SUPPORTIVE HOUSING COMMUNITIES (SHC)
Chief Executive Officer – Position Description
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Location: Administrative Offices at the Children and Family Services Center, 601 E. Fifth Street, Suite 255, Charlotte, NC 28202
Reports To: Board of Directors
Organizational Overview
Mission
The mission of Supportive Housing Communities is to provide affordable housing to alleviate homelessness and human suffering.
Vision
SHC’s vision is to develop and operate permanent supportive housing for men, women and families overcoming homelessness, especially veterans and those with mental illness, substance abuse, and medical or other disabling conditions.
Community and Residents
SHC is a leader in Charlotte for ending homelessness. While pioneering the concept of providing permanent supportive housing to homeless people with disabilities, the agency maintains a 97% success rate of keeping residents in stable housing.
SHC goals include assisting residents in obtaining/remaining in permanent housing, encouraging residents to increase skills and/or find employment, fostering self-sufficiency and improving self-image, and supporting recovery and wellness. SHC serves formerly homeless people with at least one disability. SHC residents must earn (through employment or earned benefits) less than 30% of area median income and contribute 30% of their income, if any, toward rent. All residents are homeless at the time of entry, with 82% being chronically homeless last fiscal year. SHC provides supportive housing to more than 300 residents on a budget of over $4 million.
Programs
- McCreesh Place is the home to 90 formerly homeless men and women. Opening its doors in 2003, McCreesh Place was Charlotte’s first permanent supportive housing complex. McCreesh Place is a recovery-based housing model and the community includes programs to support recovery. At McCreesh Place, the community makes all the difference and proves that recovery within community works.
- Scattered Site Housing provides residents safe homes in the community and SHC advocates on behalf of the residents and promotes positive relationships with landlords.
- John’s Place is a 32-unit apartment building purchased in July 2017 to create more affordable apartments for chronically homeless individuals and families living with disabilities.
- Project for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program focuses on providing street outreach to adults living in outside locations such as streets, camps, wooded areas, etc.
For more information about SHC visit supportivehousingcommunities.org.
The Opportunity
At a time when all eyes are on affordable housing in the Greater Charlotte region, SHC has taken significant strides forward to increase access for people in need. The organization has onboarded several new assets and programs in recent years, increasing its scale and impact. Following the transformational, decade-long tenure of a retiring leader, the new Chief Executive Officer is taking the reins of a growing agency with a compassionate team driven to meet the need for permanent supportive housing in the Queen City.
The Role
The CEO will be a visionary leader with excellent fundraising, administrative operations, relationship-building, and advocacy skills. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO is responsible for overall leadership and operations of Supportive Housing Communities including personnel, finances, program growth and development, communication, fundraising and management of overall operations. SHC has experienced significant growth in recent years and the new CEO will continue growth and sustainability in conjunction with staff, Board and key stakeholders. Key responsibilities include:
Strategic Management and Leadership
- Serves as a strategic, visionary leader with the ability to transparently communicate goals and vision to staff, Board and key stakeholders.
- Oversees all operations of the agency, working in partnership with the Board of Directors and the appropriate committees.
- Establishes a clear vision for continued growth and expansion for SHC.
- Works closely with development, design, and oversight of program growth and expansion approved by the Board.
- Provide direct supervision of Accounting Manager, Director of Development, Chief Operating Officer, Accounting Manager and outside accounting firm. Oversees all SHC personnel.
Board Relations
- Communicates regularly with the Board and engages the Board in meaningful participation to further SHC goals.
- Maintains an effective and collaborative relationship with the board and implements policies, programs and goals as established by the Board.
- Works with members of the Board to help identify and onboard new members to further advance the SHC mission.
Community Building and Public Relations
- Serves as the lead spokesperson and relationship-builder in the community. Initiates and strengthens relationships and collaborations with organizations and leaders connected to SHC mission and goals.
- Develops collaborative relationships with other service agencies, including the government and faith communities and other entities.
- Expands public and community awareness; representing the agency to the community, including the media.
- Participates in community strategic planning to maximize community resources while maintaining vision and mission of the organization.
- Oversees production of annual report and periodic newsletters.
