Director of Program Planning, Services and Support

About Acacia Center for Justice:

The Acacia Center for Justice (“Acacia”) provides legal support and representation to immigrants facing deportation through the development, coordination, and management of national networks of legal services providers serving immigrants across the country. Acacia’s goals are twofold: to support immigrant legal services and defense networks to provide exceptional legal services to immigrants; and to advocate for the expansion of these programs and the infrastructure critical to guaranteeing immigrants access to justice, fairness, and freedom. Acacia ensures accountable, independent, zealous, and person-centered legal services and representation to protect the rights of all immigrants.

Job Summary:

Acacia and its partners operate and manage multiple nationwide legal access and representation programs. These programs provide critical services to immigrant adults, children and families in immigration detention and/or in removal proceedings. With federal immigration policy and priorities constantly changing, these programs are regularly called upon to pivot and shift with little to no notice. The Director of Program Planning, Services and Support will create and spearhead this new unit, an agile team allowing for greater flexibility and nimble responsiveness to shifting requirements.

The Director will coordinate planning, workflow and process management across the Program and Research units, provide staffing support on new and urgent issues where necessary, and support the Chief Program Officer in ensuring effective program execution and implementation across Acacia’s programs in the face of evolving demands. The Director will be adaptable and collaborative in their approach to work, confident and competent in moving projects and achieving deliverables in a timely manner, and resilient in the face of change.

The Director has three primary areas of responsibility.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities:

Supervise, develop and lead the Program Planning, Services and Support team

• Hire and supervise a core team of detail-oriented project management, program implementation and planning professionals with a culture of flexibility, support, problem-solving and resilience.
• Develop processes for monitoring and shifting workload to enable the rapid deployment of staff to meet new and/or changing priorities

Develop and implement process-mapping across units to support efficient and effective workflow and task implementation

• Collect, document and update programmatic workflows – internal and external
• Work with program teams to create centralized information for each program’s provider network
• Identify and problem-solve areas of need for increased efficiency or effectiveness in coordination with relevant units/teams

Support programs in responding to shifting program demands and priorities

• As new and urgent issues arise, work closely with the Deputy Chief of Programs and Managing Directors to develop supportive staffing responses as necessary, which may include reallocating team responsibilities and deploying team members to various program teams for limited time periods
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with Directors and Managing Directors across Acacia, and a working understanding of their programs and needs.
• Create opportunities for PPSS staff to engage regularly with programs so that they are primed to support new and urgent issues in program execution and implementation as necessary.

Required Skills, Knowledge, Abilities:

• Uncompromising commitment to immigrants’ rights.
• Demonstrated understanding of how person-centeredness impacts the reach and effectiveness of legal access and of the role of race in how people have – or do not have – meaningful access to legal information, orientation, or advice.
• Experience supervising interdisciplinary teams, supporting contract deliverables, and supporting staff of different experience levels.
• Demonstrated high level adaptability, readily embracing change and effectively managing diverse tasks in a fluid landscape
• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills; the demonstrated ability to build credibility within the immigrants’ rights field; and the ability to engage and persuade broader audiences without resorting to technical language.
• Demonstrated capacity to engage in strategic planning and innovation, especially to remove barriers to, expand, and strengthen legal access for all immigrants.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with others towards short- and longer-term goals.
• Demonstrated ability to problem-solve under challenging circumstances, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and exhibit resilience in the face of constant change
• Deep commitment to race, equity, and inclusion, and to treating others, regardless of organizational hierarchy, with empathy, patience, and person-centeredness.

Additional eligibility requirements:

• In accordance with federal contracts, a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) check may be required for this position.

List of Required Software applications:

• Microsoft Office suite, Zoom.

Preferred Skills, Knowledge, Abilities:

• Experience negotiating obstacles to access to justice for people in carceral, detention, or institutional settings.
• Experience providing legal defense to people who are detained or incarcerated.
• Program management experience, especially of legal service or representation programs that contain a training and technical assistance component.
• Additional degree or experience in a policy, management, or program innovation field, including, e.g., an M.S.W., M.B.A., or like a degree or experience.
• Experience with community organizing and connecting grassroots ideas to innovative solutions.
• Knowledge of the immigrants’ rights field, including previous experience working with key field stakeholders.
• Experience building partnerships with legal services providers to meet the needs of people in jails, prisons, and/or immigration detention.
• Lived experience and/or demonstrated commitment to challenging inequities and racism in the immigration legal system.
• Demonstrated ability to promote team/coalition cohesion, to build staff morale, and to function as an equitable team member.

Education and Experience:

• Advanced degree in Law or Public Policy or similar degree and 10+ years of relevant work experience in legal access or representation services, immigration policy, or a related field.

Compensation and Benefits:

Acacia has established an internal compensation philosophy that centers equity and pay transparency. The salary for this position is set at $146,000. The salary listed is just one component of Acacia’s total compensation package for employees. Supporting Acacia staff—both personally and professionally—is our priority.

• Medical/Dental/Vision- Some plans at $0 cost to the employee
• Employee Assistance Program
• 20 days per year of vacation time
• 12 days per year of sick time
• 5 personal days
• 4 organization-wide Wellness Days
• 11 observed holidays, including the last week of December.
• $2000 Professional Development Stipend
• Home office set-up stipend
• Internet Stipend
• 401k with 5% employer contribution, no employee participation required.
• Student loan repayment assistance.
• Gym Reimbursement

People of color and those who have been impacted by the criminal system and immigration system are strongly urged to apply. Acacia is deeply committed to race equality, inclusion and belonging and strives to create a work culture that recognizes everyone's unique lived experience.

To Apply:

Submit your resume and cover letter through the Acacia Careers site. If you encounter technical issues or have accessibility needs, email your resume and cover letter to hiring@acaciajustice.org with Subject: ATTN: Human Resources / [Job Title], Acacia Center for Justice

PLEASE ONLY SUBMIT THROUGH ONE METHOD. 

Equal Opportunity Employment:

Acacia is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to recruit persons of diverse backgrounds and support their retention and advancement within the organization. We are committed to fostering a workplace culture inclusive of people with respect to their race, ethnicity, national origin, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, marital status, age, disabilities, political affiliation, religious beliefs, or any other characteristic. Our commitment to justice and diversity also means providing a work environment that is welcoming, respectful, and engaging. 

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties, responsibilities and requirements but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function within our organization..

Acacia Center for Justice is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

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