WHO WE ARE
People Loving Nashville (PLN) believes in the healing power of community. We bring love and dignity to our neighbors who are unhoused or somewhere along their homefulness journey through four pillars:
Relief: Food, drink, clothing, and emergency supplies for those who need them most.
Community: Consistent, growing outreach gatherings where every person is known.
Connection: Pathways to the resources that offer long-lasting support.
Restoration: Returning what has been taken away — or was never given to begin with — to the most vulnerable people in our city.
People Loving Nashville is a faith-based organization with a foundation based on a biblical understanding, inspired by Matthew 25: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
THE ROLE
The Director of Street Outreach leads PLN’s Relief (food and clothing) and Community (volunteers and the folks we serve) pillars, supervising the Relief Manager and Community Manager to keep outreach running as effectively as possible.
Present at every Monday and Thursday outreach and at all volunteer events, the Director provides hands-on leadership in the field; always putting people over process, because strong operations are what allow PLN to show love and dignity as fully and consistently as possible.
This role calls for someone skilled in operations, a strong leader of people, and driven to continually spot gaps and find creative, better ways to serve. The Director listens to the cries of the streets and leads these efforts to carry out the mission of Matthew 25 by showing up with emergency supplies, partners, and volunteers. The Director also owns the operational infrastructure behind outreach — budgets, vendors, fleet, and compliance — that keeps the mission running.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Direct the Relief and Community Programs
Provide strategic guidance and oversight to the Programs Division, ensuring all mission delivery goals are met effectively and efficiently.
Provide direct supervision and mentorship to the Relief Manager and Community Manager.
Lead weekly departmental meetings with the Relief and Community pillars and quarterly meetings with direct reports.
Conduct skip-level meetings with Program Division staff twice a year.
Serve as frontline operational lead at outreaches by building the outreach plan, directing weekly outreach programs and site visits, and monitoring direct reports’ execution against established goals.
Attend all Monday and Thursday outreach activities and volunteer events, providing hands-on leadership, support, and operational oversight in the field.
Ensure the Community Manager effectively leads all volunteer and event management functions, including recruitment, communications, and the planning and execution of community and volunteer events (e.g., holiday celebrations, camp cleanups).
Oversee client support, supervising the team member who identifies urgent needs and connects clients to resources.
Manage the De-Escalation (DE) Team and security presence at Monday outreach to keep guests, volunteers, and staff safe.
Ensure Relief and Community Managers effectively lead their staff at outreaches, including staff meetings and kitchen time, maintaining clear communication across the team.
Ensure every outreach interaction — from Relief distribution to Community engagement — prioritizes dignity and relationship with those we serve, not just operational efficiency.
Continually assess outreach operations to identify gaps and inefficiencies, and drive innovative, creative solutions that improve how PLN serves our unhoused neighbors.
Financial Management & Budget Oversight
Develop, monitor, and manage budgets for all major operational areas, administrative costs, and individual programs and projects.
Minimize and manage unclassified and unreceipted expenditures to a sustainable level, providing guidance on departmental spending.
Collaborate closely with the Chief of Staff on the annual organizational budgeting process, providing data and justification for operational needs.
Oversee all contract and vendor management for relief and community services, including city contracts.
Oversee program division budget management, including monitoring and reporting on spend from the Resource/Donations Manager.
Partner with the Development Department to coordinate in-kind donations and reduce program costs without reducing impact.
Partnerships & Community
Cultivate and maintain partnerships with community organizations, churches, government agencies, and resource providers that support outreach and expand the resources available to our neighbors.
Grow PLN’s partner network beyond its current base, deepening the range of services available at outreach.
Represent People Loving Nashville with professionalism, humility, and credibility across the city.
Administrative Operations & Infrastructure
Manage the organization’s vehicle fleet, ensuring timely maintenance, routine upkeep and repairs, registration, insurance coverage, and compliance with internal driver safety policies.
Oversee risk management and compliance, including general liability and specialized insurance policies, developing and enforcing safety protocols, and ensuring regulatory compliance (e.g., permits, organizational filings).
Serve as outreach protocols lead, including emergency protocols, ensuring the team is prepared to respond safely and effectively in the field.
Ensure the team procures and maintains all outreach operational supplies (e.g., stanchions, signage, walkie-talkies).
Oversee warehouse and inventory operations that support weekly outreach.
Data & Evaluation
Oversee PLN’s evaluation activities, including data collection and reporting for the Relief and Community pillars.
Manage the Relief and Community teams on the maintenance and preparation of all data collection summary reports and evaluation updates for the Executive Team, Board of Directors, and staff.
Gather feedback from the community we serve (e.g., surveys) to inform and improve outreach approaches.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
You will know this role is working when:
Volunteers leave outreach believing they were part of something meaningful.
Staff feel challenged, supported, and developed.
Operations run with excellence without becoming rigid.
Neighbors experiencing homelessness consistently feel seen, valued, and respected.
Partnerships grow in number and in depth.
New ideas become better systems and outreach gets measurably more effective year over year.
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Minimum of four years of operations leadership experience, preferably within a mission-based organization.
Demonstrated track record of building and managing organizational infrastructure, including finance oversight, complex HR administration, and administrative systems (facilities, vehicles, technology).
Minimum of two years of supervisory experience at a management level, including the ability to coach and develop senior staff.
Highly organized, with a successful track record in setting priorities, shaping processes, and developing infrastructure that creates a stronger and more efficient organization.
Effective communicator who can engage easily with people from all walks of life.
Thorough understanding of project management and the ability to work effectively under pressure to meet tight deadlines and goals.
Strong creative problem-solving skills and sound judgment to make fast, smart decisions in the field.
High emotional intelligence, with a people-first leadership instinct and the humility to do any job the mission requires.
Valid driver’s license and personal auto insurance.
Willingness to work outside conventional business hours, including nights and weekends as needed.
THE KIND OF LEADER WE'RE LOOKING FOR
This is not a case management role, and it is not a desk role. It is a leadership role for someone who can inspire a room full of volunteers one moment and build a budget the next — and who would never say “that isn’t my job.” We are looking for a leader who is called before they are qualified, humble before they are impressive, a builder of people and not just programs, and who believes that every person has inherent dignity and deserves to be treated accordingly.
HOW TO APPLY
People Loving Nashville has engaged Nonprofit Leadership LLC to lead this search.
Interested candidates should submit a current résumé and a personalized cover letter describing how they have helped to provide dignity to the underserved.
Applications should be sent by email to elle@nonprofit-leadership.com.
Candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a deadline of 9/8/2026.
People Loving Nashville is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and are committed to a hiring process that reflects the dignity we extend to every person we serve.
