Workforce & Housing Director

POSITION PURPOSE

The Workforce & Housing Director provides strategic, operational, and spiritual leadership for Gospel Rescue Mission's workforce-development and housing-stability services. Reporting to the Senior Program Director, this position leads and aligns employment readiness, career development, vocational support, employer engagement, housing navigation, landlord relationships, placement assistance, and stability planning.

Sustainable employment and safe housing are two of the strongest foundations for long-term stability and independence. The Director ensures guests receive coordinated support to identify their strengths, prepare for and retain employment, increase income, address housing barriers, secure appropriate housing, and maintain stability after placement.

The Director develops leaders, strengthens employer and housing partnerships, monitors outcomes, stewards resources, and ensures services are Christ-centered, trauma-informed, person-centered, practical, measurable, and consistent with GRM's Mission, policies, and Standards of Excellence.

The Director leads through the Managers and leaders responsible for Workforce Development and Housing. Those leaders own day-to-day service delivery. The Director equips, aligns, develops, and holds them accountable for results rather than routinely stepping into responsibilities that belong to them.

DIRECTOR LEADERSHIP

•  Provide strategic, operational, and spiritual leadership for Workforce Development and Housing services.

•  Translate GRM's Mission, strategic priorities, policies, and Standards of Excellence into clear departmental goals, work plans, service standards, partnership strategies, and measurable outcomes.

•  Create a coordinated pathway that connects employment readiness, increased income, housing navigation, placement, and long-term stability.

•  Provide the Senior Program Director with timely, accurate, and transparent information regarding participant progress, employment and housing outcomes, staffing, partnerships, barriers, risks, and opportunities.

•  Identify service gaps, operational barriers, partnership opportunities, and emerging participant needs; recommend and lead approved improvements.

•  Maintain appropriate visibility within Workforce and Housing service areas and build trusted, Christ-honoring relationships while remaining focused on Director-level leadership.

•  Ensure decisions move from discussion to execution with clear ownership, timelines, follow-through, and accountability.

LEAD THE LEADERS

One of the Director's most important responsibilities is developing strong Managers and building leadership capacity throughout Workforce and Housing.

•  Lead, coach, mentor, pray with, encourage, challenge, and develop assigned Managers and other direct reports.

•  Establish clear roles, decision authority, goals, service standards, performance expectations, and accountability practices for each leader and service area.

•  Give Managers appropriate authority to lead daily operations and accomplish assigned responsibilities.

•  Practice empowerment rather than micromanagement; coach instead of routinely taking over responsibilities that belong to Managers.

•  Conduct regular one-on-ones and leadership meetings to review participant needs, staffing, partnerships, priorities, outcomes, risks, and leadership development.

•  Address performance concerns promptly, directly, respectfully, and consistently in partnership with Human Resources and the Senior Program Director as appropriate.

•  Require Managers to develop their teams, delegate appropriately, build bench strength, and prepare emerging leaders for increased responsibility.

•  Encourage ownership, initiative, healthy communication, collaboration, direct problem-solving, and accountability.

•  Recognize excellent performance and celebrate participant, employee, and team success.

The Director's success should increasingly be visible through the strength of the leaders and teams they develop, not simply through what the Director personally accomplishes.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIP

•  Provide strategic oversight of employment-readiness and career-development services that help guests identify strengths, interests, experience, barriers, and realistic career goals.

•  Ensure guests receive appropriate assistance with resumes, applications, interviewing, workplace expectations, digital skills, job search, professional communication, training opportunities, and retention planning.

•  Ensure individualized employment plans include clear goals, action steps, referrals, timelines, accountability, and documented progress.

•  Strengthen pathways to education, credentialing, vocational training, apprenticeships, job placement, career advancement, and sustainable employment.

•  Monitor participation, training, job placement, wages or income growth, employment retention, barriers, and other meaningful workforce outcomes.

•  Ensure Workforce leaders maintain effective service delivery, documentation, coaching practices, schedules, and quality-assurance processes.

EMPLOYER, EDUCATION & TRAINING PARTNERSHIPS

•  Develop and strengthen relationships with employers, staffing agencies, workforce organizations, training providers, educational institutions, apprenticeship programs, and other partners that create meaningful opportunities for participants.

•  Build employer relationships that understand GRM's Mission and the value of second-chance employment and workforce development.

•  Identify employment sectors and training opportunities that offer realistic pathways to sustainable wages, career growth, and long-term independence.

•  Create clear processes for referrals, employer communication, participant preparation, placement follow-up, and retention support.

•  Use employer feedback and labor-market observations to improve training, coaching, readiness standards, and participant preparation.

•  Represent GRM professionally in workforce, education, business, and community settings.

HOUSING LEADERSHIP

•  Provide strategic oversight of housing-navigation services that help guests understand housing options, address barriers, prepare documentation, complete applications, and pursue appropriate placements.

•  Ensure individualized housing plans consider affordability, income, benefits, rental history, credit concerns, legal barriers, accessibility needs, transportation, household composition, family needs, recovery considerations, and support requirements.

•  Ensure housing goals and services are appropriate to each guest's readiness, strengths, needs, resources, and long-term stability.

