Supervising Attorney and Coalition Director

Organizational Background:

The National Immigration Project is a national membership organization of attorneys, advocates, and community members who believe that all people should be treated with dignity, live freely, and flourish. For over 50 years, the organization has litigated, educated, advocated, and built bridges across movements so that those who are most harmed by the immigration and criminal systems are uplifted and supported.

The End SIJS Backlog Coalition, a project of the National Immigration Project, is a national group of impacted youth and over 130 allied advocacy organizations working together to end the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (“SIJS”) backlog and to protect the rights of SIJS youth to remain safely in the United States. Through multi-faceted advocacy, coordination, training, and youth organizing, our coalition educates policymakers about the harmful impacts of visa caps on immigrant youth, provides resources and support to attorneys in defending SIJS youth from detention and deportation, and uplifts the stories and voices of SIJS youth. The Coalition’s ultimate goal is to end the SIJS backlog and achieve permanent legal protection in the United States for immigrant youth who have survived abuse, abandonment, and neglect. The Coalition seeks to hire a new leader with an entrepreneurial spirit to lead our work and drive our strategy.

Position Summary:

Supervised by the National Immigration Project Legal Director and in close collaboration with the Coalition Steering Committee, the Coalition Director will lead our work in proactively addressing and combating harmful immigration laws and policies impacting immigrant youth in the SIJS visa backlog through education, organizing, and advocacy, and by supporting strategic litigation. The Coalition Director will train and engage coalition members, supervise youth organizing, educate lawmakers and advocate for legislative and administrative change, and develop advocacy and communications materials to support and protect the rights of impacted youth.

The Coalition Director will oversee the Coalition’s daily operations and functioning; will be primarily responsible for fundraising for the Coalition with support from the Director of Development and the Executive Director, and will supervise Coalition staff.

Primary Duties:

• Direct overall coalition strategy by working with key National Immigration Project staff, Coalition Steering Committee, Youth Leadership Council and working group members to determine advocacy and organizing goals.
• Lead Steering Committee and decision-making processes.
• Oversee the work of the Coalition working groups.
• Lead Coalition efforts to expand, support, and engage membership.
• Monitor administrative and legislative agendas, and educate lawmakers and other stakeholders about issues affecting immigrant youth impacted by the SIJS backlog.
• Publish reports, op-eds, comments, or other written work documenting the efforts of the Coalition and impacts of policy on immigrant youth.
• Support the development of strategic litigation on issues impacting SIJS youth.
• Develop media strategy and represent Coalition to the press, with support from communications staff.
• Supervise youth organizer in the development and execution of youth organizing strategy.
• Empower and involve impacted youth in all efforts where appropriate.
• Manage Coalition website in coordination with the Director of Communications.
• Fundraise for the Coalition with support from the Director of Development and the Executive Director.
• Supervise Coalition staff and assist in hiring and training of directly supervised staff.
• Other related duties as required in order to meet the needs of SIJS youth and the Coalition membership base

Qualifications:

• Experience: At least 8 years of experience in legal advocacy, organizing and movement lawyering. Experience working with immigrant youth, particularly SIJS youth, is strongly preferred. Experience managing staff is preferred. Experience fundraising is required.
• Skills: Excellent advocacy, research, writing, and communication skills. Client-centered, trauma-informed lawyering.
• Knowledge: Strong familiarity with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and the challenges facing immigrant youth impacted by the SIJS visa backlog. Experience or interest in learning about legislative advocacy.
• Languages: Proficiency in Spanish or other widely spoken languages in immigrant communities is desirable.
• Education: J.D. or equivalent.
• Attributes: Community-oriented, proactive, and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Highly organized and self-driven. Committed to an advocacy model that centers SIJS youth voices and leadership.

National Immigration Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively recruits women, Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other People of Color, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse gender and sexual identities, immigrants, and formerly incarcerated persons.

Excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, and generous vacation and leave time. This is a full-time exempt union position. All National Immigration Project union staff are represented by the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW), UAW Local 2320, AFL-CIO. This is a full-time term-limited exempt position. This position is fully remote. Periodic travel is required for in-person meetings.

Proficiency in Spanish or other widely spoken languages in immigrant communities is desirable.