Social Services Director

Job Description

The Site Director provides executive-level leadership and full accountability for the safe, compliant, resident-centered, and effective operation of a 24-hour New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelter. The position oversees social services, housing, operations, security, facilities, food service, administration, staffing, fiscal stewardship, performance management, and regulatory compliance. The Site Director serves as the principal on-site liaison to the DHS Program Administrator and ensures that all services are delivered in accordance with the DHS contract, New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) regulations, applicable laws, and Cherokee Federal policies.

The Site Director is expected to establish a high-accountability culture, develop strong leaders, maintain inspection readiness, build community partnerships, and drive measurable outcomes, including timely documentation, client engagement, housing placements, and reduced returns to shelter.

Includes the following:

• Provide overall leadership, direction, and accountability for all shelter departments and services, including social services, housing, operations, security, facilities, food service, administration, and subcontracted services.
• Ensure all program services are delivered in accordance with the applicable NYC DHS contract, scope of work, budget, policies, performance standards, and provider obligations.
• Serve as the primary on-site point of contact and strategic partner to the DHS Program Administrator, Program Analyst, Serious Incident Unit, and other DHS representatives; maintain timely, transparent, and solution-oriented communication.
• Maintain sufficient qualified staffing and leadership coverage across all three shifts to support continuous 24-hour operations, including required fire safety and food service certifications.
• Directly supervise department leaders and ensure regular supervision, coaching, performance evaluations, professional development, corrective action, and succession planning are completed consistently.
• Establish clear performance expectations and systems of accountability for all managers and staff; address performance, attendance, conduct, and compliance concerns promptly and in coordination with Human Resources.
• Promote a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, equitable, and respectful environment for residents and staff, including families with children, adult families, single adults, migrants, and asylum-seeking populations, as applicable to the site.
• Ensure residents receive timely intake, assessment, service planning, Independent Living Plans, progress notes, referrals, housing services, case conferences, and discharge planning in accordance with DHS requirements.
• Oversee the quality and timeliness of CARES documentation, psychosocial assessments, ILPs, case notes, incident reports, housing packages, rosters, census reports, vacancy reports, and other required submissions.
• Monitor program performance through daily, weekly, and monthly reports and key performance indicators, including census, vacancies, documentation completion, housing placements, length of stay, recidivism, incident timeliness, training compliance, staffing vacancies, and audit results.
• Develop and implement performance improvement plans when metrics fall below expectations and report progress to Cherokee leadership and DHS.
• Ensure accurate daily census, bed management, roster reconciliation, resident sign-in/sign-out, curfew, pass, admission, transfer, and discharge processes.
• Ensure all incidents are managed, escalated, documented, investigated, and closed in accordance with DHS Incident Reporting Procedures, Enhanced Incident Management Guidelines, SIU requirements, and internal protocols.
• Maintain continuous incident readiness, including preservation of evidence, review of surveillance footage, collection of statements, case-note follow-up, corrective action, and communication with DHS and executive leadership.
• Ensure the shelter remains inspection ready at all times by conducting routine facility rounds, unit inspections, critical-file reviews, mock audits, case-record reviews, and quality assurance checks.
• Lead preparation for and response to DHS, OTDA, FDNY, DOHMH, HPD, OSHA, and other regulatory inspections, audits, monitoring visits, and corrective action requests.
• Oversee fire and life-safety compliance, emergency preparedness, evacuation planning, fire drills, emergency response, continuity of operations, and required certifications, including F-80/F-02 coverage as applicable.
• Oversee security, access control, visitor management, contraband prevention, resident and staff safety, surveillance coordination, and adherence to approved post orders and emergency protocols.
• Coordinate with building ownership, hotel management, maintenance, engineering, housekeeping, and vendors to ensure that residential units, offices, common areas, and building systems are safe, sanitary, functional, and repaired…