•  Monitor housing applications, placements, retention, barriers, landlord concerns, participant progress, and housing-stability outcomes.

•  Ensure Housing leaders maintain effective workflows, documentation, follow-up, placement practices, and quality-assurance processes.

•  Strengthen post-placement planning and connections to appropriate supports that increase the likelihood of long-term housing stability.

LANDLORD & HOUSING PARTNERSHIPS

•  Develop and maintain productive relationships with landlords, property managers, housing providers, community organizations, and other partners that expand appropriate housing opportunities.

•  Identify recurring barriers to housing placement and work with partners and GRM leadership to develop practical solutions where possible.

•  Ensure communication with landlords and housing partners is professional, timely, accurate, and respectful of participant confidentiality.

•  Build GRM's reputation as a responsive, responsible, and trustworthy housing partner.

•  Evaluate housing partnerships based on participant safety, affordability, sustainability, Mission alignment, and long-term outcomes.

WORKFORCE & HOUSING INTEGRATION

Employment and housing stability are closely connected. The Director is responsible for ensuring these services work together rather than as separate silos.

•  Coordinate employment and housing planning so income goals, affordability, transportation, location, benefits, family needs, and long-term stability are considered together.

•  Ensure Workforce and Housing leaders communicate effectively regarding participant progress, barriers, readiness, and next steps.

•  Collaborate with Intake, Guest Services, Recovery, Aftercare, Pastoral Care, Transformation Housing, and other GRM functions to create coordinated service plans and strong handoffs.

•  Bring affected departments to the table when service changes, participant transitions, or operational decisions affect the broader guest journey.

•  Ensure services support increasing independence and do not unintentionally create unnecessary dependence on GRM.

PROGRAM QUALITY, DOCUMENTATION & COMPLIANCE

•  Develop, maintain, and implement Workforce and Housing procedures, workflows, training resources, documentation standards, partnership practices, and quality-assurance measures.

•  Ensure complete, accurate, timely, objective, and confidential guest records are maintained in approved systems according to GRM requirements.

•  Monitor compliance with GRM policies, confidentiality standards, fair and consistent service practices, safety procedures, applicable requirements, and contractual expectations.

•  Support internal reviews, audits, corrective actions, and continuous-improvement efforts related to Workforce and Housing services.

•  Use participant feedback, employee observations, partner input, service data, placement trends, and retention outcomes to strengthen quality and prevent recurring problems.

EXECUTION & ACCOUNTABILITY

•  Monitor progress toward weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual goals in accordance with approved GRM benchmarks and the strategic plan.

•  Prepare accurate weekly and periodic reports regarding participation, employment, income, training, housing applications, placements, retention, barriers, staffing, partnerships, and priorities, as directed.

•  Establish meaningful measures for employment readiness, training completion, job placement, employment retention, income growth, housing applications, placements, housing retention, and other appropriate outcomes.

•  Use data and outcomes to identify gaps, guide decisions, allocate resources, strengthen partnerships, and hold leaders accountable.

•  Ensure decisions result in action, ownership, follow-through, and measurable results.

•  Continually evaluate staffing structures, workflows, schedules, systems, partnership practices, and processes for effectiveness, sustainability, and scalability.

FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

In partnership with the Senior Program Director and Finance leadership, the Workforce & Housing Director will:

•  Develop, monitor, and responsibly manage Workforce and Housing budgets and departmental resources.

•  Review and approve expenditures within delegated authority.

•  Ensure responsible stewardship of GRM funds, participant-assistance resources, supplies, equipment, vehicles, technology, facilities, donations, and employee time.

•  Monitor significant budget variances and communicate concerns early.

•  Evaluate resource allocation based on participant needs, measurable outcomes, Mission impact, effectiveness, and stewardship.

•  Identify opportunities to improve efficiency while protecting service quality and participant care.

•  Ensure Managers understand responsibility for stewardship and operate within approved budgets and purchasing practices.

Finance retains responsibility for financial controls, accounting, reporting, compliance, and financial accuracy.

PARTNERSHIP WITH HUMAN RESOURCES

Human Resources retains responsibility and authority for HR policy, employment practices, compliance, personnel administration, and HR systems.

The Workforce & Housing Director is responsible for effectively leading and developing the people within Workforce and Housing while partnering with Human Resources regarding recruitment, staffing, performance management, corrective action, employee relations, leadership development, time and attendance, and other personnel matters.

The Director will address leadership and performance concerns directly while ensuring employment actions and personnel processes follow GRM's established HR policies and practices.

THE GRM WAY - CULTURE & LEADERSHIP

The Workforce & Housing Director is expected to model, protect, and reinforce the culture and leadership standards established in the GRM Culture & Leadership Guide.

The Director will lead with Christ-centered servant leadership, integrity, accountability, excellence, collaboration, courage, clarity, stewardship, and empowerment. This leader is expected to develop others, address issues directly, speak truth with grace, encourage ownership and healthy communication, lead across departments rather than in silos, and ensure Workforce and Housing consistently reflect GRM's Mission, Vision, Values, and leadership expectations.

