Senior Consultant

Focus Strategies Senior Consultants are responsible for coordinating and overseeing the management of projects including supervising staff, stakeholder engagement, developing substantive analytical, interpretive, and policy content for deliverables, publications, reports, and other products on behalf of our clients. We have a passion for ending homelessness and use our critical thinking, analytical and interpersonal communication skills to provide timely and accurate analysis and develop valuable results on time and on budget. Senior consultants have spent at least five years developing and implementing homelessness response programs and systems or housing/homelessness response policy development. Our calendars on Monday will look significantly different from the way things turn out by Friday and we are comfortable with changing priorities and ambiguity. We may be leading project staff, working closely with internal and external stakeholders, or preparing draft and final deliverables on time and on budget - we are always striving for excellence.

Project Management

• Supervise assigned staff and ensure that deadlines are met and projects are delivered on time and on budget; and that staff work happens in the context of holding closely the mission and values of the company
• Work closely with consulting staff to set priorities; independently organize project workflow; communicate project plan and tasks to consultants; oversee project progress and task completion
• Serve as project manager for some projects; serve as resource and support for projects managed by peers
  
  
  

Research and Analysis

• Plan, oversee, and conduct research and analyses related to homelessness response systems and programs, identifying key findings, and proposing person-centered, data- and equity-informed solutions
• Shape and conduct qualitative research on a variety of topics, including in-person and telephone interviews, and web‐ and documents‐based research
• 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
  
  
  

Technical and Policy Writing

• Author and supervise others who 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
  
  
  

Planning and Design

• 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 written and chart form, and best practices research
  
  
  

Training Development

• 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
  
  
  

Internal and External Relations

• Work closely and collaboratively with supervisor and company leadership to set priorities, organize project workflow, and provide timely updates
• 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
• Make presentations to community stakeholders
• Represent clients in meetings to identify and resolve problems
  
  
  

Additional Responsibilities

• 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
• Work closely with peers and president to set priorities and manage projects
• Maintain leading edge knowledge of current research and best practices in the field of ending homelessness.
  
  
  

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 six years of experience in a management role in the homelessness response field may substitute for a graduate degree)
• At least five years of substantive/system-level experience in homelessness response.
• At least five years of experience developing high quality written analyses of homelessness response programs, populations, and dynamics.
• Demonstrated project management experience including developing appropriate plans and timelines for accomplishing tasks and projects, holding self and other accountable, developing short-term goals and alternatives; delegates work and assigns decision-making responsibilities appropriately
• 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
• Leadership experience of building effective teams, delivering performance feedback, and developing others (acknowledging differences in privilege and power)
• Understanding of racism, oppression, and the ways in which systems interplay to cause homelessness and housing instability and appropriately engages clients where they are to fluently advance equity throughout the work
• 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 including the ability to craft messaging (verbally and in writing) in a neutral or persuasive way; superior technical writing skills
• Must be highly self-directed, detail‐oriented, and proficient at generating and understanding budget data
• Ability to read and understand basic financial reports, and to prepare financial budgets and projections
• 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 West Coast and rarely to other areas
  
  
  

Preferred Skills And Aptitudes

• Deep knowledge of the homelessness landscape and common issues, particularly on the West Coast; general knowledge about homelessness funding streams; and system design and housing options for communities working to reduce homelessness
• Interpreting quantitative and qualitative data about homelessness and homeless programs and systems
• Demonstrated expertise in supportive housing, including familiarity with project financing
• Experience in managing complex projects with performance or outcomes measurement
• Bilingual skills (English and Spanish written and oral fluency preferred)
  
  
  

Benefits

• Paid time off (vacation, sick time, and 10 holidays)
• 401(k) with 4% salary match and profit sharing
• Health, dental, and vision
• Flexible spending plans
• Short and long-term disability insurance