Executive Director of Social Services

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Direct Reports: 5

About Destination Tomorrow

Destination Tomorrow (DT) is a national grassroots LGBTQ organization founded in the Bronx, built on the principle that no individual should have to leave their neighborhood for necessary services. DT's mission is to move clients off the path of emergency care to one where they can grow, learn, and flourish by emphasizing economic, social, and mental empowerment through comprehensive educational, financial, and health programs, as well as housing solutions. As an expanding multi-site organization, Destination Tomorrow proudly serves the community across The Bronx, New York City; Atlanta, GA; and Washington, D.C.

Position Summary

The Executive Director of Social Services (EDSS) is a visionary strategist and operational anchor responsible for the holistic lifecycle of Destination Tomorrow’s support systems. This leader holds a 360-degree mandate: they translate the evolving needs of LGBTQ communities in the Bronx and nationwide into high-impact programming while building the infrastructure to deliver those services with excellence.

The EDSS ensures clinical rigor meets radical empathy across a diverse portfolio—including Housing, Behavioral Health, Youth, Academic, Outreach, and Prevention. They are responsible for the dual mission of program optimization and scaling (refining and expanding existing services for maximum impact) and transformational people leadership (optimizing the "how"), ensuring all services are fiscally sound, operationally seamless, and deeply rooted in social justice.

Core Responsibilities

Cross-Agency Collaboration and Integration

• Financial Sustainability: Partner with the CFO to align community needs with financial viability, co-authoring grant budgets while building sustainable funding models to support the growth.
• Operational Excellence: Partner with Operations leadership to bridge the gap between clinical intent and logistical execution to optimize facility management and scale systems infrastructure.
• Workforce Resilience: Partner with Human Resources leadership to co-lead a "people-first" strategy for growth, focused on specialized recruitment for clinicians and establishing the supervision and wellness frameworks necessary to combat vicarious trauma.
• Strategic Impact: Partner with the Chief Strategy Officer to convert program impact data and insights into the evidence needed to secure major grants and drive national advocacy.

Executive Leadership & Multi-Site Oversight

• Unified Management: Directly supervise and mentor a multidisciplinary leadership team to ensure a high-performing, unified workforce and maintain consistent clinical and safety standards across all service pillars.
• Model Fidelity & Scaling: Lead the consistent rollout of services across NY, Atlanta, DC, and future markets, ensuring the integrity and "radical empathy" of the New York model is preserved during national expansion.
• Grant & Contract Coordination: Direct Program Leaders in their day-to-day coordination with the Grants & Contracts Manager to ensure timely reporting and clinical compliance for all awarded funding.
• Capacity Building: Foster a culture of professional development, ensuring all levels of staff are clinically and operationally equipped for the demands of a rapidly growing organization.
• High-Level Clinical Escalation: Provide direct clinical oversight and intervention for high-complexity or high-risk cases that require executive-level resolution.

Program Optimization & Growth

• Service Gap Analysis: Assess emerging community needs and lead the design of new service lines to ensure Destination Tomorrow remains the premier provider for the TGNCNB and LGBTQ community.
• Continuous Program Optimization: Audit and optimize all existing social service programs (Housing, Behavioral Health, Youth, etc.) to ensure high-quality, consistent delivery as the agency increases capacity.
• Data-Driven Performance: Partner with all Social Service leaders to implement and monitor data-driven benchmarks that prove program effectiveness.

Fiscal & Operational Planning

• Fiscal Stewardship & Forecasting: Manage department budgets and work with Finance team to finalize budgets and allocate resources effectively across all service pillars.
• Operational Cadence Integration: Actively participate in the COO-led operating cadence and planning cycles, providing programmatic forecasting, headcount requirements, and service-volume data necessary for agency-wide strategic alignment.
• Planning Cycle Contribution: Lead the social services contribution to annual and quarterly planning sessions, ensuring that programmatic growth targets are synchronized with the agency’s fiscal and operational capacity.
• Clinical Quality & Compliance: Partner with Operations/Compliance to develop and enforce policies that adhere to clinical standards and regulatory requirements.

Advocacy & Community Sensing

• Community Sensing: Act as the primary internal "sensor" for the community, capturing real-time service trends and evolving needs to inform the agency’s long-term strategic direction.
• Advocacy Partnership: Serve as the clinical subject matter expert for the CSO’s Policy & Advocacy team, providing the ground-level data and community narratives necessary to build credible, evidence-based legislative asks.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) required.
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or equivalent clinical credential.
• 7–10 years in social services management; 5–7 years specifically in shelters, housing, or behavioral health systems.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-site/multi-state operations and maintaining program fidelity across diverse geographic locations.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary range between $140,000 - $155,000
• Robust medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401k program
• Paid sick time and paid time off.
• Opportunity to make an impact during a pivotal growth moment serving LGBTQ communities, especially Black and Brown trans and gender-expansive people.
• Align your expertise with your values while supporting affirming, community-rooted services.