Project Manager, Legal Service Initiatives and Programs

The Opportunity

The Presidents’ Alliance is seeking an energetic and collaborative Project Manager, with a strong background in immigration law, to lead a new Legal Pathways that Work (LPTW) initiative.  The LPTW initiative aims to provide educational resources to colleges, universities, and students about existing employment-based immigration options that may be available to non-citizen students who are in temporary or precarious immigration statuses (e.g. international, undocumented/DACAmented, displaced, humanitarian parole students) and to pilot new programs and services that would support these students and alumni.   This is an exciting opportunity as the Project Manager will play a leading role in developing and implementing the LPTW initiative, working collaboratively with other organizations and member institutions.  The individual will be responsible for providing crucial project coordination, legal expertise, and programmatic oversight.  This role requires a highly organized strategic thinker who can convert vision into concrete planning and implementation. 

In the first year of the initiative and working with partners, the project manager will be responsible for the development of resources focusing primarily on furthering access to existing employment-based immigration options, including building a new resource hub for employment-based options on the Higher Ed Immigration Portal (“Portal”), coordinating webinars, and drafting FAQs; the implementation of a new visa fellowship program for non-citizen alumni of Presidents’ Alliance member institutions; and the creation and coordination of a task force charged with generating recommendations for a pilot program for direct services and consultations, with the goal of implementing the pilot program of services and consultations in year two of the initiative.   The Project Manager will work closely with the Presidents’ Alliance policy team and the operations and programmatic staff to ensure smooth coordination of the LPTW initiative.  

Specific Position Responsibilities

Develop and deliver educational and capacity-building resources (50%). 

• Educate and raise awareness amongst colleges and universities about the need, opportunities, and benefits of supporting DACA/undocumented, international, refugee, and displaced students in navigating the complexities of the U.S. immigration and employment system upon graduation
• In collaboration with partners, develop and deliver webinars, FAQs, and explainers. about existing legal pathways to employment for the various non-citizen student populations.
• In collaboration with other Alliance staff, develop and promote a new interactive resource hub focused on employment based pathways to immigration on the Portal. The new hub on the Portal would provide a one-stop shop for campuses and students seeking to identify and explore resources related to employment-based pathways.

Plan and implement pilot programs and legal services (50%). 

• Launch and coordinate a 6-month task force to generate recommendations for a pilot legal services program that could offer expert assistance, immigration screenings, and immigration consultations to institutions seeking to help their students navigate legal immigration pathways, and to students themselves.  Note, we anticipate implementing the pilot legal services program in year 2 of the initiative. 
• In collaboration with partners, develop and pilot a part-time fellowship model for international alumni and other alumni of U.S. institutions who may be eligible for H-1B visas.  We anticipate implementation of this program in year 1 of the initiative.
• Hire and supervise a project associate to assist in this work.  

Skills and Background

The top candidates for this position will have an extensive understanding of immigration law, experience with employment law, a strong interest in supporting immigrant and international students,  excellent communication and organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. We strongly encourage applications from individuals with lived experience in the communities we serve or whose identities are underrepresented in the immigration profession.

Required. A JD and at least three years experience in immigration law or a combination of immigration and employment law, which can include work as an attorney, on a campus, in legal advocacy or in policy, as a legal assistant, legal support, caseworker, or paralegal work.  

While Presidents’ Alliance is currently a remote-first organization, our office is based in DC, and there is a preference for candidates to be based in the DMV or NY areas for this position.

Preferred Competencies. The successful candidate will be creative, empathetic, and adept at collaboration, building relationships, and communicating effectively with a diverse group of partners. Two years or more of supervisory responsibility is preferred. 

• Extensive knowledge of U.S. immigration law and policy 
• Experience with employment law
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills, including ease in in-person and virtual formats, ability to work with colleagues across programmatic areas and from a variety of backgrounds, and communicate effectively with a diverse range of groups and constituencies
• Strong organizational and time management skills, including attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple incoming tasks and prioritize a wide range of duties, while meeting deadlines.
• Ability to deliver, accept, and incorporate feedback, while helping to find creative solutions to obstacles.
• High degree of comfort with technology, including Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Zoom, Adobe Pro, Asana, and Wordpress.

The position comes with a very attractive benefits package. This includes 100% medical and dental insurance premium coverage for you and your dependents; fully covered life and long-term disability insurance; availability of pre-tax FSA (health care and dependent care) accounts; generous paid time off, including 20 vacation days, 12 paid holidays, 15 days of sick leave annually, and the opportunity to take an additional 10 days annually of paid leave for vacation, professional development or other reasons; and a 5% employee contribution to 401(k) plan matched by a 10% employer contribution. The Presidents’ Alliance also provides professional development opportunities for staff, a start-up laptop and office supplies package, and a monthly $50 tech reimbursement for all employees.