About Glide
GLIDE is a nationally recognized center for social justice, dedicated to fighting systemic injustices, creating pathways out of poverty and crisis, and transforming lives. Through its integrated services, advocacy initiatives, and inclusive community, GLIDE empowers individuals, families, and children to achieve stability and to thrive. GLIDE is on the forefront of addressing some of society’s most pressing issues, including poverty, housing and homelessness, and racial and social justice. GLIDE’s mission is to create a radically inclusive, just, and loving community mobilized to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization.
Position Summary:
The Director of Journey Home oversees all facets of GLIDE’s Journey Home program, founded to support individuals experiencing (or at risk of experiencing) homelessness on their journey to housing stability. In this role, you will direct strategy implementation, community outreach, low-threshold case management oversight, mobile services vans, data collection, impact reporting, contract compliance, and community relations. You will provide operational leadership to the entire Journey Home team as it helps individuals transition out of homelessness toward housing stability and overall well-being.Your team will provide high-quality case management for coordinated care that ensures clients are treated with dignity, compassion, and unconditional love as they transition home.
The Director oversees managers and supervising case managers, community partnerships, and vendors to coordinate workflows and client services across GLIDE’s welcome center, clinicians, substance abuse counselors, ambassadors, and other programs. This role is responsible for achieving client outcomes, driving continuous improvement, and managing budgets and contract KPIs. Success in this role hinges on effective leadership, strategic oversight, operational excellence, the ability to work with staff from a variety of lived experience backgrounds, and a commitment to data-driven practices that elevate client outcomes.
This operational leader ensures that all programs align with GLIDE’s mission of radical inclusivity, unconditional love, and social justice—delivering compassionate, trauma-informed, and equity-based services that uplift San Francisco’s most marginalized communities. Must be able to work nights and weekends on occasion when community or operational needs require it. Must serve as an emergency response worker.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Direct all facets of GLIDE’s Journey Home program, including strategy implementation, community outreach, operations, mobile services, data collection, impact reporting, contract compliance, and community relations. Oversee daily operations and ensure contract deliverables, data reporting standards, and regulatory requirements are met. Oversee 24/7 operational readiness, ensuring appropriate staffing, coverage, and emergency response protocols.Develop and implement multi-year strategies that advance stabilization, relocation, and reunification for unhoused residents; facilitate operational alignment and coordinated care between Journey Home and key partner programs like GLIDE Ambassadors, GLIDE Welcome Center, SFHOT, DEM, SFPD, SFFD, and other community groups and programs to ensure coordinated care for the best client outcomes. Represent GLIDE in high-level collaborations with City departments (DPH, HSH, OEM, SFPD, etc.), community-based organizations, and neighborhood coalitions.Develop a professional network of Journey home partner agencies and programs to ensure other community organizations are supported.Supervise, mentor, and evaluate directors/managers/supervising case managers, community partnerships, and vendors, fostering professional development and accountability.Establish clear protocols and systems for outreach coordination, crisis de-escalation, client referrals, and field safety. Champion equity, inclusion, and trauma-informed approaches across all engagement and crisis response activities.Manage multi-million-dollar budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility and resource optimization, support grant proposal development, funder reports, and public presentations on impact and outcomes.Lead the integration of client engagement workflows across programs to improve data sharing, follow-up, and service coordination; utilize performance metrics, outcome data, and client feedback to drive continuous improvement. Partner with internal departments (e.g., Compliance, HR, Finance, Facilities, and Communications) to strengthen efficiency and accountability.Implement training and professional development programs that reinforce trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, crisis management, and client-centered results.Build and sustain partnerships with public agencies, funders, and civic stakeholders to expand GLIDE’s role in coordinated neighborhood care. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in social work, public administration, psychology, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred). Advanced clinical or operations certification preferred.Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including 5 years in program or department-level management within social services, crisis response, or community engagement settings.Proven track record of leading large multidisciplinary teams in high-pressure environments.Experience managing contracts, budgets, and partnerships with government and community agencies.Deep understanding of homelessness systems, crisis response frameworks, and trauma-informed care.Skilled in staff development, organizational systems, and performance management.Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills; adept at building trust across diverse communities.Commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice.Flexible, compassionate, and grounded leader able to operate effectively in dynamic, community-centered environments. Core Competencies: Mission Alignment: Embodies GLIDE’s core values of radical inclusivity, unconditional love, and transformation.Leadership Excellence: Inspires high-performing teams through authenticity, accountability, and care.Systems Thinking: Integrates multiple program streams into a unified strategic approach.Emotional Intelligence: Leads with empathy, transparency, and composure during crises.Community Partnership: Acts as a trusted liaison between GLIDE and San Francisco’s neighborhoods. Computer Skills: Proficient in the use of a computer, specifically MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).Experience with database management. Salesforce a plus but not required. Work Environment: This position is based at GLIDE’s Ellis Street campus with frequent engagement across neighborhood and field settings.Must be available for occasional evening and weekend coverage during emergency activations or public events. Physical Requirements: Ability to work on a computer and see details of objects at close range. Ability to hear within normal range, and communicate effectively (in person, telephone or Zoom). Finger dexterity and the ability to use all standard office equipment. Sit or stand comfortably; and the ability to navigate throughout office spaces (via elevator or stairs). Ability to move about the organization and community as needed. Ability to move quickly to address emergency or potentially dangerous situations. Clients have occasionally become physically threatening which require employees be mobile.Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Additional Information I have read this job description and fully understand the requirements and expectations set forth therein.
I hereby accept the position and agree to abide by GLIDE’s established policies and procedures. I also confirm I can perform the identified essential functions and expectations (without the need for any ADA accommodations).
Compensation This is a full-time (40 hour/week) Exempt position
