Job Details

Shelter Manager

At Hamilton Families, our mission is to end family homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 1985, we have been meeting the most urgent needs of unhoused families in our community. Our programs specialize in preventing family homelessness when possible, providing shelter and transitional housing to families in times of need, supporting the wellbeing and academic achievement of children who experience homelessness, and quickly returning families to safe and stable housing throughout the Greater Bay Area. At Hamilton Families, we believe the San Francisco Bay Area is at its best when people from all backgrounds can start a life here, raise a family here, and thrive here. We envision a Bay Area where housing is accessible and affordable, where homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring, and where all people and families have a safe and stable place to live. We foster an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued and contribute to our collective success. Our commitment to inclusivity ensures every team member feels respected, supported, and empowered to thrive.

What You'll Do

We're excited to be hiring a Shelter Manager. This is an engaging and rewarding opportunity that plays an integral role within the organization. We are looking for someone who is passionate about working with our participants and contributing to the fight against homelessness. As the Shelter Manager you will provide leadership and operational oversight for Hamilton Families' Emergency, Congregate and Private room family shelter services, ensuring a safe, supportive, and well-run environment for families experiencing homelessness. You will manage daily shelter operations, supervise staff, and collaborate with program leadership to deliver high-quality residential services.

What Your Day Looks Like

You start your shift checking in with Shelter Coordinators, reviewing shift coverage, incident reports, and overnight updates to ensure the shelter is fully staffed and operating safely. Throughout your shift, you oversee residential operations, assign priorities, and support staff with crisis response, problem-solving, and decision-making as situations arise. You coach, train and support Residential Program Aides and Shift Coordinators modeling best practices in program norms and rules, documentation, crisis intervention, and de-escalation. You directly supervise Shift Coordinators as they manage staffing schedules, approve time keeping, monitor overtime, and ensure coverage when unexpected absences or emergencies occur. You work alongside the Operations Manager to ensure the facility remains clean, safe, and compliant with health, safety, and fire regulations, addressing maintenance or facility issues as needed. You review documentation and data entry to ensure accurate records of intakes, exits, bed assignments, incidents, and services, and that all reporting requirements are met. You build strong working relationships across the program connecting with case managers, children's services, facilities, custodial, and administrative staff to ensure seamless services for families. You engage with families in shelter, modeling respectful communication, appropriate boundaries, and effective conflict resolution while supporting staff in complex client situations. You participate in staff supervision activities including hiring, onboarding, performance evaluations, recognition, coaching, and corrective action in alignment with union agreements and organizational policies. As part of the leadership team, you attend internal and external meetings in compliance with city shelter ordinance processes, grievances and appeals.

What Makes You Successful in This Role

• You are an experienced people manager who leads with clarity, consistency, and accountability, especially in fast-paced, 24/7 residential or shelter environments
• You bring a deep understanding of homelessness, poverty, and the complex challenges families may face, including mental health concerns, substance use, domestic violence, and chronic health conditions
• You are comfortable supervising diverse teams, including union represented staff, and can apply sound judgment while upholding policies, procedures, and labor agreements
• You are highly organized and adaptable, able to manage multiple priorities, shifting schedules, and competing deadlines without losing focus on quality and safety
• You communicate clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing
• You value collaboration and relationship-building, working effectively with internal teams, external partners, and community resources
• You are flexible and dependable, with the availability to work evenings, weekends, overnight shifts, and on-call rotations as required in a 24/7 shelter setting

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in social welfare, counseling, hospitality, or related field (strongly preferred).
• 5+ years of experience supervising staff including union represented employees
• 3+years of experience working with people experiencing homelessness
• 2+years of experience managing or supporting a 24/7 residential or human services program such as a homeless shelter, domestic violence shelter, or residential treatment program (preferred)
• Strong organizational, time-management, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently when needed
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and experience using client databases or CRM systems
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills (strongly preferred)
• Ability to travel locally as needed; valid California Driver's License and acceptable DMV report

We encourage applicants to apply even if they feel they do not meet all the listed criteria. We value diverse perspectives and believe in the potential for growth and development within our team. Your unique skills and experiences may be exactly what we need to succeed together.

Why Choose Us

• Our commitment to welcome all individuals creates a richness of viewpoints and keen ability to challenge established thinking
• Enjoy excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Employer matched 403(b) retirement plan
• Wellness and commuter benefit programs
• Paid time off and holidays

Our Values

• Resourceful
• Helpful/ "Yes, And"
• Growth Mindset
• Data Informed
• EDI: Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive

Compensation: $100,000.16 annually

Position Type: Full-time, Exempt

Union Representation: No

Schedule: Swing Shift + Weekends

Location: 260 Golden Gate Ave San Francisco, CA

Hamilton Families is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are central to our organization. We actively seek and prioritize diversity in our teams. We welcome applications from people with a variety of backgrounds and ages, including people of color, candidates with lived experiences, candidates in the LGBTQ+ community, and candidates who identify personally at any part of the gender spectrum. Additionally, we are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.