Housing and Employment Director

Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Opportunity for advancement

Paid time off

Vision insurance

Job summary

Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center in Chicago seeks a Housing and Employment Director to lead strategic planning, daily operations, and program delivery for housing stability and workforce development services. You will oversee multidisciplinary teams, manage budgets, and build community partnerships to help clients achieve long-term self-sufficiency.

The role emphasizes integration of housing and employment supports, policy development, and strong leadership across housing, employment, and

Responsibilities

• Strategic Oversight: Design, implement, and evaluate housing and workforce programs aligned with goals and community needs.
• Service Integration: Coordinate wraparound supports linking clients to housing, job readiness, and placement.
• Policy Development: Establish and enforce SOPs and eligibility guidelines across housing and employment teams.
• Housing Administration: Oversee shelters and housing operations ensuring safety and compliance.
• Landlord & Property Relations: Build relationships with landlords and housing authorities to expand inventory.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure adherence to fair housing laws, safety standards, and grant requirements.
• Career Pathways: Lead job readiness workshops, vocational training, resume coaching, and placement services.
• Employer Partnerships: Cultivate regional employer and workforce board relationships for pipelines and internships.
• Retention Tracking: Monitor post-placement retention and wage progression to improve training models.
• Staff Leadership: Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate case managers and housing staff.
• Professional Development: Identify staff training needs in trauma-informed care and labor market trends.
• Budget Administration: Develop and monitor budgets for housing subsidies and employment initiatives.
• Grant & Contract Compliance: Oversee reporting, billing, and audits for government and private funding.
• Outcome Reporting: Track KPIs in HMIS and present impact reports to leadership and the board.
• External Representation: Represent the organization at care continuums and workforce coalitions.
• Resource Mobilization: Collaborate on identifying funding opportunities and grant writing support.

Job description

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Opportunity for advancement
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Job Summary

The Housing and Employment Director leads the strategic planning, daily operations, and program delivery for both housing stability and workforce development services. This role oversees multidisciplinary teams, manages program budgets, and builds community partnerships to help clients achieve long-term self-sufficiency.

Duties and Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Strategy

• Strategic Oversight. Design, implement, and evaluate comprehensive housing and workforce development programs that align with organizational goals and community needs.
• Service Integration. Coordinate wraparound support systems that connect clients to permanent housing, job readiness training, and career placement simultaneously.
• Policy Development. Establish, update, and enforce operational policies, standard operating procedures, and eligibility guidelines across both departments.

Housing Operations & Compliance

• Housing Administration. Oversee emergency shelter, transitional housing, or permanent supportive housing operations to ensure safe, compliant, and well-maintained facilities.
• Landlord & Property Relations. Build and maintain relationships with local landlords, property managers, and housing authorities to expand affordable housing inventory.
• Regulatory Compliance. Ensure all housing programs adhere to federal, state, and local fair housing laws, safety standards, and grant requirements.

Employment & Workforce Development

• Career Pathways. Direct job readiness workshops, vocational training, resume coaching, and job placement services tailored to client barriers and local labor market demands.
• Employer Partnerships. Cultivate relationships with regional employers, trade unions, and workforce boards to create direct hiring pipelines and internships.
• Retention Tracking. Monitor post-placement job retention and wage progression metrics to measure program effectiveness and adjust training models.

Team Supervision & Management

• Staff Leadership. Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate case managers, housing specialists, job developers, and administrative staff.
• Professional Development. Identify staff training needs in areas like trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, and labor market trends.

Financial, Grant & Data Management

• Budget Administration. Develop, monitor, and manage departmental budgets, ensuring responsible allocation of funds across housing subsidies and employment initiatives.
• Grant & Contract Compliance. Oversee reporting, billing, and audits for government grants (such as HUD or WIOA) and private foundation funding.
• Outcome Reporting. Track key performance indicators (KPIs) using client management databases (such as HMIS) and present regular impact reports to executive leadership and the board.

Community Outreach & Advocacy

• External Representation. Represent the organization at local continuums of care, workforce development coalitions, and community meetings.
• Resource Mobilization. Collaborate with development teams to identify new funding opportunities and support grant writing efforts.