Immigrant Rights Program Director

The Opportunity

At this critical moment when civil and constitutional rights are under unprecedented attack, the Asian Law Caucus (ALC) seeks an experienced litigator or policy expert to serve as Program Director for our Immigrant Justice Program (IJ Program Director). The IJ Program Director will play a significant role in advancing ALC’s mission protecting immigrant communities, particularly Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities, including Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities. They will provide vision, leadership, and mentorship to a team of attorneys and community advocates working in ALC’s Immigrant Justice Program and will provide strategic thought partnership with the rest of the Senior Leadership Team and Executive team.

The Immigrant Rights Justice program works to uphold due process and equal protection for all, regardless of immigration status, and to end detention, discrimination, and systemic harm, and build toward a humane immigration system that keeps families and communities together. 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 will also work with staff and collaborate with ALC’s other programs and strategies.

The ideal candidate is attuned to and has deep expertise in immigration policy and legal analysis on sanctuary, denaturalization, visa processing, and other enforcement policies and practices, and is committed to building leadership and power with and for impacted communities. Experience working on national security issues is highly desired. The Program Director 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.

The Organization

ALC is the nation’s first legal organization focusing on advancing and defending the civil rights of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. Since 1972, ALC has fought for 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, across our immigrant rights, workers' rights, housing rights, national security and community safety, and National Democracy Initiative programs, and other emerging areas of law.

Responsibilities

Strategy Development & Implementation

• Develop and oversee the implementation of program goals and strategies in collaboration with the Executive Team, including the Chief Strategy Officer, Legal Director, Policy Director, and Communications Director
• Develop community engagement strategies, in collaboration with the Chief Strategy Officer and the other Program Directors, and ensure successful execution
• Identify intersecting Immigrant Justice work with other programs and collaborate on strategy and execution
• Work closely with the Development staff on grant proposals, reporting, and fundraising events
• Develop and consistently maintain technical expertise on immigration issues that impact our clients and communities

Community, Partner, & Funder Engagement

• 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, Chief Strategy Officer, and Chief Development Officer, Development Director, engage with funders, including providing regular written analyses and identifying new opportunities

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, manage, and mentor team members with clear accountability and effective work plan implementation
• Develop and manage Immigrant Justice team budget and resources that aligns with the program's goals and the organization's mission
• Recruit, hire, supervise, including staff attorneys and community advocates
• Serve as leadership/management team member, contributing to organizational strategy and decision-making
• Lead, model, and promote a healthy culture of collaboration and accountability for the organization and for the team
• 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 and/or removal defense, and/or constitutional and civil rights, with a legal services, policy advocacy, and/or state/federal court litigation approach, ideally with familiarity in practicing in a nonprofit organization
• Experience working with external co-counsel or in a coalition setting comprised of multiple organizational partners and demonstrated ability to resolve conflicts constructively
• 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 immigration and other issues, such as employment, housing, national security, and civil rights, is 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 AAPI and AMEMSA 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, Khmer, Vietnamese, Chinese, Urdu) are a plus, but not required