Director of Gateway Programs
The Director of Gateway Programs owns the front door of Immerse's Little Rock program engine, overseeing two programs — the OC (daytime drop-in center) and the Station (emergency shelter) — that serve as the gateway into our higher-commitment LifeBase program experiences. The position also oversees the cross-cutting supports that carry youth forward: Housing Navigation and Employment/Education.
This senior level role will run the Gateway as a system, not a set of sites — connecting first contact at the OC and Station to the supports and transformational programs downstream. They will lead leaders, own outcomes, and operate with a high degree of independence. Reporting into the Central Arkansas Executive Director and partnering with the Chief Programs Officer for program consultation, they will be expected to set direction, make calls, and carry weight without being managed into every decision.
POSITION DEscription
Reporting to the Central Arkansas Executive Director, the Director of Gateway Programs will be responsible for:
1 - Program Leadership
Set and execute strategy across the OC, the Station, Housing Navigation, and Employment & Education so they operate as one connected pathway, not four separate efforts.
Own program quality, documentation, budgets, and facilities — partnering with BASE-Q (operations, finance, HR) so practices are sound for both staff and youth.
Provide leadership and consultation during crisis situations.
2 - Leadership of Leaders
Directly develop program managers through regular supervision, honest feedback, and performance evaluation — building teams that can make decisions without you in the room.
Ensure staff know and follow agency policies and their own scope of responsibility.
Read the team early — spot challenges, staffing strain, and process breakdowns before they become fires, and build the fix.
Partner across the Little Rock team to keep a safety net around every youth
3 - Process & Systems Improvement
Diagnose where handoffs, intake, documentation, or coordination break down — and redesign them. This is a core expectation of the role, not a bonus skill.
Lead cross-functional efforts to plan, execute, and evaluate programs against clear outcomes.
4 - Personal & Team Health
Model growth, balance, and sustainability for a team doing emotionally heavy work
Communicate consistently and stay available for consultation and supervision
Success looks like:
The Gateway working as one system. Youth move from first contact at the OC or Station into the right support — housing, employment, education, or a LifeBase experience — without falling through the cracks between programs.
Managers lead well. Program managers have clarity, are developing, and can carry decisions without escalating everything upward.
Youth outcomes hold and climb. Program quality (measured through BASE and qualitative/quantitative indicators) stays high even under strain.
The team is healthy. Turnover, burnout, and firefighting go down; ownership and stability go up.
You take work off the Executive Director's plate. Program-level problems get solved at the program level.
Qualifications
All employees will be thoroughly committed to Immerse’s mission. The ideal candidate will embrace Immerse’s values of with, worship, and scrappy (visit our About Page to learn what this means!). All candidates should have the following qualifications and experience:
Education: Bachelors Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, Human/Social Services, Business or Public Administration. Masters Degree preferred.
Experience: 6+ years experience working with youth from crisis (in or aging out of foster care, adopted, homeless, trafficking victims, etc.) and directing complex, top-tier programs in non-profit or social services settings. 4+ years team/people leading experience.
Job Type: Full Time, In-Person
Work Location: Little Rock, AR
Additional Requirements:
Demonstrated grit. A track record of staying in hard things and getting them across the line — not just enduring difficulty, but producing results through it.
Proven leadership of leaders. You have managed at least 4 direct reports and 10+ second-level staff, and developed managers who grew under you.
Real experience with transitional-age or homeless youth, or a closely adjacent population.
Demonstrated process-improvement ability. You have found a broken workflow and fixed it, with evidence it stuck.
Sound judgment under pressure. You make good calls in crisis and own them.
Familiarity with Little Rock area resources.
Fluency with data and reporting tools to assess program effectiveness.
Visionary-plus-builder range: able to see what doesn't yet exist and make it real.
Represents the organization well to the public and is enthusiastic about serving young people.
Available evenings, weekends, and on-call as assigned during identified periods.
Valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and ability to travel within the region as the work requires.
Maintain CPR, First Aid, and other program-required certifications.
Complete at least 30 hours of relevant training annually.
Adhere to the ethical code of the relevant professional field.
Successfully complete required background checks and drug screening.
Must demonstrate a commitment to the value of cultural competency.
ABOUT IMMERSE ARKANSAS
Immerse Arkansas was founded in 2010 with the mission of helping transform youth from crisis into overcomers. The nonprofit organization serves youth between the ages of 14 and 24, whose past trauma and challenges have created barriers to becoming independent, healthy, successful adults.
Immerse Arkansas works with youth and families to address the underlying trauma resulting from abuse or neglect. We believe that when we surround youth from crisis with unconditional relationships, a vision for their restored future, and tools that anticipate their needs and dreams, we create a climate for healing, growth, and transformation.
Immerse is a collaboration of redemptive innovators who pair ambitious faith with strategy in all pursuits, especially anything labeled as “impossible.” We’re hungry for healing for all, and we’re especially interested in those who have been counted out. We are looking for someone who fits that description to lead one of our programs working directly with youth from crisis ages 14-24. The Director of Gateway Programs position is a full-time, salaried on-site position.
To apply
To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to mfinnie@immersearkansas.org with “Director of Gateway Programs” as the subject line of the email. For more information and a complete job description, you can visit www.immersearkansas.org/careers.