Shelter Director

About us:
People Serving People is the largest and most comprehensive emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness in Minnesota and a dedicated leader in homeless prevention. If you want to help transform communities and see families thrive, then People Serving People is the place for you.

What do we need:
The Director of Shelter leads People Serving People’s Shelter emergency shelter, a new site to be opened September 7, 2026, which will serve up to 52 families experiencing homelessness. The Director aligns programs with other sites, advances program transformation, promotes operational excellence, and improves upon all programs and services in accordance with People Serving People’s mission, vision, and values. The Shelter Director ensures the highest level of trauma-informed shelter service through supervision of Shelter staff and collaboration with the broader PSP team. They contribute vision, inform strategy, and lead planning and implementation of programming that is culturally and trauma responsive, family centered, strengths based, and informed by a deep understanding of historical trauma as it relates to African American, American Indian, and Latin American communities.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for Shelter’s emergency shelter program. Promotes effective coordination between program services and across the organization
• Trains, supervises, and evaluates the performance of area manager(s).
• Continuously analyzes program performance and seeks opportunities and implements solutions to strengthen programming, trauma-responsiveness, and cultural relevance. Models trauma responsive and culturally relevant practices and works collaboratively with staff and leadership to implement them at all levels of the Program.
• Identifies barriers that families are facing and helps address those barriers through programming, building relationships, elevating the voices of participants, and collaborating with staff at other PSP sites.
• Develops and maintains (both directly and indirectly) partnerships with community organizations, governmental agencies and others that can provide support to shelter programs and services.
• Partners with Shelter staff and Senior Director of Operations to manage relationships with outside vendors and building contractors
• Coordinates with Operations, Compliance and department managers to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations and quality standards issued by OSHA, EPA, and other federal, state, and local regulatory agencies.
• Champions guest engagement and centers guest voice, trauma responsiveness and racial equity in strategic and operational decision making.
• Collects and analyzes community and guests need to develop new programs and services.
• Reviews and distributes grievances and addresses escalated guest issues as needed.
• Partners with the Senior Leadership Team and department managers to support organizational culture and strategic change initiatives.
• Oversees Shelter budget, ensuring budget goals are being met.
• Attends fundraising events as appropriate and collaborates with the Development department in development efforts that involve Shelter. Represents PSP in the community and occasionally speaks at fundraising or other donor events.
• Communicates with Hennepin County and other stakeholders about Shelter families, programming, needs, policies, and ideas for collaboration.
• Build relationships and networks with downtown community members and businesses.
• Attends Board of Directors and Committee meetings as appropriate.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Chief Program Officer.
• This position directly supervises the Manager of Shelter. As this program grows and develops, additional supervision may be added.

Requirements:
Education Preferred:

• Bachelor Degree & 5 years’ experience, or
• Associate Degree & 7 years’ experience, or
• GED & 10 years’ experience or equivalent experience in a social services field.

Computer Skills:

• High competence with Microsoft Office applications is required.
• Experience using web portals for compliance, procurement, and other needs required.
• Ability to learn Salesforce CRM and other software.
• Experience with HMIS desired.

Other Qualifications:

• Ability to be on-call and respond to emergencies.
• 3 or more years’ experience serving multi-cultural, socially diverse population.
• 3 or more years’ experience supervising staff.
• 5 or more years’ experience working in a social work or human services field preferably with some case management or home visiting experience.
• Knowledge of Trauma Informed Care principles and the impact of trauma on children who have experienced poverty and homelessness or are highly mobile.
• Experience developing and executing budgets and long-range plans.
• Familiarity with grants and experience seeking and using grants to fund priorities.
• Experience harvesting, evaluating, and implementing best practices within/across programs.
• Project management experience. Project management certification is highly desired but not essential.
• Able to pass a DHS background check.
• Able to pass a motor vehicle records check and maintain a driver’s license.
• Able to complete overdose response training within one year.
• Must be able to work after-hours when required to oversee response to emergencies.
• Willing to center client needs when making operational decisions.
• Familiar with the historical and present-day consequences of systemic racism and willing to apply an equity lens in decision-making.
• Training, public speaking, and/or facilitation experience and tools are highly desired.
• Public policy or systems change experience, orientation, or interest.
• Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills including negotiation and conflict resolution.
• Experience leading and/or managing change, particularly in direct service settings.

Pay and Benefits:

• $102,000 - $115,000 salary.
• Full-Time, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Schedule may flex to include some evenings and weekends depending on workflow.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance available.
• Company-paid life and disability insurance.
• 401(k) with employer contribution at 6 months.
• Competitive PTO program.
• Reduced cost parking or metro pass.
• Cellphone reimbursement.
• Reduced childcare rates.
• Financial wellness benefit.
• The chance to make a real difference in the community.