Program Director

Breaking Ground; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Breaking Ground in New York is seeking a Program Director, Permanent Housing and Tenant Success Services to provide strategic, clinical, and operational oversight for a trauma-informed, housing-first program transitioning individuals from shelter into permanent housing.

You will lead a multidisciplinary team, ensure high-quality services, support tenant engagement, and collaborate with property management and external partners while upholding regulatory requirements and program budgets.

Qualifications

• NYS Licensed LMSW or LCSW required.
• Minimum 5 years of supervisory experience.
• Experience in supportive housing or similar settings strongly preferred.
• Thorough clinical understanding of Housing First, Harm Reduction, and related models.
• Crisis intervention experience and incident management ability.
• Ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and staff.
• Proficiency with MS Office; familiarity with Access databases.

Responsibilities

• Oversee case management, tenant services, and administrative support staff.
• Provide supervision meetings and performance management for direct reports.
• Implement housing-first and trauma-informed care practices.
• Ensure compliance with contracts, regulations, and internal guidelines.
• Support staff in de-escalation and crisis response.
• Coordinate care with multiple service providers and external partners.
• Manage program budget and reporting responsibilities.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Housing First

Harm Reduction

Crisis intervention

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Budget management

Incident management

Staff support and supervision

Team leadership

Trauma-informed care

Education

MSW (Master of Social Work)

LMSW or LCSW license

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams)

Access databases

Job description

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, Programs, the Program Director, Permanent Housing and Tenant Success Services, for LOCATION provides strategic, clinical, and operational oversight for a supportive housing program serving individuals transitioning from shelter into permanent housing. The Program Director provides oversight of day-to-day operations and a multidisciplinary team, ensuring high-quality, trauma-informed services that support housing stability and tenant engagement. They establish program structure, foster collaboration across teams, and support a strong, community-oriented environment.

The Program Director utilizes a trauma informed and harm reduction approach to provide case management and social services support to tenants with long histories of homelessness, serious mental illness, substance use, etc. These critical support services help individuals and families to make the successful transition from homelessness and support long term housing stability.

This position is full-time and in-person, generally Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, with flexibility as needed to support program operations across sites.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Successful oversight and performance management of case management, tenant services, and administrative supportive staff, providing regular, structured supervision meetings for direct reports
• Ensure successful tenant success services, implementing “light touch” case management provided by Housing Retention Specialists for participating tenants during their first year
• Responsible for implementing supervisory strategies, and systems of accountability to ensure that staff have adequate support, guidance, and oversight at all times
• Promote effective strategies for case management and tenant services, following Housing First, Harm Reduction, Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), Motivational Interviewing and trauma-informed care models of practice
• Manage adherence to program contracts, regulatory requirements, and internal guidelines, ensuring all performance targets and service delivery benchmarks are consistently met
• Provide support and guidance staff in managing difficult situations and successfully de-escalating conflict
• Responsible for incident management including implementing effective strategies to help prevent incidents; following all policies, protocols, and best practices for managing an incident when it occurs; developing appropriate follow-up plans; and ensuring the timely and accurate reporting internally and externally as required
• Promote housing stability by supporting tenant engagement, lease compliance, and collaborate with property management on arrears, inspections, and recertifications
• Oversee development and implementation of individual service plans; ensure documentation of client contact and progress is comprehensive and timely
• Coordinate delivery of care with multiple service providers
• Maintain strong, collaborative relationships with external partners, including service partners, government representatives, community stakeholders, hospital personnel, and other agencies to ensure responsive and effective service planning and program operations
• Responsible fiscal management of the program budget
• Perform other duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• NYS Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW) or LCSW required
• Minimum 5 years of supervisory experience
• Experience working in supportive housing or similar settings, and with homeless or formerly homeless populations strongly preferred
• Thorough clinical understanding of relevant service delivery concepts and structures including Housing First, client centered motivational interviewing, Harm Reduction models, behavioral and medical health systems, and the ability to access and negotiate the full range of services for recipients
• Experience with crisis intervention, including risk assessments and incident management
• Ability to work successfully with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated success in working in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities
• Ability to delegate and motivate staff to achieve deliverables
• Ability to communicate (verbally and written) with diverse populations and stakeholders
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite programs including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Microsoft Teams; Familiarity with Access-based databases and the ability to learn new programs are required
• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred