Program Director, National Security and Civil Rights (NSCR)

The Opportunity

ALC seeks an experienced attorney to lead its National Security and Civil Rights (NSCR) Program. Since the 1800s, there have been significant moments in history when Asians have been unjustly incarcerated, banned, and surveilled in the United States due to their national origin or religion. Because of this history, and our role in co-counseling the Korematsu coram nobis, we established the NSCR program in 2001 to ensure that vulnerable immigrants, including Arab, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Muslim (AMEMSA) communities have the ability to conduct their daily lives with dignity. More recently, we have seen the scapegoating of Chinese scientists under the guise of national security.

The Program Director will lead a team of attorneys and community advocates to challenge targeting, profiling, and surveillance based on race, national origin, and religion. In partnership with senior leaders at ALC, this role will lead the team to bring about systems change through an integrated approach combining direct services, coalition building, innovative impact litigation, and strategic advocacy. The Program Director is responsible for overseeing the programmatic work, building and maintaining close relations with AMEMSA and the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, identifying broad patterns of abuse or other systemic civil rights violations, and managing a team of staff to execute legal and policy advocacy solutions addressing these violations. Significant experience with civil rights, immigrant rights, and national security issues as they impact AMEMSA and the broader Asian American communities is highly desired.

The ideal candidate is attuned to and has expertise in AMEMSA and AAPI national security and civil rights issues and is committed to building leadership and power with and for impacted communities. Candidates should bring a leadership style that is grounded in principles of equity and inclusion and can partner with ALC’s leadership and staff to build connectivity and cohesion across the organization. This position reports to the Director of Programs.

The Organization

ALC is the nation’s first legal organization focusing on advancing and defending the civil rights of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, including Arab and Middle Eastern communities. Since 1972, ALC has ensured access to affordable housing in San Francisco’s Chinatown, litigated high-profile civil rights cases, advocated for the passage of landmark policy changes, and provided an array of services, including community education, advocacy, and direct client representation to further the rights of low-income immigrants and communities of color. Current program areas include National Security & Civil Rights, Housing Rights, Immigrant Rights, Community Safety, Workers’ Rights, and Voting Rights.

Responsibilities

External

• Develop and consistently maintain technical expertise on national security issues that impact our clients and communities
• Establish and deepen relationships with grassroots partners, advocacy and legal organizations, and government officials
• Be an ambassador for the program and the organization, and effectively communicate ALC’s breadth of work in various fora, including conferences, coalitions, and meetings
• In partnership with the Executive Director and Development Director, engage with funders, including providing regular written analyses and identifying new opportunities

Internal

• Develop and oversee the implementation of program goals and strategies in collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team, including the Director of Programs, Legal Director, Policy Director, and Communications Director
• Create a strategy screen to vet new opportunities and work with the Legal Director and Senior Counsels to develop and oversee ongoing impact litigation and the provision of direct legal services  
• Recruit, hire, supervise, and mentor program staff, including staff attorneys and Community Advocates
• Develop community engagement strategies, in collaboration with the Community Advocacy Manager, and ensure successful execution
• Identify intersecting work with other programs; lead, model, and promote a healthy culture of collaboration and accountability for the organization and for the team
• Develop and monitor a budget in partnership with the Finance Director that aligns with the program's goals and the organization's mission
• Work closely with the Development staff on grant proposals, reporting, and fundraising events
• Perform other duties as needed

All ALC staff are expected to participate in regular check-in meetings with their supervisor/supervisees, staff meetings, team meetings, and other organization meetings, as required. This includes two (2) annual retreats, an anniversary celebration dinner, and meetings as needed in the San Francisco Bay area. 

The above statements are not intended to encompass all functions of the position; rather, they are intended to provide a general framework of the requirements of the position. Job incumbents may be required to perform other functions not specifically addressed in this posting.

Qualifications

• J.D. and California bar membership required
• Minimum of eight (8) years relevant experience in immigration, civil rights, and/or national security issues, with a legal services, policy advocacy, or state/federal court litigation approach; ideally with familiarity in practicing in a nonprofit organization
• Excellent research, analytical, written, and oral communication skills with the ability to tailor the message to the audience
• 3 to 5 years of experience managing and supervising staff, and managing a team
• Familiarity with the intersection of national security and civil rights and other issues, such as immigration, employment, and housing, a plus
• Ability to conduct long-term visioning and strategic planning, both for the program and the organization
• Demonstrated leadership and ability to work independently and in collaboration with other attorneys, community advocates, and community-based organizations
• Demonstrated commitment to building power for and with grassroots communities
• Experience working with AMEMSA and API community members impacted by the immigration and/or criminal legal system is highly desired
• Problem solver and team player with a sense of humor 
• Non-English language skills in AMEMSA and/or Asian languages (for example, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Urdu) are a plus, but not required

ALC’s comprehensive benefits package includes generous vacation and paid holidays; medical, dental, disability, and life insurance coverage (ALC pays 100% of premiums for employees and 75% for qualified dependents); a flexible spending account (FSA); and a 401K retirement plan with employer non-elective contribution and match.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit via email to jobs@advancingjustice-alc.org (as PDF attachments), the following:

1. Cover letter explaining your interest in the position
2. Resume
3. Writing sample (no more than ten (10) pages)
4. Three (3) professional references

Please indicate “Program Director - NSCR” in the subject line.