About NYLAG
Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. During COVID-19, most of our services were virtual to keep our community safe. NYLAG’s staff of 350 impacted the lives of nearly 129,000 people last year.
Job description
The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) seeks a highly motivated Associate Director for a full-time position supervising the Immigrant Protection Unit (IPU). The Associate Director will work alongside the Co-Directors to provide legal and programmatic oversight to IPU, develop and implement new programs, manage special projects, and train and develop staff. The job requires substantive knowledge and experience in immigration law, supervising staff, and managing grants and programs.
The Associate Director will work within the Immigrant Protection Unit at NYLAG to assist the Co-Directors with the operations of the unit, grant reporting, and development of the team and unit. The Associate Director will report directly to the Co-Director to assist in overseeing a team of over 60 advocates.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Work with the Co-Directors to provide legal and programmatic oversight to IPU staff;
- Work with the Co-Directors to develop and manage unit priorities, develop long-term strategies, and manage unit growth;
- Manage special projects as needed;
- Supervise and evaluate staff on day-to-day assignments, performance, and training;
- Work with the Co-Directors to develop creative, responsive and community informed programming;
- Supervise other supervisors and senior staff attorneys
- Assist in managing IPU’s grants and contracts;
- Develop and manage relationships with communities, community-based organizations, stakeholders, and funders;
- Develop collaborative opportunities with partners;
- Select cases for representation and assign to IPU staff;
- Conduct legal and other trainings for IPU staff, outside partners, and the community;
- Establish policies and procedures for managing IPU’s work along with the Co-Directors;
- Participate in conferences, meetings, and trainings;
- Interview and participate in the selection of interns, fellows, and new staff;
- Evaluate and develop unit materials, sample filings, and legal training presentations;
- Oversee the orientation of new staff, and provide ongoing support, including professional development, for IPU staff; and
- Other duties as needed.
Qualifications
- Juris Doctorate from an accredited school
- Admission to the New York State bar
- Fluency in Spanish or another language widely spoken by NYLAG clients (e.g. Mandarin, Russian, Haitian Creole, etc.) is required
- Minimum eight years of experience working in immigration law required
- Minimum five years of experience supervising required; extensive experience with removal defense strongly preferred
- Experience managing programs and grants required
- Excellent writing, speaking and organizational skills
- Ability to communicate effectively with clients, community organizations, attorneys, judiciary, and the public
- Ability to work in a collaborative setting with other professionals
- Demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights, racial justice, and social justice issues
- Ability to work independently and under pressure while managing multiple competing deadlines
NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.
Employment type:
☒ Full-time
Professional Level:
☒ Managerial
Salary: $125,806-$148,083
Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care.
Application Instructions: Please save resume and cover letter on one pdf.
Covid Vaccination Policy:Please note, to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and clients, NYLAG requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.
NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full-time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in-person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change. |