Fundraising and Resource Development
- Maintains relationships with major donors of the organization.
- Explores ways for Supportive Housing Communities to gain support and resources.
- Manages grants and reporting requirements; providing necessary documentation.
- Cultivates trusting positive relationships with philanthropic foundations, corporations, individual donors, faith-based organizations, and city, county, federal, and state government to support growth of the organization.
Financial Management
- Ensures that financial records are organized and maintained in partnership with the Board of Directors.
- Identifies outside financial management resources.
- Approves requisitions and ensures ethical accounting standards are followed by implementing
- effective checks and balances.
- Works with the Finance Committee and Board of Directors in maintaining monthly and annual financial/status reports on activities of the agency.
- Manages the yearly budget process involving SHC staff.
- Ensures fiscal stability. Develops and oversees annual budget after approval by Board of Directors.
Human Resources Oversight
- Holds regular staff meetings. Provides coaching and encouragement to staff, fostering a cohesive, positive team culture working effectively to support SHC mission and goals.
- Approves job descriptions and job duties.
- Is ultimately responsible for the hiring of employees but may incorporate the help of supervising staff and/or board members.
- Develops and implements annual salary administration plan within parameters defined by the Board of Directors.
- Identifies and implements insurance coverage and other employee benefits.
- Oversees annual performance reviews and maintains written records in personnel file as required by law.
Internal Policy
- Oversees the development, updates, and distribution of internal policy and procedures.
- Oversees daily operations to ensure staff members employ effective procedures.
Program Oversight
- Maintains and revises programs of Supportive Housing Communities with input from COO, staff and Board.
- Oversees eligibility guidelines and program requirements employing evidence-based client centered models.
- With the COO, oversees a system that monitors program outcomes.
- Regularly meets with residents and ensures that residents are treated fairly within the social work code of ethics and confidentiality law.
- Creates an environment that is supportive of the residents, staff, community, Board and volunteers.
Maintenance and Property Management
- Works with the COO to assure effective operations, building maintenance and routine inspections.
Performs other job duties as requested by the Board of Directors and committee chairs, within the scope of the position.
Required Qualifications & Competencies
The ideal candidate will have the following capabilities and qualities:
- A demonstrated commitment to the SHC mission and the community in which it serves.
- Ability to facilitate the mission of the organization and provide staff supervision while working in a nonprofit environment.
- Ability to serve as a strategic visionary leader with a demonstrated track record as a change manager with excellent fundraising, administrative operations, financial management, program growth and development, relationship-building, and advocacy skills.
- Fluent, cogent, oral and written communication skills, and the ability to present formally to senior management, Boardroom audiences, staff, residents, HUD, City of Charlotte and the community.
- Ability to fundraise with sound knowledge of grant and contract writing, special events, direct mail, corporate giving, endowment programs and other relevant forms of development.
- Previous experience in engaging Board relations, developing policies, goals and objectives (optimizing the inherent resources of board members) and onboarding and training new members.
- Creative and compassionate attitude towards serving the homeless/formerly homeless population, with an ability to define win-win parameters on behalf of the agency and residents.
- Integrity and well-defined principles, practical business instincts and the ability to adapt to corporate and nonprofit environments.
- Master’s level degree required; and ten years of progressive leadership experience in field of low-income housing and/or homeless services or equivalent in human services.
To Apply
Supportive Housing Communities has partnered with Next Stage to help in this hire. All inquiries, nominations and applications should be directed via email to Next Stage (search@nextstage-consulting.com). Applications must include a compelling cover letter and CV to be considered for the role. Please also indicate where you learned of the opportunity. Please note that only those candidates invited for screening will be contacted. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.
Supportive Housing Communities provides equal employment opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, creed, age, sex, religion, disability, nationality, or sexual orientation, and promotes the full realization of this policy through a positive, continuing program of affirmative action.
About Next Stage
Next Stage is a strategy and implementation firm based in Charlotte, NC and serving nonprofit organizations and social cause start-ups throughout the Carolinas. Next Stage works with nonprofit organizations to develop game-changing strategies and strengthened operations in service to mission and long-range vision. For more information about Next Stage, please visit nextstage-consulting.com.