Ombudsperson – Homeless Services

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• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
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• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

In May 2024, Philadelphia City Council passed Resolution 240030, to authorize the creation of the Office of the Homeless Services Ombudsperson – a new City department focused on protecting the rights of Philadelphia’s unhoused population and ensuring that some of our most vulnerable residents are receiving quality, transparent and upright housing services.

The Office and its staff will (i) serve as an advocate for Philadelphians who may be experiencing homelessness, (ii) offer educational programming and guidance about the scope and availability of services, (iii) investigate and evaluate complaints and grievances that pertain to these housing services, and (iv) monitor contractor and employee compliance with applicable standards, laws and regulations.

The Ombudsperson and his/her staff will also serve as a liaison between clients and City government and facilitate coordination between City government and external stakeholders.  The Ombudsperson is also empowered to hold public hearings about issues affecting the unhoused population and publish reports about the quality of City services and offer recommendations in the interest of improving those services.

Position Summary

The Ombudsperson will oversee and direct all aspects of the newly created office.  It is a senior-level position that will directly advise the Mayor about the effectiveness of the City’s homeless services and providers.  This position is expected to have significant subject matter expertise and the ability to generate advanced, high-quality work in furtherance of the office’s mission with a high degree of autonomy. 

The Ombudsperson will manage the department’s budget, recruit and hire staff, design and implement office procedures, review and edit all written work and otherwise carry out the duties of the office, as articulated in Resolution 240030.  As this is a newly created position, its scope may continue to evolve and the selectee will be instrumental in shaping the role and the office.

The City seeks a candidate who is energized by the importance of the work and the opportunity to leverage resources and relationships in furtherance of protecting vulnerable citizens.  The position will collaborate with advocacy groups, community members, investigators, social scientists and other stakeholders in an environment where objectivity and diligence are critical to credibility and overall effectiveness.

Essential Functions

Leading & Planning

• Setting strategic direction by guiding others and developing relationships built on trust;
• Recruiting, training and engaging staff;
• Determining the priority and scope of long-term and short-term projects:
• Planning for all work phases, including the coordination of resources and staff;
• Developing partnerships and collaborating with City agencies, community partners and other stakeholders;
• Analyzing, allocating and maximizing funding;
• Using effective change management and innovative ideas to resolve operational challenges;
• Maintaining ongoing communication with a wide variety of community, civic, and government organizations related to housing services.

Engaging & Educating

• Visiting and inspecting sites to evaluate service quality and client wellbeing;
• Developing and delivering informative materials and educational programs for clients and other stakeholders;
• Developing and maintaining an independent avenue to receive complaints and grievances;
• Conducting or leading interviews of contracted personnel, City employees, residents and others;
• Supporting best practices research and secondary research, theory and practice relevant to housing services.

Initiating Investigations

• Determining the priority/scope of investigations:
• Planning for all phases of assigned investigations, including the coordination of investigative staff and departmental support.

Gathering Information

• Interviewing employees, managers, executives, contractors, vendors, citizens and public officials to determine and analyze facts;
• Collecting and evaluating evidence to establish the nature and extent of any improprieties;
• Conducting or leading the review of administrative records and reports, financial records and legal documents;

Evaluating Evidence and Resolving Investigation

• Evaluating information to determine the credibility and reliability of evidence;
• Reviewing reports of investigations to determine if requested information has been collected and that findings have been substantiated by relevant facts;
• Recommending objective outcome and resolution based on the findings of the investigation.

Monitoring & Data Collection

• Developing and maintaining a central database of complaints, incidents and grievances;
• Analyzing short and long-term data to identify issues that may be affecting quality of service and may require corrective action;
• Monitoring and evaluating City agency action within the Office of Homeless Services.

Communicating Results

• Drafting written reports and recommendations to address complaints, adjust policy or procedure and otherwise improve the quality and accessibility of services;
• Annually reporting on the work of the office;
• Publishing data and informational resources to guide clients, stakeholders and policy-makers;
• Appearing in public forums to present the office’s work and encourage stakeholder engagement.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• The challenges affecting those who may be unhoused and best practices associated with service delivery in both the short and long term;
• The scope, applicability and operational practice of housing services in the City of Philadelphia;
• The various agencies and stakeholders with distinct roles in the supportive housing field, including at the City, state and national level;
• Diverse communities and families, including those who may be suffering from a limiting health condition or challenging life circumstances;
• The objectives, styles and methods of various types of investigations and reviews;
• Investigative and interviewing methods and techniques;
• Quantitative and qualitative statistical analysis;
• Common office software, such as Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint.

Personal Attributes:

• Be a strong, visionary, and decisive leader;
• Promote and embrace best practices, collaboration, innovation, and transparency;
• Proven ability to lead an organization through a strategic planning and implementation process;
• Be politically astute and able to build trust, complemented by superior interpersonal and communication skills to act as an advocate to initiate discussions and gain support from stakeholders;
• Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully, very outcome focused, steadfastly pushes self and others for results;
• Decisive, able to process facts and circumstances and make quick decisions;
• Relates well to all kinds of people, uses diplomacy and tact, builds constructive relationships;
• Can orchestrate multiple activities at once, uses resources effectively and efficiently;
• Can quickly find common ground and solve problems for the good of all, is a team player and is cooperative, encourages collaboration;
• Accurately scopes out length and difficulty of tasks to simultaneously advance both short-term and long-term projects;
• Sets objectives and goals, measures performance against goals, evaluates results;
• Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems, probes all fruitful sources for answers, can see hidden problems, is excellent at honest analysis;
• Significant discretion and care in handling confidential and sensitive information;
• Strong cultural competency and commitment to racial equity and social justice;
• Lived experience and/or proven ability to develop and sustain mutually respectful relationships with people who have had negative experiences accessing housing services;
• Commitment to hiring a diverse staff;
• An understanding and commitment to the idea that homelessness is not an individual or moral failure;
• Proven ability to address both individual cases while diagnosing larger systemic issues.

• Bachelor’s degree required;
• Advanced degree (MSW, JD, PhD) preferred;
• At least 8 years of relevant experience in social work, housing law or other relevant social science field, including at least 4 years in a management/leadership role;
• Significant experience working with unhoused persons, particularly those who may have had negative experiences with accessing housing;
• Significant experience with fact-finding and/or evaluating investigative material, fact-based reports and/or written narratives;
• Understanding of government infrastructure, political dynamics and budget processes;
• Understanding of the City of Philadelphia’s diverse population and experience working with diverse community members, government employees and individuals;
• Strong connection and commitment to Philadelphia;
• Valid PA Driver License required.

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume.

All applications must include a cover letter and a writing sample.  Applications submitted without these materials will not be considered.

Salary Range: $78,000-$115,000

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Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that  are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected].

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx