Director of Resident Services, NYC Housing Initiative

The Director of Resident Services, NYC Housing Initiative will plan and oversee delivery of social services for seniors living at Ingersoll and Crotona Senior Residences, two new affordable senior properties in Brooklyn and the Bronx, and other properties to be developed in future. The person in this position will hire and supervise Care Managers, who provide information/referral and direct services to formerly homeless and other resident seniors with higher levels of need. They will also collaborate with SAGE and with external providers to offer on-site programs and activities that promote health, wellness, and a vibrant community.

Reports to: Chief Program Officer

Status: Full-time; Exempt

About SAGE:

For 40 years, SAGE has worked tirelessly on behalf of LGBTQ+ older people. Building off the momentum of the Stonewall uprising and the emerging LGBTQ+ civil rights movement, a group of activists came together to ensure that LGBTQ+ older people could age with respect and dignity. SAGE formed a network of support for LGBTQ+ elders that’s still going and growing today. SAGE is more than just an organization. It’s a movement of loving, caring activists dedicated to providing advocacy, services, and support to older members of the LGBTQ+ community. A 2014 report by the Equal Rights Center found that 48 percent of older same-sex couples applying for senior housing were subjected to some form of housing discrimination. In 2015, SAGE launched the National LGBTQ+ Elder Housing Initiative to address these issues. In 2017, SAGE was selected as the provider of social services for two new senior housing properties, Ingersoll Senior Residences in Brooklyn, and Crotona Senior Residences in the Bronx, both scheduled to open in 2019.

The Opportunity:

SAGE will be operating SAGE Centers on the ground floor of affordable senior housing properties, offering a comprehensive array of unique services and holistic programs related to arts and culture, fitness, food and nutrition, health and wellness, and lifelong education for seniors. The Director of Resident Services will work closely with Center staff and Care Managers to refer resident seniors to appropriate services and programs, as well as supervising the Care Managers who support those with higher levels of need, including formerly homeless residents and others, requiring higher level medical or behavioral supports. SAGE Centers are designed to be programmatically and culturally welcoming to LGBTQ+ older adults, who may live at the apartment community or in the surrounding neighborhoods. The Centers at Ingersoll and Crotona will serve a broader population, and a primary goal for the Centers at Ingersoll and Crotona is to create an open, welcoming and integrated community for all Center members. The Resident Services Director and staff will play key roles in creating and maintaining this positive community environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Develop effective programs, services and policies, related to services for low-income elders in senior housing, with measurable performance and outcomes
Assess resident needs, and develops strategic and operational plans for the delivery of supportive services and programs through the coordination of community resources that enhance resident quality of life
Create and maintains a collaborative working relationship with the property operations staff (property management, maintenance, etc.) who regularly interact with residents to collect rent, maintain apartments and common spaces, and ensure safe and secure conditions for all
Ensure commencement and maintenance of on-site programming via internal or external providers, ensuring that each site offers a comprehensive array of unique services and holistic programs, including and not limited to arts and culture, fitness, food and nutrition, health and wellness, and lifelong education
Serve as central agency contact for projects related to SAGE’s Housing programs led by other internal SAGE partners, such as External Affairs, Operations, etc. Provide guidance as requested, including and not limited to relocation and other long-term planning
Collaborate with SAGE Centers and other organizations to bring essential services and supports to resident seniors, and to create an effective referral network
Hire, lead, manage, organize training of, and inspire the Care Management Team assigned to senior housing
Develop and manages budgets that are consistent with public and private funder expectations
Provide regular quantitative and qualitative progress reports
Provide other support to the Housing programs and to SAGE as needed

First-Year Accomplishments/Expectations:

Engage with NYC agencies, including and not limited to the Department for the Aging. to ensure that procedures and criteria for homeless and affordable tenant applicants are appropriate or LGBTQ+-friendly elder housing
In collaboration with Human Resources and Finance, develop staffing plans to best support the needs of residents to maintain housing, within contractual parameters
Develop and implement initial and ongoing training programs for staff, to maximize their development and effectiveness with participants
Finalize policies and procedures guiding the supportive services management and governance of the tenant and landlord relationship
Identify and establish relationships with specific community resources and services, to form an effective referral network for residents.
Collaborate with SAGE’s Operations Director to ensure a successful opening and move in of the resident services and SAGE Senior Centers.

Professional Experience/Qualifications:

Master’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Education, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, or a related field; NYSED Licensure preferred
Ability to maintain the “big picture” of success for the completion of NYC Housing projects that will ensure long-term delivery of quality resident services, contemporaneously with maintaining the perspectives of participants, as well as staff at all levels
Demonstrated project management ability, involving complex and unpredictable variables
Demonstrated managerial acumen and experience over programs of a similar type or size
Experience in affordable and/or permanent supportive housing operations with formerly homeless populations
Strong organizational skills with a demonstrated track record of collaboration, leading and influencing the progress of complex progress towards goal across an organization.
Knowledge of government, nonprofit, and community social service programs serving low-income adults in New York City
Ability to define Key Performance Indicators and measure outcomes
Highly organized; adept problem solver
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Demonstrated commitment to SAGE mission and values

Work Environment/Travel: This position is based in a professional office environment, using standard office equipment. Occasional travel to program sites may be necessary per business necessity.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand and walk, and to use hands and arms to reach or handle various items.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: Executive, exempt position. Days and hours of work are generally Monday through Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm, with one hour of unpaid lunch/break time.

Location: Ingersoll (Brooklyn) and Crotona (Bronx) Senior Residences; SAGE’s headquarters in Midtown Manhattan

Compensation: Competitive salary. SAGE offers a competitive benefits package as well as an exciting and unique work environment.

How to Apply: Please email your cover letter and resume to careers@sageusa.org with “Director of Resident Services” in the subject line. No phone calls.

Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted until position is filled.