Consultant / Project Lead

COMPANY OVERVIEW  Company Mission and Services  Focus Strategies is a national consulting firm based on the West Coast dedicated to helping communities improve efforts to end homelessness through community-based planning informed by local data and national best practices. For more than 20 years, we have provided consulting to jurisdictional and community leadership in communities across the country in their efforts to reduce homelessness.   We are dedicated to partnering with communities through strategic consulting and technical assistance to design and implement housing-focused, equity-informed, and person-centered solutions that reduce homelessness. We are committed to working with our clients to understand their community’s need, including the experience and dynamics of homelessness in the region as well as the unique strengths and challenges of existing strategies. Together, we partner with our clients to develop programs, map strategic action plans, identify policy solutions, and evaluate efforts to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.    POSITION SUMMARY   Position: Consultant / Project Lead  Location: Remote, United States (preferably California or West Coast)  Reports to: Principal Associate  Status: Full-time, 40 hours/week, exempt  Compensation: $95,000-$125,000 (most candidates join us at the lower half of the range to leave room for growth, learning, and development; we negotiate actual salaries with final candidates based on experience in similar roles and expertise related to qualifications)  Time off & benefits: Paid time off (vacation, sick time, and 10 holidays), 401(k) with 4% salary match and profit sharing, generous benefits (health, dental, and vision), flexible spending plans, short and long-term disability insurance, and $50 per month reimbursement for phone, internet, and office supplies  Required: Must reside in the United States and provide proof of employment eligibility upon hire    CONSULTANT RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS  Position Overview  Focus Strategies consultants are passionate about ending homelessness and have spent at least four years developing and implementing homelessness response programs and systems or in housing/homelessness response policy development. We are trusted to lead communities in reducing homelessness by making strategic shifts that can be high stakes. It’s a serious responsibility and every day we feel like we’re making a difference we are proud of.   We use outstanding critical thinking, analytical and interpersonal communication skills to manage a variety of projects. We are self-directed and detail oriented in order to create and manage processes for project development and stakeholder engagement. We possess excellent technical writing skills to provide our clients with substantive and accurate analytical, interpretive, and policy content for deliverables, publications, reports, and other products.     Position Responsibilities  Knowledge  Conduct research and analyses related to homelessness response systems and programs, identifying key findings, and proposing person-centered, data- and equity-informed solutions  Analyze data from single systems (e.g. homelessness) and multiple disciplines, including health, mental health, homelessness, and affordable housing   With support from analytics team colleagues, synthesize research findings into recommendations for practice    Delivery  Author Focus Strategies technical documents, publications, and reports, including developing report outline and structure, drafting content, integrating feedback from supervisor and client, and producing final content  Deliver a range of planning and design activities to help communities develop systems and policies to end or reduce homelessness through an equity- and data-informed lens, including community input processes, data analysis, documentation of existing and proposed system processes and structures in both in written and chart form, and best practices research  Develop training and technical assistance materials for a range of audiences (e.g. providers, policy makers, funders, professional meetings), tailor materials to client needs, make presentations and deliver trainings, assess results, and modify over time to meet needs  Make presentations to community stakeholders    Client Management  Serve as the project manager for smaller-scale consulting and technical assistance contracts, or support project management on larger/more complex contracts under senior oversight relating to homelessness response system development and planning  Engage with diverse communities of clients, partner organizations, and people experiencing homelessness to collect and accurately interpret information about existing systems and possible solutions; Facilitate meetings using mindful and anti-racist strategies to promote participation and inclusion  Represent clients in meetings to identify and resolve problems including speaking publicly in formal and informal settings    Teamwork  Work closely and collaboratively with supervisor and company leadership to set priorities, organize project workflow, and provide timely updates  Actively participate in continuous learning and process and product improvement efforts with the Focus team  Engage in Focus Strategies collective processes (e.g., discussions, readings, committees) to advance equity-informed internal and client work approaches  Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related tasks as needed    Position Requirements  A passion for ending homelessness with a commitment to data-informed public policy, including advancing equity for marginalized communities  A graduate degree in sociology, public policy, social work, or a related field (at least four years of experience in a management role in the homelessness response field may substitute for a graduate degree)  At least four years of substantive/system-level experience in homelessness response  At least four years of experience developing high-quality written analyses of homelessness response programs, populations, and dynamics   Understanding of racism, oppression, and the ways in which systems interplay to cause homelessness and housing instability, and the ability to appropriately engages clients where they are to fluently advance equity throughout the work  Ability to work effectively with people of diverse races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expression, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, ages, English-speaking abilities, immigration status, and physical abilities in a multicultural environment  Knowledge of nonprofit and government structures (including roles and responsibilities of client partners and their stakeholders)  Experience in client/customer support, adjusting materials and approach to meet client/customer needs  Demonstrated understanding of interview techniques and meeting/group facilitation  Successful track record of developing and executing workplans for complex projects  Ability to assess and interpret quantitative and qualitative data about homelessness and homeless programs and systems  Strong verbal and analytical skills, superior technical writing skills  Flexibility - must be able to work with shifts in priorities on a daily and weekly basis  Willingness to do whatever is needed to support projects and staff in accomplishing work  Excellent attention to detail and self-directed  Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook  Flexibility - must be able to work with shifts in priorities on a daily and weekly basis  Able to travel occasionally throughout the United States, (most commonly the West Coast)    Physical Requirements  Ability to operate a computer for 6-8 hours per day  Ability to give and receive detailed information through verbal and written communication  Ability to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, expansive reading  Ability to set up and maintain a safe and ergonomic workspace in home environment with minimal paper file management, including receiving occasional office supply shipments, rare shipping of equipment for repair, and carrying laptop and files or occasional all-day travel     Preferred skills and aptitudes  Bilingual skills (English and Spanish written and oral fluency preferred)  Deep knowledge of the homelessness landscape and common issues; general knowledge about homelessness funding streams; and system design and housing options for communities working to reduce homelessness.    What the Consultant will Gain from Position  Advanced experience with complex policy, technical, and community issues using a systems approach within the field of ending and reducing homelessness  Ability to develop innovative solutions and analyses to common and emerging problems related to homelessness response systems of care  Opportunity to deepen skills in program, systems, and policy analysis using data and information from multiple sources  Be the lead support to communities working to reduce homelessness  Opportunity to lead the development of complex plans, evaluations, and reports  Experience with consultation for public benefit  Increasing responsibility over time   Opportunity to be part of an evolving and growing consultation practice  Opportunity to work with an expert and dedicated team of professionals in a fast paced and supportive work environment    About Our Workplace  Focus Strategies is committed to creating an inclusive workplace with a collaborative team dedicated towards our mission of helping communities house people experiencing homelessness. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. In alignment with our company values, we strive to attract and maintain a workplace that reflects a broad spectrum of diversity. We strongly encourage employment applications from people who self-identify as coming from historically marginalized populations and communities who have been most impacted by homelessness.    We are a small firm that operates fully remote with regular phone and video meetings. Our normal work hours are 8am-5pm Pacific Time. Occasional work outside of normal hours may be required to meet project deadlines. This position requires travel to internal meetings, client sites, trainings, and/or conferences.