Vice President of Strategic Programs and Partnerships

About JustLeadershipUSA

JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA), founded in 2014, amplifies the power of people with lived experience with the criminal legal system to self-organize and empower their communities to dismantle racist and oppressive systems in their communities to build a just U.S. JLUSA reimagines a fair system of justice and an equitable U.S. that centers on equal access and opportunity to economic mobility by eliminating systems that perpetuate inequities and disadvantages, expanding pathways to economic justice, and ending mass incarceration. Our impact goal is ultimately parity of wealth through economic mobility for people with lived experience and their communities. We work to achieve this impact through our Leadership Training & Technical Assistance Institute and our JustUs Coordinating Council, with our success closely dependent upon our effectiveness in partnering with impact-aligned organizations and employers.

Position Overview

The Vice President of Strategic Programs & Partnerships leads the development and execution of partnerships that advance JLUSA’s Impact Strategy across priority states and national initiatives. This role requires a leader who can build relationships, open doors, and translate partnerships into measurable outcomes for leadership development, policy impact, and organizational growth. This position reports to the President & CEO and supervises a staff of 2 to 3.

Responsibilities include:

Strategic Partnership Development

Lead and manage partnerships aligned with JLUSA’s Impact Strategy, ensuring all external relationships advance organizational priorities. Represent JLUSA in national spaces and build relationships that expand opportunities for National Leaders and alumni.

Organizing and Movement Engagement

Maintain strong relationships across the justice reform movement and directly impacted leadership networks. Identify and activate opportunities for JLUSA leaders to engage in advocacy, policy, and coalition leadership.

Impact Strategy Advancement

Translate partnerships into initiatives that directly support JLUSA’s Impact Strategy and priority states. Ensure all partnerships contribute to leadership development, policy goals, and measurable organizational impact.

Strategic Execution and Accountability

Manage a portfolio of partnerships with clear outcomes tied to organizational priorities and impact goals. Track and report progress quarterly, demonstrating results and alignment with JLUSA’s strategy.

Strategic Program Management

With support from Partnerships staff, oversee strategic programs and collaborative initiatives, ensuring delivery of outcomes, reporting requirements, and partner expectations. Participate in key stakeholder meetings and ensure programs are executed effectively.

Institutional Collaboration and Development Alignment

Work closely with Development to align partnerships with funding opportunities and long-term sustainability. Support joint proposals and institutional relationships that strengthen JLUSA’s growth.

Department Management and Staff Supervision

Lead departmental planning, budgeting, and execution to ensure alignment with organizational goals. Supervise Partnerships staff, provide coaching, and ensure high performance and accountability across the team.

Cross-Department Collaboration

Collaborate with Programs, Policy, Development, Operations, and Communications to integrate partnerships into JLUSA’s broader strategy. Ensure partnerships translate into tangible opportunities across all departments.

Senior Leadership Responsibilities

Serve on the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to organizational strategy and execution. Model accountability and ensure all external work aligns with JLUSA’s mission and priorities.

Qualifications

JustLeadershipUSA seeks a candidate with the following qualities and skills:

• Minimum 10 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and advocacy, organizing, or partnerships, with demonstrated ability to build relationships across sectors.
• Strong strategic and leadership skills, with a commitment to justice reform and directly impacted leadership.
• Experience supervising staff and managing department-level budgets and operations.

Success in this Role

• Within 12–18 months, build a high-performing partnership portfolio that advances JLUSA’s Impact Strategy and expands opportunities for National Leaders.
• Demonstrate measurable impact through partnerships, policy engagement, and leadership pipeline growth.

Travel Expectations

This is a national role requiring regular monthly travel to priority states, partner meetings, and national convenings. Candidates must be comfortable representing JLUSA across diverse environments.

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance: All eligible full-time employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in employer-sponsored benefit plans, with coverage beginning on 1st of the month following 30-days of continuous full-time employment. JLUSA pays full premium cost for core dental and vision insurance, with higher coverage plans available with employee contributions. JLUSA pays 80% of medical insurance premium.
• Paid Holidays: All federally observed holidays, Christmas Eve, and the day after Thanksgiving.
• Sick and Vacation Time: Full-time employees accrue 20 days of paid sick leave and 15 days of paid vacation per year. Vacation accrual rate increases after 5 years of employment.
• Additional Paid Time Off: Two-week office closure around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
• Short- and Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance: JLUSA covers full premiums for all eligible full-time employees. Life insurance benefit is up to 2 times employee’s annual salary.
• Retirement Account: JLUSA offers full-time employees with opportunity to participate in 401(k) Tax Deferred Savings Plan. JLUSA adds $1.00 for every $1.00 an employee contributes to their 401(k) account, up to first 4% of their eligible compensation.
• Wellness: Confidential and professional assistance available through contracted Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for personal, family or workplace problems.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Employees may enroll in flexible spending accounts for health, dependent care, and commuting costs, in accordance with IRS guidelines.

Benefits subject to change.