Principal, Homelessness Practice, Inclusive Cities

THE ROLE | HR&A is seeking a Principal in our Los Angeles office to play a critical role in serving our clients working to prevent and reduce homelessness.  

The Principal will: 

Run complex projects for our clients inside and outside of government; 

Help expand our work to end homelessness to new cities and counties across the country; and, 

Contribute to the firm’s overall culture and impact. 

While a Principal’s scope varies based on focus areas, the expertise they bring, and business cycles, a Principal typically leads 4–8 concurrent projects; manages 2–10 staff and external subconsultants per engagement; works directly with organizational leaders, mayor’s offices, and agency leadership to guide strategic decision-making; and leads or co-leads proposals that generate new work and expand HR&A’s brand recognition. Project examples include helping a City design, implement, and measure the impact of a new program or strategy intended to prevent or reduce homelessness; helping a region prepare for an anticipated reduction in revenue to support housing vouchers, including designing new strategies that can help impacted households avoid falling back into homelessness; supporting a coalition of community and government partners to align on a new implementation plan to end the foster care to homelessness pipeline; and conducting a cost effectiveness analysis of a region’s investments in homelessness response.   

The right candidate will also bring a desire to leverage their own networks and experiences to design new projects and help new clients see the ways in which we can help them address housing precarity, homelessness, service access and economic justice in their communities.   

Principals are considered leaders within the practice and the firm and are also expected to contribute to our collective knowledge and mentor younger staff.  

This role is an opportunity to do urgently needed work in cities and counties across the country. 

WHAT YOU WILL DO:  

Serve as the day-to-day project lead for public-sector, philanthropic, and non-profit clients, ensuring work is grounded in political, fiscal, and operational realities. 

Lead complex client engagements from scoping through delivery, managing budgets, timelines, and multidisciplinary teams to produce clear, actionable analyses and support implementation that will improve how homelessness response is delivered. 

Translate policy goals into executable strategies, including program design, governance frameworks, capital strategies, and implementation roadmaps. 

Oversee rigorous analysis and deliverable production, maintaining high standards of clarity, accuracy, and usefulness for senior decision-makers. 

Manage and mentor project teams, providing direction, feedback, and support while fostering a culture of rigor, inclusion, and respect. 

Engage directly with senior public-sector and philanthropic leaders, supporting decision-making through developing structured options and implementation-focused guidance. 

Actively support business development by cultivating client relationships, contributing to proposals, and identifying opportunities aligned with the Inclusive Cities practice and its growing focus on ending homelessness. 

Help define the direction and priorities of HR&A’s work to end homelessness, including refining methodologies, strengthening public-sector advisory capabilities, and supporting HR&A’s growth. 

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED | 

12+ years of relevant experience.  

Substantial experience working in government on program design and implementation, with a strong understanding of local government operations, budgets, and decision-making processes. 

Expertise in homelessness policymaking at the local or regional level, including an understanding of how homelessness response is funded, homelessness data systems, the range of programs and services, and strategies to measure and improve the effectiveness of homelessness response.  

Additional expertise in policymaking in related fields is also welcome: deeply affordable housing; physical and behavioral health systems; criminal legal system reform; workforce development, etc.  

Demonstrated track record of effectively engaging public-sector leaders, philanthropy, community-based organizations, and civic institutions and helping partners move toward a specific goal. 

Experience navigating local government’s political, regulatory, and operational processes to move work from ambition to implementation. 

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate trade-offs and design actionable strategies. 

Excellent writing and presentation skills, tailored to policymakers, funders, and institutional leaders. 

Experience engaging communities in trust-building, non-extractive ways. 

Demonstrated commitment to racial and economic justice, collaborative leadership, and public service. 

HYBRID WORK POLICY | HR&A fosters a collaborative and flexible work environment through our hybrid work policy. Employees work from the office at least three days a week, which allows individuals the freedom to balance their professional and personal lives while maintaining a strong connection to their teams.  

COMPENSATION | The annual base salary range for this position is between $155,600 and $184,260. This role is also eligible for a discretionary year-end bonus. Where an offer falls inside this pay range is dependent on experience.  We offer competitive compensation packages, based on qualifications and experience. We are an employee-owned company, meaning you will have the opportunity to benefit from the firm’s growth over time through participation in our Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Each year, the firm will contribute funds to this long-term wealth-building account and may make contributions to other retirement accounts. We also provide a comprehensive benefits package that goes well beyond coverage of 90-95% of healthcare premiums, including dental and vision coverage.