The Director is expected to give people clarity and room to lead rather than create dependence through micromanagement; focus on results that matter rather than activity alone; work smarter, not simply harder; remain teachable and accountable; develop people before they are needed; promote based on readiness; and model healthy, sustainable leadership, recognizing self-care as stewardship.

As a condition of leadership at Gospel Rescue Mission, the Director will be required to read, agree to, sign, and lead in accordance with the GRM Culture & Leadership Guide - living it, leading it, protecting it, and passing it on.

CHRIST-CENTERED LEADERSHIP

The Workforce & Housing Director must be a Christian living a life dedicated to Jesus Christ and committed to being an instrument of God's love, grace, hope, truth, and forgiveness to others.

•  Have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

•  Agree in principle and practice with GRM's Statement of Faith.

•  Uphold GRM's Mission, Core Values, and Christian Code of Conduct, maintaining a lifestyle of integrity, honesty, and responsibility.

•  Model Christ-like character through personal actions, words, relationships, decisions, and attitudes.

•  Lead with grace and truth, humility, courage, wisdom, love, and appropriate accountability.

•  Pray with and for employees, leaders, guests, and the Mission as appropriate.

•  Participate in staff devotions, prayer gatherings, and other spiritual activities.

QUALIFICATIONS

•  Bachelor's degree in social services, behavioral health, business administration, organizational leadership, ministry, or a related field, supplemented by advanced specialized certification or relevant professional training. Five or more years of directly related, progressively responsible experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

•  At least five years of progressively responsible experience in workforce development, career services, housing navigation, homeless services, supportive housing, human services, community partnerships, or a comparable mission-driven program.

•  Demonstrated experience serving individuals and families affected by homelessness, unemployment, poverty, trauma, substance use disorders, mental-health concerns, or other significant barriers to stability.

•  At least five years of leadership or supervisory experience, including responsibility for employee development, performance management, service quality, and operational outcomes.

•  Experience developing employer, workforce, landlord, housing-provider, educational, training, or community partnerships that create measurable opportunities for participants.

•  Experience with individualized service planning, program documentation, outcome measurement, quality assurance, budgets, and data-informed improvement.

•  Strong knowledge of employment readiness, career coaching, job development, employer engagement, housing navigation, placement, and stability planning.

•  Strong negotiation, conflict-resolution, coaching, delegation, problem-solving, relationship-management, and employee-development capabilities.

•  Excellent written communication, active listening, presentation, documentation, organization, and analytical skills.

•  Proficiency with Microsoft Office and business software, with the ability to learn and adapt quickly to web-based guest-record, employment, housing, and reporting systems.

•  Valid Arizona Driver License and an acceptable driving record that meets GRM's insurance and driving requirements.

•  Bilingual English/Spanish proficiency preferred.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

•  The population GRM serves is frequently in crisis. This work may involve exposure to trauma, conflict, illness, behavioral-health concerns, housing instability, unemployment, and emotionally difficult situations.

•  The Director must maintain appropriate professional boundaries, sound judgment, confidentiality, and a calm, compassionate leadership presence.

•  GRM recognizes that compassion fatigue is real and strongly promotes employee self-care, spiritual renewal, and sustainable leadership.

•  Some local travel to employers, training providers, housing sites, partner organizations, meetings, and other business-related activities is required.

•  Requires frequent sitting, standing, and walking and may require lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

•  A flexible schedule may occasionally be required to support programs, partner meetings, community events, evenings, weekends, or urgent situations.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

•  Complete onboarding, OPPD, required leadership training, and other professional-development requirements assigned by the Senior Program Director or GRM.

•  Attend staff, leadership, departmental, and other meetings as directed.

•  Remain current on relevant practices in workforce development, career services, housing navigation, homelessness, trauma-informed care, leadership, and nonprofit operations.

•  Perform other duties as assigned.

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

Consistent with our formation and purpose, all employees of Gospel Rescue Mission, upon hire and continuously while employed, must meet GRM's faith-aligned employment requirements. This position is designated BFOQ (Bona Fide Occupational Qualification) faith aligned.

SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE

Success is demonstrated when Workforce and Housing operate as one coordinated pathway toward greater independence; Managers lead their areas with confidence, ownership, and accountability; guests are prepared for and connected to meaningful employment and sustainable housing; employer, education, landlord, and community partnerships create measurable opportunities; employment and housing retention improve; documentation and service standards are reliable; goals and budgets are managed responsibly; cross-department collaboration is strong; and the Director is building leaders and systems that do not depend on unnecessary Director intervention.

GRACE-BASED ENVIRONMENT

Gospel Rescue Mission is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit religious organization providing social service programs to individuals experiencing homelessness and those in need. Everything we do in this ministry should be centered on God's will and honor the name of Jesus Christ.

Employees are expected to model Christ-like attributes and values; maintain an environment of grace, truth, love, transparency, and accountability; build healthy and compassionate relationships while maintaining appropriate boundaries; demonstrate integrity and responsibility; pray with guests and employees; and support the Vision, Mission, and Values of Gospel Rescue Mission.

Gospel Rescue Mission completes applicable background checks, drug testing, and motor vehicle authorization during the conditional offer stage.