Associate Vice President, Economic Justice

Bet Tzedek Legal Services•Los Angeles, CA

6d•$155,000 - $160,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Vice President of Justice for Taxpayers, Workers, & Small Business Owners provides leadership for Bet Tzedek’s work addressing the legal needs of small business owners, low-wage workers, and taxpayers through the Employment Rights Project, Small Business Development project, and Low-Income Tax Initiative. The role provides strategic direction and program management, working with the CEO and Vice President of Legal Programs to establish and achieve the portfolio’s mission, vision, and short- and long-term goals. It oversees legal services, litigation, policy advocacy, and fund development for the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, Employment Rights Program, and Small Business Development Program. The Associate Vice President collaborates with Impact Advocacy staff on impact litigation and policy advocacy, with the Pro Bono Department to promote a “pro bono first” service model, with External Affairs and Finance to support fiscal stability and growth, and with the Vice President of Compliance to meet program compliance requirements. The position supervises the programs’ Directing Attorneys and supports staff through recruitment, development, mentorship, and attention to sustainable workloads. It also engages external partners, community stakeholders, and media in pursuit of strategic goals. The position is eligible for Bet Tzedek Legal Services’ hybrid/remote workplace designation. The primary workplace is Bet Tzedek’s offices; remote work or work at other locations may be permitted or required at the immediate supervisor’s discretion, depending on workload and business obligations. Candidates must be located in Southern California and able to commute if needed.

Requirements

Active membership in the California State Bar in good standing.
Demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and in the communities Bet Tzedek serves.
Experience with and commitment to person-centered, trauma-informed legal advocacy.
Ability to work cooperatively across teams, levels, and functions, navigate difficult conversations, and address conflict effectively.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Excellent interpersonal, management, and organizational skills.
Collaborative, transparent, flexible, and compassionate management style.
High emotional intelligence and cultural competency, including curiosity, self-awareness, awareness of bias, empathy, patience, willingness to listen, and a growth and open mindset.

Nice To Haves

At least 10 years of legal experience preferred.
Significant management and mentorship experience with large and varied teams in the nonprofit and legal services sector, including budgeting and grant compliance, strongly preferred.
Significant leadership experience and vision, and demonstrated commitment to advancing justice for small businesses, low-wage workers, and taxpayers, strongly preferred.
Significant leadership experience working in coalitions with external partners and community stakeholders, strongly preferred.
Experience communicating with the press preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the Justice for Taxpayers, Workers, & Small Business Owners advocacy priority to pursue structural and meaningful change for small business owners, low-wage workers, and taxpayers.
Promote information sharing, cross-collaboration, and training among the priority’s programs and across Bet Tzedek.
Develop and oversee data collection strategies to measure client and community impact.
Work with Directing Attorneys to develop and oversee direct-services advocacy strategies for each program.
Identify, evaluate, develop, and oversee impact litigation and policy advocacy opportunities at local, state, and national levels.
Lead program design for new projects, including pro bono programming.
Provide vision and support to Directing Attorneys and staff in delivering high-quality legal services, direct representation, impact litigation, and policy advocacy.
Directly supervise the programs’ Directing Attorneys through individual check-ins, leadership development, growth-oriented feedback, and practices that support staff well-being and sustainable workloads.
Engage external partners, community stakeholders, and media in pursuit of strategic goals with management and staff.
Oversee recruitment, hiring, and onboarding, and provide mentorship, training, and growth opportunities to attorneys and support staff.
Collaborate with management on agency-wide policies and initiatives.
Work with management and staff to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion and trauma-informed practices.
Collaborate with grassroots organizations, legal service providers, social service agencies, and governmental agencies.
Participate in recruiting pro bono attorneys.
Provide comments to media about public issues affecting small business owners, taxpayers, and low-wage workers.
Work with staff, External Affairs, Finance, and leadership to maintain grant funding and seek new funding to support and, where appropriate, expand the priority’s work.
Provide program data and narratives to support funding applications.
Collaborate with the VP of Compliance on grant compliance, including applications, program design, tracking, and reporting.
Oversee budget development and manage program budgets with Finance teams and Directing Attorneys.
Approve invoices and check requests, review outside legal services contracts, and work with the VP of Compliance on internal controls to meet contract requirements.

Benefits

Paid holidays (up to 21 per year), vacation (up to 20 days depending on agency tenure), and sick days (up to 45 annually).
Personal and floating holidays.
Compensatory time for exempt employees.
Various paid leaves.
Medical, dental, vision, chiropractic, and acupuncture coverage for employees and dependents; office visit co-pay reimbursement for HMO enrollees.
Life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, long-term disability insurance, and an Employee Assistance Plan.
Voluntary employee-contributed life and AD&D, accident, critical illness, hospital confinement, and pet insurance.
Employer-contributed profit-sharing plan.
Employee-contributed 403(b) plan.
Healthcare and childcare flexible spending accounts.
Commuter transit and/or parking benefits.