Sr. Supervising Organizer, Housing & Consumer Justice

LAJC Sr. Supervising Organizer, Housing & Consumer Justice

Falls Church, Virginia

Founded in 1967, LAJC has offices in Charlottesville, Richmond, Petersburg, and Falls Church and provides services under six key program areas: Civil Rights & Racial Justice (focuses on the criminal legal system), Housing & Consumer Justice, Youth Justice, Health Justice & Public Benefits, Immigrant Justice, and Worker Justice. As examples of LAJC’s recent work, our lawsuit and organizing against the state forced reform of Virginia’s unemployment insurance system, including advocacy that resulted in the distribution of over $1 billion in illegally withheld payments to over 160,000 Virginians. During the pandemic, we demanded and secured a statewide eviction moratorium and emergency pandemic protections that helped hundreds of families avoid eviction. We reduced incarceration across the state, including reducing the population of a local immigration detention center down to historically low levels through a coordinated effort of organizing paired with impact and individual litigation. Our staff are on the front lines of some of the most important anti-poverty fights happening today.

With a staff of over 90, the past few years have been a time of exciting growth and opportunity for the organization. In addition to the growth of programmatic efforts including increased organizing capacity, LAJC has expanded its operations and administrative capacity, created new opportunities for professional growth and leadership among staff, engaged in ongoing race equity work, and explored changes to organizational structure to deepen its efforts to create long-term, sustainable, community-driven change.

LAJC’s latest strategic plan is available at LAJC Strategic Plan 2022-2026.

For more information about LAJC’s work and programs, visit justice4all.org.

Responsibilities:

• Supervise up to 3-4 staff within their respective programs. Senior Supervisors may start with a smaller number may increase over time up to 3-4 direct reports within their respective programs. 
• Provide day-to-day supervision and mentorship for staff under your supervision, including conducting regular check-ins and onboarding.
• Manage a schedule that ensures coverage at the Annandale and Culmore day laborer sites for 6 days a week, with a total of 44 hours a week split between a group of three staff in the day laborer team plus other LAJC staff, as needed. 
• Build leadership and power with those directly impacted by inequities in Fairfax County’s day laborer communities, especially as they relate to housing and workers’ rights. 
• Relationship and partnership building with individuals, organizations, businesses, and government agencies active in Fairfax County, especially in the Annandale and Culmore neighborhoods. 
• Lead and support existing strategic campaigns and organizing initiatives, such as efforts to improve housing conditions or address rampant wage theft. 
• Use multiple forms of media to educate community members on their rights and relevant policies. 
• Mobilize for policy changes related to worker and tenants’ rights at local, statewide, and federal levels, as needs arise and capacity allows. 
• Work with a team to develop and implement strategies incorporating impact litigation, direct representation, policy advocacy, and community organizing.
• Refer individuals to other community resources and legal services, as appropriate. 
• Racial Equity (Helper/Consultant): Promote racial equity across all dimensions, including within LAJC, by doing the following: Helping to recruit, retain, and support both staff and leadership that reflect the racial composition of our community; 
• Cultivating respect for the work of and expanding resources for non-attorney staff that are disproportionately people of color; 
• Creating spaces for staff to discuss issues of racial, gender, and all other issues of marginalization; and 
• Pushing for institutional and cultural changes by management, the board, and staff to further promote racial equity.  

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• Strong commitment to social, economic, and racial justice. 
• Minimum of 3 years of experience with community organizing, advocacy, or strategic campaigning – knows how to identify an issue, bring a community together, and achieve lasting change. 
• A sufficient level of Spanish fluency to interview clients in Spanish without the assistance of an interpreter. 
• Demonstrated experience working with individuals and/or communities directly. 
• Coaching or mentorship experience for developing leaders in impacted communities who can speak for themselves. 
• Ability to work in teams and own or delegate tasks as defined by the team roles. 
• Access to reliable transportation and willingness to occasionally travel to other parts of the state and to LAJC’s other offices. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Management or supervisory experience (formal or informal), particularly in advocacy work. 
• Lived or professional experience in communities historically marginalized due to race, immigration status, gender, etc. 
• Experience using media to amplify the needs of a community. 
• Ability to use a variety of tools to reach the community, account for accessibility needs, and keep people engaged (ex. online tools, door-knocking, social media). 
• Experience coordinating organizing strategies with legal advocacy strategies (ex. organizing a public pressure campaign alongside a lawsuit or legislation). 

Application Instructions: Complete the online application and submit all additional application materials via upload. This position requires a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references. You can address your cover letter to the hiring manager, Catherine Cone. Please note, we will not contact references without advance consent from candidates.

Location: This role will be based in the Falls Church office Occasional travel between offices will be required. Although a regular presence in the office is required, LAJC offers a remote work policy to support employees in co-creating schedules and arrangements that allow us all to do our best work.

A Note to Potential Candidates: Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary folks, and BIPOC are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.

Application Deadline: We will begin reviewing applications as of September 20, 2024, but we will accept applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled, and we encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Salary: The salary scale for this position is $70,000 - $97,298.57 based on years of relevant experience and LAJC's salary scale; an upward 12% cost-of-living adjustment ($78,400 - 108,974.40) is available for positions based in Falls Church. Placement on the range will be based on factors such as years of relevant experience, budget, and internal equity.

Benefits: Our mission is compelling, and our team members are passionate about their work, and so we recognize the need to provide generous benefits and encourage rest and a healthy work environment. For example, we provide:

• Generous paid time off every year, including 3 to 6 weeks of vacation, 12 days of health leave, 6 weeks parental leave, and 14 holidays (not including bonus holidays/rest days allocated as needed) 
• 100% employer paid health, dental, and vision insurance, plus excellent family insurance with annual max of $2,400 premium contribution to LAJC-sponsored health plan 
• 403(b) retirement plan with 4% employer contribution (no required match) 
• Strong commitment to professional development 
• Relocation package available where applicable

Vaccination Requirement: The Legal Aid Justice Center requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved medical or religious exemption as a qualification of employment. Proof of vaccination or accommodation request must be provided within one day of employment.

The Legal Aid Justice Center is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, experiences, and communities to apply. The Legal Aid Justice Center is committed to strengthening the voices of our low-income clients, working in collaboration with community partners, and rooting out the inequities that keep people in poverty. We strive to take on the issues that have broad impact on our client communities and to be responsive to client input. Recognizing the particular impact of racism on our clients and staff, we devote special attention to dismantling racial injustice. All applicants must be dedicated to working in and sustaining an environment that enables staff and clients to feel empowered, valued, respected, and safe. In reviewing applications, we look for evidence that applicants have experience and/or thoughtfulness in working with traditionally marginalized populations.