Director of Youth & Family Services

Position Title: Director of Youth & Family Services Department: Youth & Family Services Reports To: Chief Executive Officer Classification: Exempt| Fulltime Leadership Level: Senior Leadership Position Summary The Director of Youth & Family Services provides strategic, operational, and people leadership for reStart Inc.s continuum of programs serving youth, young adults, children, and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The Director is responsible for translating organizational strategy into effective program operations while ensuring services promote safety, stability, housing sustainability, increased self-sufficiency, and long-term participant success. The Director provides leadership across assigned youth and family housing, shelter, outreach, prevention, transitional, supportive service, and related programs. This position ensures programs operate effectively; leaders are developed, supported, and held accountable; resources are responsibly managed; and services remain responsive to evolving community needs, organizational priorities, partnerships, and funding opportunities. As a member of reStarts senior leadership team, the Director partners with the Chief Executive Officer and organizational leaders to strengthen program quality, operational effectiveness, workforce capacity, financial stewardship, compliance, community partnerships, and sustainable program growth. Key Responsibilities Strategic Program Leadership & Organizational Alignment Provide strategic leadership, direction, and oversight for assigned youth and family programs and services.Translate reStarts strategic priorities into measurable departmental goals, operating plans, performance expectations, and service delivery standards.Ensure programs maintain a strong focus on housing stabilization, participant well-being, self-sufficiency, and sustainable outcomes.Evaluate community needs, service trends, participant outcomes, and organizational capacity to identify opportunities for program improvement, expansion, redesign, or development.Partner with executive leadership on program strategy, organizational growth, funding opportunities, and long-term service planning.Establish consistent operating and service standards across the Youth & Family Services Department while allowing programs to respond appropriately to participant needs and applicable funding requirements.Promote continuity of care and effective coordination across reStart programs and services. Program & Operational Oversight Provide leadership oversight for the effective operation of assigned shelter, housing, outreach, prevention, transitional, and supportive service programs.Ensure appropriate systems, processes, staffing structures, and operational practices are established to support consistent service delivery.Monitor program capacity, participant flow, service utilization, staffing needs, and operational performance.Ensure programs maintain appropriate coverage and operational readiness based on service delivery requirements.Establish systems that support effective intake, assessment, service coordination, housing stabilization, transition planning, and participant follow-up.Identify operational barriers and lead the development of sustainable solutions that improve program effectiveness.Ensure departmental policies, procedures, and standard operating practices remain current and support organizational expectations. Leadership, Workforce Development & Accountability Directly supervise, coach, develop, and evaluate assigned Program Managers and other program leaders.Establish clear expectations for leadership performance, program operations, team accountability, participant services, documentation, and outcomes.Conduct regular leadership supervision, performance discussions, and departmental meetings.Develop leadership capacity by strengthening managers skills in supervision, coaching, decision-making, communication, conflict resolution, workforce planning, and operational management.Hold Program Managers accountable for effective supervision and development of the teams within their respective areas of responsibility.Partner with People & Culture on workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, team member development, employee relations, and succession planning.Monitor departmental staffing trends and recommend workforce strategies that support service continuity and organizational growth.Foster a collaborative, accountable, solution-focused culture that supports professional growth and effective service delivery.Promote cross-training and operational continuity across programs and leadership roles. Program Quality, Performance & Continuous Improvement Establish and monitor meaningful program performance indicators aligned with organizational priorities, participant outcomes, contractual expectations, and service quality.Review program and participant-level data to identify trends, measure effectiveness, and guide continuous improvement.Hold program leadership accountable for timely, accurate, complete, and professional documentation.Ensure regular quality assurance activities, including program reviews, file audits, documentation reviews, and service delivery assessments.Develop and oversee corrective action or performance improvement strategies when program standards or expected outcomes are not achieved.Promote participant feedback and other meaningful mechanisms for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of services.Use data, participant experience, and operational observations to guide programmatic decision-making.Encourage innovation and continuous improvement while maintaining appropriate internal controls and service standards. Housing Stability & Supportive Services Ensure youth and family programs maintain a participant-centered focus on resolving homelessness and supporting pathways toward stable and sustainable housing.Promote service models that recognize participants may require different levels and combinations of support based on individual circumstances, goals, available resources, and program requirements.Ensure teams appropriately connect participants with supportive services that may include, but are not limited to, housing navigation, employment and workforce resources, education and training opportunities, identification and documentation assistance, benefits navigation, healthcare and behavioral health resources, transportation, basic needs, household resources, life skills development, and community-based supports.Promote coordinated service delivery that supports participants in building stability, strengthening self-sufficiency, and maintaining housing.Ensure program practices support participant choice, dignity, personal responsibility, and meaningful engagement in service planning. Compliance, Quality Assurance & Risk Management Ensure assigned programs operate in accordance with applicable federal, state, local, contractual, licensing, funding, and organizational requirements.Maintain sufficient working knowledge of requirements applicable to assigned programs and ensure Program Managers understand and operationalize those expectations.Ensure participant eligibility documentation, assessments, service