SoCal-based Community Advocate

Job Summary

Job Title: Community Advocate

Reports to: Manager of Advocacy & Community Organizing

Department: Advocacy

Salary: $70,000-80,000 annually

Location: Remote-friendly; Anywhere in Southern California

Position Type: Full Time

FLSA Status (Exempt/Non-Exempt): Exempt

Anticipated Start Date: September 2025

About The Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law (the Center):

The Center is a California State Bar-funded legal support center that provides training and technical support to direct legal service providers and advocates, addresses systemic injustice identified by those providers, and advances and protects the civil, constitutional, and human rights of immigrants, refugees, children, and marginalized communities. The Center has a legacy of impact litigation that has protected hundreds of thousands of immigrants, children, and detained people. Among our landmark cases are Munoz v. Bell, Plyler v. Doe, Flores v. Reno, League of United Latin American Citizens v. Wilson, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, et al., v. Anti-Defamation League of the B'Nai B'rith, et al., Reno v. Catholic Social Services, LULAC v. Arizona, Flores v. Sessions, Lucas R. v. Azar, and Flores v. Garland. The Center remains Class Counsel on Flores and, along with co-counsel, is responsible for monitoring conditions in all facilities and locations where DHS or ORR detain youth.

The Center seeks to grow its Advocacy Department with an experienced and proven Community Advocate to support the Center’s litigation efforts to help create, refine, and execute bold and values aligned-advocacy campaigns and initiatives related to issues relevant to immigrant and refugee communities; and to build and maintain relationships with peer organizations, coalitions, members of the community, and stakeholders.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Manager of Advocacy & Community Organizing, the Community Advocate will play a crucial role in developing and executing various essential functions through advocacy, community building, and strategy planning. The person will play a significant role in writing, editing, and producing content, as well as coordinating media and activity, and planning and implementing integrated advocacy strategies across The Center’s various legal campaigns and initiatives. This is an exciting opportunity for an energetic and dynamic self-starter who is eager to make an impact with a small but passionate team by applying their own vision and voice to movement work. The ideal candidate will be a strong writer who is comfortable learning new skills, multitasking, and working in a fast-paced environment to adapt to the evolving needs of impacted communities. Over time, the scope of this position may evolve based on the candidate’s interests and strengths, as well as emerging organizational needs.

Advocacy

• In close collaboration with the Manager of Advocacy & Community Organizing, develop novel, bold, and mission-informed strategies to carry out the Center’s goals;
• Build and maintain necessary relationships with community members, peer organizations, and coalitions across the country, and relevant stakeholders;
• Work closely with attorney staff to inform and support litigation and legislative efforts related to the Center’s mission, including managing relationships with potential or actual litigation class members; and,
• Represent the Center independently and in coordination with other staff to carry out the work of the organization.

Outreach & Education

• Develop, implement, and execute integrated advocacy strategies across The Center’s various legal campaigns and initiatives across various media, including flyers, social media (i.e. text, graphics, and short-form video), and other materials;
• Develop rapid and in-depth analyses to share with a variety of audiences in the form of policy briefs, one-pagers, fact sheets, and presentations;
• Collaborate with other Center staff to create and publish the Center’s annual report detailing its operations, efforts, and achievements;
• Monitor the news cycle to stay abreast of issues relating to immigrants' rights and immigration detention to identify opportunities for advocacy; and,
• Maintain and update the Center’s Media, Advocacy & Outreach Contact List.

Necessary Qualifications

• Candidate must live in, or be willing to relocate to, Southern California;
• Two to four years of experience in an advocacy-related role for a non-profit or government organization;
• A demonstrated commitment to refugee and immigrants' rights, or other social justice causes impacting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and immigrant communities;
• A high level of emotional intelligence and the ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with allies and non-allies alike;
• Exceptional interpersonal, planning, and analytical skills;
• Strategic thinker with an ability to anticipate challenges and address roadblocks as they arise; Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strong relationships and partnerships with national and grassroots organizations and coalitions;
• Fostering a positive work environment while being able to juggle many projects, deadlines, and communication threads;
• Impeccable organization skills, attention to detail, with the ability to prioritize tasks and responsibilities;
• Experience with work tools such as Google Suite and/or other cloud-based file storage platforms;
• Experience managing social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook; and,
• Ability and comfort to travel throughout the United States, as needed.

Desired Qualities and Experience

• A four-year degree from an accredited U.S. university or college is preferred, but not required;
• Fluency in Spanish or another language other than English; and,
• Lived experience with issues impacting the immigrant and refugee communities.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary for this remote-friendly position is $70,000- $80,000. We offer a robust benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance policies, paid family leave, an employer-matched 401(k), short-term disability insurance, and generous vacation benefits, as well as a technology subsidy (cellular+ internet service) and mental health days.

Employees are eligible for benefits after 30 days of employment for all employees working an average of 30 hours per week or more.

We are a small team, dedicated to the mission of the organization, with a collaborative and flexible, remote-friendly work environment. We value quality and consistency of work over formalities.

Application Process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to applications received by August 22, 2025. Priority Start Date: September 2025.

To apply, please email daisy@centerforhumanrights.org with the following:

1. Resume
2. A cover letter that includes your perspective on the following questions:
   1. What motivates you to work for The Center?
   2. What specific skills, life and work experiences, and/or interests do you bring that you believe would contribute to and align with The Center’s mission and values?
3. A one-page writing sample, created without any assistance from artificial intelligence. Please share as a PDF file or as a web link in your email.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Applications that do not respond to cover letter questions will not be considered. Due to capacity, we will only be able to respond to applicants who are selected to move forward in the hiring process.

Equal Opportunity

The Center is an equal opportunity employer, and we strongly encourage and seek applications from women, BIPOC, immigrants, people with disabilities, people who are bilingual or multilingual, including nonnative speakers, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. The Center is firmly committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity (“EEO”) laws. The Center strictly prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of the individual’s race, creed, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, height and/or weight, disability, gender identity or expression, medical condition including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related conditions, marital status, partnership status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, military status, arrest record and any other characteristic protected by law. Accommodations will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application. While performing the job responsibilities, accommodations will be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the job's essential functions.

Any questions regarding the position should be sent to the Manager of Advocacy & Community Karen Hernández at admin@centerforhumanrights.org.