coaching, supervision, and leadership development of direct reports.

System Leadership and Community Engagement

• Serve as a strategic leader within the regional homeless response system, helping strengthen community partnerships, improve coordination, and advance solutions to homelessness while recognizing when to lead and when to support the leadership of others.
• Serve as a public ambassador and spokesperson for Goodwill Northern Michigan’s homelessness response work, representing the organization with professionalism and credibility in media interviews, public presentations, community meetings, and stakeholder discussions. Communicate in ways that strengthen public understanding, community trust, philanthropic support, and confidence in Goodwill's leadership and services.
• Build and maintain effective partnerships with organizations participating in or impacting the homeless response system, including healthcare, behavioral health, substance use disorder treatment providers, law enforcement, emergency response, local government, housing providers, veteran service organizations, nonprofit organizations, and other community stakeholders.
• Represent Goodwill Northern Michigan in community, regional, and statewide conversations related to homelessness, housing stability, supportive services, and system improvement.
• Identify gaps, barriers, and emerging needs within the homeless response system and help develop innovative strategies that reduce homelessness and improve outcomes.
• Provide insight and recommendations regarding housing needs, service gaps, barriers to housing stability, and opportunities to expand housing and supportive services within the community.

Grant, Contract, and Fiscal Management

• Develop, secure, manage, and maximize federal, state, and local funding opportunities supporting homelessness and housing services, including grant writing, contract development, compliance, reporting, and performance management.
• Develop and manage departmental operating budgets and forecasts in coordination with the Finance Department.
• Monitor revenue, expenses, payroll, and program financial performance to ensure responsible stewardship of organizational and public resources.
• Partner with the Philanthropy Department to advance fundraising efforts by communicating program impact, identifying funding opportunities and priorities, engaging donors and prospects, and providing grant content, program information, and subject matter expertise.
• Foster a culture of philanthropy and stewardship throughout the department, ensuring staff understand their role in building relationships, strengthening community support, and creating positive experiences that advance donor engagement and investment in homelessness services.

Staff Leadership and Culture

• Supervise program leaders and managers; provide coaching, direction, evaluation, and professional development.
• Establish performance expectations and ensure staff receive the training, coaching, supervision, and professional development necessary to achieve program quality, compliance, participant outcomes, and organizational goals.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, accountable, and solutions-oriented team culture.

Quality, Compliance, and Accreditation

• Ensure adherence to all applicable regulatory, contractual, funding, licensing, and accreditation requirements within areas of responsibility.
• Lead CARF accreditation activities, including implementation of standards, monitoring, staff training, corrective action planning, documentation, and continuous quality improvement efforts.
• Develop, maintain, and ensure consistent implementation of program policies and procedures that are safe, ethical, effective, efficient, and aligned with Goodwill Northern Michigan values.
• Provide necessary reports to Goodwill leadership, funders, partner agencies, board committees, and the community as needed and/or required.

Organizational Leadership

• Act as a member of Goodwill Northern Michigan’s Leadership Team, contributing to organizational strategy, planning, decision-making, cross-department collaboration, and mission impact.
• Participate in Board and committee meetings as requested and provide reports, recommendations, and updates related to areas of responsibility.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Housing Development to align housing pipeline, housing resources, and service capacity with the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
• Lead coordination of referral pipelines and prioritization of households for housing placement while supporting effective coordination between service teams and property management.
• Work across departments to resolve operational challenges and balance mission, employee well-being, and financial priorities.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Reports To

Chief Executive Officer

Supervises

Employees within the homelessness response programs, which may include shelter operations, outreach and navigation, veteran services, Housing-Based Case Management, HMIS, and other assigned program areas.

Education, Certifications, Licenses, and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in human services, social work, nonprofit management, public administration, psychology, or related field required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of five years of leadership experience in homelessness services, housing services, human services, nonprofit management, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience supervising staff and managing complex programs.
• Experience with government grants, contracts, compliance, budgeting, and program reporting required.
• Valid driver’s license required.
• Chauffeur’s license may be required based on program needs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong understanding of human services and social sector programs, including trauma-informed services, evidence-based practices, program outcomes and measurement, innovation, active listening, motivational interviewing, de-escalation, and service approaches that support people facing complex barriers. Familiarity with and support for Housing First principles.
• Proven ability to provide leadership in a team and community-based environment.
• Proven ability to supervise, coach, and develop employees to achieve mission objectives and outcomes.
• Ability to lead with Goodwill Northern Michigan’s values, balancing compassion, accountability, operational discipline, innovation, and achieving strong performance and results.
• Demonstrated commitment to improving the community for people who are most marginalized, including individuals and families experiencing homelessness, poverty, disabilities, behavioral health challenges, substance use disorders, and other complex barriers.
• Ability to manage complex government-funded programs, including grant writing, compliance, reporting, budgeting, and performance management.
• Strong fiscal skills, including the ability to develop, manage, monitor, and analyze budgets.
• Ability to understand, utilize, and support data collection and management systems that inform program operations, reporting, compliance, performance measurement, and decision-making.
• Strong understanding of community systems and partners connected to homelessness, including social services, affordable housing, behavioral health, healthcare, law enforcement, emergency response, substance use disorder treatment, and other community resources.
• Ability to build and maintain effective partnerships with public, private, nonprofit, faith-based, healthcare, behavioral health, public safety, and community stakeholders.
• Ability to think strategically, identify system gaps, develop innovative solutions, and leverage organizational and community capacity to improve outcomes.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to present information clearly to staff, leadership, boards, funders, partners, and community groups.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, solve problems, adapt to changing conditions, and lead through complex situations.
• Be a positive team member in organizational and community endeavors.
• Fundamental ability to understand, accept, and work with people who have disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, and individuals facing other barriers.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office programs, AI, and relevant program data systems.
• Ability to work overnights, weekends, holidays, and non-traditional hours as needed.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Standing, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, bending, kneeling, reaching, walking, hearing, seeing, twisting, turning, performing repetitive movements, and operating a computer.
• Ability to perform medium lifting (20-30 pounds) and occasional heavy lifting.
• Work environment may be hectic, with periods of high stress and occasional short deadlines.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time.

Education, Licenses, Certifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in human services, nonprofit management, public administration, or related field required.
• Master's Degree is preferred, clinical experience welcomed.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a leadership role with demonstrated experience in staff supervision and management.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to adapt and innovate in a changing environment.
• Proven ability to provide leadership in a community-based environment.
• Proven ability to effectively lead teams.
• Be a positive team member in organization and community endeavors.
• Strong administrative acumen.
• Must have knowledge of current social, economic, affordable housing, homelessness, and health trends and services, and the ability to adapt trends to practical program applications and link clients with services needed.
• Strong ability to present information in a way that is understandable to small and large groups and diverse sophistication levels.
• Must have knowledge of social and community issues.
• Valid Driver’s License with clean, safe driving record and must possess, or be able to obtain, a Chauffeur’s License.
• Understanding of homelessness, housing, and the unique challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Ability to multi-task several needs of each project while managing multiple projects and exercising a high degree of independence, motivation and accountability is crucial.

Physical Requirements:

• Standing, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, bending, kneeling, reaching, walking, hearing, seeing, twisting, turning and repetitive movement, and operate computer.
• Ability to do medium lifting, 20 - 30 pounds, and occasional heavy lifting.
• This position is considered a Safety Sensitive position and is subject to zero tolerance under the Goodwill Northern Michigan Drug Free Workplace Policy.