plans, case notes, program records, and required data meet established standards.Maintain departmental readiness for audits, monitoring visits, licensing reviews, funder reviews, and other compliance activities.Partner with Finance, Development, People & Culture, and program leadership to address compliance requirements and organizational risk.Ensure appropriate implementation of organizational requirements related to confidentiality, participant rights, mandatory reporting, incident reporting, crisis response, safety, and professional boundaries.Identify emerging operational or compliance risks and escalate significant concerns to executive leadership as appropriate. Financial, Grant & Resource Stewardship Provide leadership oversight for assigned program budgets and responsible utilization of organizational and program resources.Partner with Finance and program leadership to monitor expenditures, financial performance, allowable costs, and budget-to-actual performance.Ensure program resources are utilized responsibly and in alignment with organizational priorities and applicable funding requirements.Collaborate with Development, Finance, and program leaders to support grant applications, renewals, reports, monitoring activities, and funding opportunities.Provide programmatic information, outcomes, operational context, and other documentation needed to support funding requests and reporting.Evaluate the operational and workforce implications of new funding opportunities before implementation.Support responsible program growth by balancing community need, service quality, workforce capacity, compliance, and financial sustainability. Community Partnerships & Systems Leadership Represent reStart in community planning efforts, committees, collaborative initiatives, and partnerships related to youth and family homelessness and supportive services.Develop and maintain productive relationships with community organizations, educational institutions, healthcare providers, behavioral health organizations, workforce partners, housing providers, funders, government entities, and other stakeholders.Identify partnership opportunities that expand participant access to resources and strengthen the continuum of care.Promote reStarts reputation as a trusted, collaborative, and solutions-focused community partner.Participate in community conversations and systems-level initiatives that improve access to housing and supportive resources.Ensure external partnerships align with organizational priorities, participant needs, and reStarts mission. Cross-Departmental Collaboration & Organizational Leadership Collaborate with leaders across Adult Services, Clinical Services, Operations, Development, Finance, People & Culture, and other organizational functions to strengthen coordinated service delivery.Promote effective internal referral pathways and continuity of care across reStart programs.Participate actively in organizational leadership meetings, strategic planning, and agency-wide initiatives.Communicate departmental priorities, risks, accomplishments, resource needs, and performance trends to executive leadership.Support organizational change initiatives and help teams successfully navigate evolving priorities, structures, and service needs.Perform other duties as assigned in support of organizational priorities and mission delivery. Qualifications & Experience Education Bachelors degree in Social Work, Human Services, Psychology, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, Organizational Leadership, or a related field required.Masters degree in Social Work, Human Services, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, or a related field preferred.Relevant professional certification or licensure may be preferred or required based on organizational or program needs. Experience Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in human services, housing, homelessness services, youth services, family services, behavioral health, community-based programming, or a related field.Demonstrated experience supervising managers, program leaders, or multidisciplinary teams strongly preferred.Demonstrated experience overseeing multiple programs, funding sources, partnerships, or complex service operations.Experience developing, implementing, evaluating, or expanding programs and services.Demonstrated ability to interpret and operationalize contractual, regulatory, funding, and organizational requirements.Experience utilizing program data, performance measures, and outcomes to guide decision-making and continuous improvement.Working knowledge of trauma-informed, participant-centered, housing-focused, and strengths-based service approaches.Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills.Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and ability to effectively utilize electronic case management, reporting, and organizational technology systems.Valid drivers license, current automobile insurance, and reliable transportation.Must successfully complete required background screening and pre-employment requirements. Core Competencies Strategic Program LeadershipOperational ManagementPeople Leadership & DevelopmentHousing-Focused Service DeliveryProgram Quality & Continuous ImprovementCompliance & Risk ManagementFinancial & Resource StewardshipData-Informed Decision-MakingCommunity Partnership DevelopmentOrganizational CommunicationChange LeadershipProblem SolvingProfessional JudgmentRelationship BuildingCollaborationAdaptabilityAccountability Work Environment & Physical Requirements Primarily operates in program, shelter, housing, community, and office environments based on organizational and participant needs.Regular presence across assigned programs and agency locations is expected.Ability to travel between reStart locations and throughout the community for meetings, program activities, partnerships, training, and organizational responsibilities.Work may involve interaction with participants experiencing crisis, housing instability, or other complex circumstances.Ability to respond effectively and professionally in dynamic or time-sensitive situations.Frequent walking, standing, sitting, bending, and reaching may be required.Ability to lift up to 25 pounds on an occasional basis.Availability outside of standard business hours may be required based on program operations, emergencies, organizational events, or leadership responsibilities. reStart Inc. Core Values & Attributes All reStart Inc. team members are expected to demonstrate: Mission Commitment: Demonstrates a commitment to reStart's mission of empowering people, ending homelessness, and inspiring hope.Integrity: Models honesty, accountability, professionalism, confidentiality, and ethical decision-making.Collaboration: Builds positive relationships with team members, leaders, participants, and community partners to achieve shared goals.Compassion: Demonstrates empathy, respect, and professionalism in every interaction.Solution-Focused Mindset: Approaches challenges with initiative, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous improvement.Excellence: Delivers high-quality work, maintains attention to detail, and contributes to operational excellence throughout the organization.