How to hire a shelter director

How to hire a shelter director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step shelter director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a shelter director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new shelter director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a shelter director job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a shelter director, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A shelter director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, shelter directors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of shelter director salaries for various roles:

   Type of Shelter Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Shelter Director	Social and community service managers coordinate and supervise social service programs and community organizations. They manage staff who provide social services to the public.	$12-34
   Communications Lead	The global senior program manager acts as a coordinator for the organization's projects and performs various tasks including supervision, account management, daily staff assignments, budget planning, cost control, and tracking program expenses by collaborating with various global departments to enhance all global programs. He/she should have excellent analytical, decision-making, leadership, and organization skills and knowledge about project management to be able to oversee and organize activities to ensure its compliance with the organization's goals.	$32-66
   Program Officer	A program officer is an essential part of a foundation or charitable organization. It is up to program officers to supervise program progress and proposals, seek grants, manage projects, and oversee budgets... Show more	$25-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Direct Supervision
   • Client Intake
   • Emergency Shelter
   • Social Services
   • Crisis Intervention
   • HMIS
   • Direct Services
   • Shelter Animals
   • Community Resources
   • DHS
   • Public Speaking
   • Advisory Boards
   • Shelter Program

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage pet adoption programs and supervise animal intake, disposition and euthanasia activities.
   • Coordinate services for JSU, DHS, schools and community.
   • Chart audit to ensure that documentation meets DHS and OTDA standards.
   • Direct the administrative and clinical operations of rehabilitation services for a two-campus 325-bed acute-care hospital and hospital-base home health agency.
   • Ensure compliance with board policy, UDAG regulations & CDBG regulations for housing programs.
   • Monitor Medicaid billing procedures, OASAS reporting procedures to prevent improper reimbursement request for clinical services.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your shelter director job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A shelter director salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, shelter directors' average salary in kansas is 57% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level shelter directors earn 63% less than senior-level shelter directors.
   • Certifications. A shelter director with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a shelter director's salary.

   Average shelter director salary

   $44,902yearly

   $21.59 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level shelter director salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 29, 2025

4. Writing a shelter director job description

   A shelter director job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a shelter director job description:

   Shelter director job description example

   Seeking: compassionate individuals looking to help make a difference! If you are passionate about making a difference in someone's life and want to work for an organization that appreciates and recognizes their employee's success, we encourage you to apply today! Our Full-time opportunities offer: Generous time off every year that includes paid holidays, up to 3 personal days, vacation time, and sick time Employer funded Pension Plan (company contributions begin after 1 year of employment) Comprehensive Health Care Coverage with low cost employee premiums, co-pays, and deductibles Eligibility for supplemental insurance plans, including Short Term Disability, AFLAC, and Voluntary Term Life Flexible Spending Accounts Remitted Tuition program Eligibility for the Federal Government's Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program Some of these benefits are also available to Part-time employees as well! SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF POSITION:
   To oversee all aspects of the Safehouse Program which provides comprehensive services to victims of domestic
   violence. The Director of Safehouse is directly responsible to the Commanding Officer of The Salvation Army,
   Elmira. Responsibilities ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
   Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. • Oversee general operation of the Safehouse shelter and program assuring that all aspects of the program are fulfilled and the program is in regulatory status.
   • Supervise staff and volunteers; evaluate performance and recommend hiring and termination of staff members; maintain schedules for 24-hours coverage; keep employee files up to date.
   • Oversee the provision of the following comprehensive victim services assuring that all victims served are treated with dignity and respect to include:
   o Assisting victims with setting and accomplishing short and long term goals
   o Counseling
   o Follow up contact through in-person contacts, telephone contacts or written communications
   o Personal advocacy services to assist victims in securing rights, remedies and services with other agencies or systems
   o Criminal Justice support and accompaniment
   o Crisis Hotline counseling
   o Provide information and referrals
   o Facilitating to weekly support group
   o Assist with the filing of NYS Crime Victim Board compensation claims including making victims aware of the availability of the program
   • Prepare and maintain reports, records and statistics.
   • Fulfilling the mandated NYS requirement of reporting suspected child abuse and neglect.
   • Represent and promote The Salvation Army, Safehouse at community presentations and seminars.
   • Assist with budget preparation and review for the program.
   • Oversee the program to ensure the projected budget is maintained.
   • Accept any other duties as assigned by the Corps Officer. Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice due to business needs. Qualifications SPECIAL SKILLS, CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:
   • Bachelor's degree with three to five years of related experience.
   • Demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills;
   • Exhibit excellent organizational and time management skills;
   • Supervisory skills a must;
   • Valid Driver's license that meets The Salvation Army insurance requirements We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find shelter directors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your shelter director job on Zippia to find and recruit shelter director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit shelter directors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new shelter director

   Once you've found the shelter director candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new shelter director. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a shelter director?