Consultant Jobs

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 sixteen 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.

Our projects include the following types of services for non-profit and governmental clients:

• Systems of care analysis and research with a focus on systems to end homelessness.

• Community-based system planning with a focus on systems to end homelessness.

• Systems and program evaluation, with a focus on system performance, equity

analyses, and elevation of input from people with lived expertise of homelessness.

• Data collection and analysis services, including integrating multiple datasets,

manipulating Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data and

generating homeless counts.

• Developing strategies to increase access to the housing market for people

experiencing homelessness.

• Increasing the supply of affordable and supportive housing through systems-level

and project-specific development, as well as implementation technical assistance.

• Policy development and analysis.

www.FocusStrategies.net | [email protected] | 440 N. Barranca Ave #1815 | Covina, CA 91723

POSITION SUMMARY

Position: Consultant

Location: Remote, United States (preferably California or West Coast)

Reports to: Senior Consultant

Status: Full-time, 40 hours/week, exempt

Compensation: $85,000-$115,000 depending on relevant experience and skills

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

Requirements: Proof of eligibility to work in the United States; proof of having received

a Covid-19 vaccine and available boosters (Focus Strategies complies

with all applicable laws and makes reasonable accommodations for

applicants in need of an exemption due to a medical reason or because

of a sincerely held religious belief)

Start Date: Open until filled

Contact Info: Nina Prudhomme, Administrative Manager, [email protected]

CONSULTANT RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS

Position Overview

Focus Strategies consultants are passionate about ending homelessness and have spent at

least three 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

Project Management

• Serve as the project manager for consulting and technical assistance contracts

relating to homelessness response system development and planning

Research and Analysis

• 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

Technical and Policy Writing

• 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 in 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 including speaking

publicly in formal and informal settings

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

Position Requirements

• A passion for ending homelessness

• 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 three years of substantive/system-level experience in homelessness

response

• At least three years of experience developing high quality written analyses of

homelessness response programs, populations, and dynamics

• Superior technical writing skills

• Demonstrated 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

• A commitment to and focus on data-informed public policy; 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 written, verbal, and analytical 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

• Occasional travel throughout the West Coast and very occasional travel to other

areas

Preferred skills and aptitudes

• Bilingual skills (English and Spanish written and oral fluency preferred)

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.

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

TO APPLY

Interested Applicants: Please send your resume, and brief cover letter as one PDF to

[email protected]. Please include your name and position title in the document’s

electronic name (e.g., Kendra Scott Consultant application.pdf). Position open until filled.

Application Process Overview:

• Focus Strategies utilizes a multi-phase application process that includes multiple

interviews and a practical assessment. Each subsequent phase is only for applicants

who advance from the prior phase of the application process.