ORGANIZATIONAL SUMMARY

Since 1982, the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County (CFTH) has been successfully uniting partners and maximizing resources to move people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing with supportive services so that everyone in our community can have a safe place to call home. CFTH has received recognition as one of the nation's most successful and effective Homeless Response System (HRS) lead agencies that, along with its more than 100 other community partners, has transformed our city and surrounding counties by decreasing homelessness by more than 60% since 2011

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Public Affairs leads the strategic growth and development of future re-housing initiatives and goals by providing guidance and subject matter expertise to senior leadership on legislative policies and practices; serves as the CFTH’s liaison with local government leaders and agencies; organizes advocacy efforts to protect and advance the rights of people experiencing homelessness; cultivates and fosters community engagement; develops public-private partnerships with the business community; and leads engagement with adjacent systems (e.g. healthcare, criminal justice, etc.) to unlock additional funding and services for the homeless response system.  This Houston-based role reports directly to the Vice President of Strategic Planning and has two or more direct reports.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Work locally and nationally to build partnerships with governmental leaders, private stakeholders, community members, and homeless response system partners.
• Identify new creative strategies to foster community support for the homeless response system, build awareness, and educate system partners on the importance of housing as the solution to homelessness. 
• Recommend legislative solutions to protect and advance the rights of people experiencing homelessness.
• Collaborate with adjacent systems such as healthcare, criminal justice, workforce development, and child welfare to strengthen access to resources and services.
• Serve as CFTH and TWH CoC’s representative on community boards, planning groups, advisory committees, and public events to advance the rights of persons experiencing homelessness and the ability of homeless service providers to offer sufficient and effective services.
• Develop strategic communications that outline the needs of the homeless response system, the value of investment in housing and services, and the shared benefits of partnerships.
• Keep the CFTH executive team advised on the progress of partnership development, potential issues, obstacles, conflicts, or challenges. When barriers are identified, negotiate with stakeholders to keep progress on track.
• Provide a framework for evaluating legislative and community engagement activities in relation to consultants and CFTH-driven work.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• Minimum of four (4) years of direct people leadership experience.
• Understanding of federal, state, and local governmental funding mechanisms and resources.

 PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE

• Experience and knowledge of working in the homelessness and/or housing sectors.
• Strong understanding of community development principles, urban planning, affordable housing sector, healthcare, and local government processes.
• Knowledge of nonprofit and public committee governance structures, parliamentary procedures, and systems thinking.
• Experience managing boards and workgroups, including directing and coordinating the group's work.
• Knowledge of available social services in TWH CoC and how to access them.
• Knowledge and experience in cross-system coordination.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

• Ability to leverage influence to uphold high performance and ethical integrity standards across projects.
• Ability to motivate and empower team members with the autonomy and resources needed for innovative problem-solving.
• Ability to plan, execute, and oversee projects to completion, ensuring objectives are met within the allocated timeframe.
• Ability to build and maintain productive partnerships, foster a positive team environment, and ensure client-centered service delivery.
• Ability to identify challenges, analyze potential solutions, and implement effective strategies to address issues as they arise.
• Ability to implement strategies to ensure accuracy and completeness in all aspects of work, from data analysis to project management and communication.
• Ability to engage with colleagues, clients, and partners with a consistently positive and respectful demeanor, fostering productive and supportive relationships.
• Strong communication skills, including group facilitation skills and the ability to communicate verbally and in writing with diverse constituencies. 

COMPETITIVE BENEFITS

• CFTH pays 80% of Employee Only Health, Vision, and Dental Insurance Plan
• 401 K Matching with no vesting period
• Free Parking in a covered garage with valet parking
• 15 Days of General Leave in first Year 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 

CFTH is an equal-opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. CFTH makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.