Assistant Division Manager (Homelessness Response Division)

City of San Jose; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

City of San José Housing Department seeks an experienced Assistant Division Manager to lead the Homelessness Response Division, overseeing a 29-person team, contract management, and performance reporting. The role drives interim housing, outreach, and system improvements in a dynamic city environment.

Under the Deputy Director and Division Manager, the candidate will implement strategies to reduce unsheltered homelessness, align with regional plans, and ensure equitable service delivery across

Qualifications

• Knowledge of homelessness strategies and City approaches.
• Experience managing shelter, outreach or human services programs.
• Experience leading large, multi-disciplinary teams and community engagement.

Responsibilities

• Implement collaborative solutions and division operations.
• Coordinate homeless programs with City departments and external partners.
• Lead efforts to meet regional homelessness goals with measurable objectives.
• Ensure equity, inclusion, and belonging in service delivery.
• Oversee contract management, audits, data collection and reporting.
• Monitor division budget and align resources with outcomes.
• Mentor division staff overseeing shelter portfolio, programs and outreach.
• Develop program evaluations for continuous improvement.
• Prepare memoranda and presentations for City leaders.

Skills

Homelessness knowledge

Shelter portfolio management

Human services program management

Team leadership & collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in architecture, planning, public or business administration or related field

Job description

The City of San José’s Housing Department’s mission is to strengthen and to revitalize the community through housing and neighborhood investments. The Housing Department has a budget of $251M, approximately 128 FTEs, funded over 21,000 affordable units and incentive over 3,000 market-rate units, oversees the Rent Stabilization Program providing administrative oversight to over 96,000 units, and is implementing innovative programs to achieve housing abundance, while striving to bring unsheltered homelessness in San Jose to functional zero through the implementation of an expansive shelter system comprising of over 2,000 units owned and operated by the City of San Jose, and achieving throughput to permanent housing.

The Housing Department is currently seeking to fill one (1) full-time Assistant Division Manager (Classification: Housing Policy and Planning Administrator) vacancy in the Homelessness Response Division.

The salary range for this classification is: $154,709.10 - $193,880.96.

This salary range includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

The Assistant Division Manager role reports directly to the Division Manager and oversees the day-to-day operations of the City’s Homelessness Response Division. Under the guidance and direction of the Deputy Director and Division Manager, the role is responsible for leading a significant portfolio of homeless programs and services, including managing interim housing, safe parking, and outreach. The selected candidate will manage a division of 29 full-time employees and oversee contract management, auditing, and compliance reporting related to city, county, regional, state, and federal funding sources.

The selected candidate will:

• Implement collaborative solutions, regular division operations, and ongoing system improvements in a dynamic environment.
• Operationalize homeless programs in coordination with City departments, including the City Manager’s Office, Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement, Environmental Services, Parks and Recreation, City of San Jose Police Department, Public Works, and the City Attorney’s Office
• Lead the City’s efforts to achieve the goals in the regional strategic framework, the Community Plan to End Homelessness, and align these efforts with clear, measurable objectives and key results so that homelessness becomes rare, brief, and non-recurring.
• Ensure that all programs advance the City’s equity, inclusion, and belonging priorities while also providing leadership in implementing these values in service delivery
• Collaborate with the Grants Division to manage contracts and performance metrics for nonprofits and service providers, including overseeing audits, data collection, and reporting obligations
• Assist in tracking the division’s budget, aligning financial resources with program outcomes
• Mentor and lead Division staff in providing shelter portfolio, program and outreach services oversight
• Oversee the development of program evaluations to ensure program effectiveness, continuously identifying opportunities for improvement
• Partner and collaborate within the Department and across the City, contributing to the City Focus Area of Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness.
• Proactively identify and solve potential operational issues, working closely with internal teams and external service providers
• Contribute to the drafting of City Council, Committee, and Commission memorandums and presentations
• Support presentations to the City Council, its committees, and other public forums, as necessary

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in architecture, planning, public or business administration or related field.

Experience:

Five (5) years of professional analytic or professional administrative experience which includes at least two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in housing, development, or redevelopment.

Acceptable Substitution:

Additional related experience may be substituted for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Required Licensing:

Possession of a valid State of California driver's license.

Form 700 Requirement:

This position requires a disclosure of outside investments, real property interest, income, and business positions. You must complete and file an “Assuming Office Form 700” with the City Clerk’s Office within the first 30 days of employment with the office.

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Job Expertise -

• Knowledge of the City’s approaches to addressing homelessness
• Experience managing the City’s Shelter Portfolio or Outreach programs and/or similar programs
• Experience managing human services programs, shelters, or similar programs
• Experience managing complex teams and community engagement, ideally on dynamic or contentious issues

Collaboration -

Develops networks and builds alliances; engages in cross-functional activities.

Initiative -

Exhibits resourceful behaviors toward meeting job objectives; anticipates problems, is proactive, and avoids difficulties by planning ahead; displays willingness to assume extra responsibility and challenges; pursues continuing education opportunities that promotes job performance.

Multi-Tasking -

Can handle multiple projects and responsibilities simultaneously; has handled a wide variety of assignments in past and/or current position(s).

Political Skill -

In taking action, demonstrates an understanding and consideration of how it will impact stakeholders and affected areas in the organization.

Problem Solving -

Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome. Aware of trauma informed decision making and programmatic design principles to assist unhoused residents.

Supervision -

Sets effective long and short-term goals based on a good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources; provides motivational support; empowers others; assigns decision-making and work functions to others in an appropriate manner to maximize organizational and individual effectiveness.

Communication Skills -

Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Selection Process:

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered, or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Ellesia Janto at [e-mail]. The deadline to submit your application is Friday, October 23, 2026 at 11:59 PM.