Deputy General Counsel for Administration and Chief of Staff

ABOUT LATINOJUSTICE PRLDEF

Founded in 1972 as the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, LatinoJustice PRLDEF (LJP) just celebrated a milestone 50 years as a leading civil rights and social justice organization. LJP’s core issue areas include voting rights and redistricting, economic justice, immigrant rights, criminal legal system (policing and prison) reform, racial justice, leadership development, and issues specific to Puerto Rico. LJP uses multiple strategies, including litigation, advocacy, and community education and engagement, to protect and advance the rights of the Latinx and other communities of color. LJP is headquartered in New York City, and has regional offices in Orlando, FL, and Austin, TX.

JOB DESCRIPTION

LatinoJustice PRLDEF (LJP) seeks an experienced and dynamic attorney to play a key leadership role in shepherding the organization through a period of growth and the expansion of its programmatic reach.

LJP’s Deputy General Counsel for Administration and Chief of Staff (DGC-A) directly reports to Lourdes M. Rosado, who was appointed LJP’s 10th President & General Counsel (PGC) in September 2021. The DGC-A role is dedicated to advancing the objectives of both the PGC and LJP as a whole. The DGC-A oversees various administrative functions in the organization; acts as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the PGC; manages the ongoing review and alignment of organizational strategy with leadership priorities and key performance indicators; identifies and undertakes key organization-wide projects and initiatives; and provides overall organizational leadership, facilitation, and coordination.

The DGC-A works closely with fellow members of the Senior Leadership Team to advance LJP’s mission, vision, strategy, and goals. They handle complex situations and multiple responsibilities simultaneously, balancing long-term priorities with the urgency of immediate demands.

The position requires an individual who exercises impeccable judgment and discretion; is solution-oriented with excellent problem-solving skills; constantly surveys the environment to identify gaps and issues needing attention and then develops and implements a game plan to address these issues; and has exceptional communications skills and can build strong relationships to influence, collaborate with, and generate actionable results with staff at all levels of the organization.

They successful candidate is highly collaborative and possesses a high degree of emotional intelligence, and an ability to thrive in quick-paced and high-pressure environments while always treating their colleagues with the utmost respect; approaches their work with a level of sincerity and humility, and embraces teamwork; creates a culture of transparency around them while also enforcing appropriate and necessary boundaries and maintaining confidentiality around sensitive matters; and builds respect, trust, camaraderie, and credibility among their colleagues while also driving performance and holding team members accountable.

The successful candidate also shares in LJP’s commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and its mission to advance social justice and civil rights.

This full-time position is based in LJP’s New York City office. The DGC-A reports directly to the President & General Counsel and serves as a member of LJP’s senior leadership team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Administration and Operations

• Work closely with the Chief Operating Officer and other members of the Senior Leadership Team to ensure that all internal operating policies and protocols comply with applicable laws and regulations.
• Maintain an awareness of, analyze, interpret, and make recommendations regarding existing and proposed laws and regulations affecting LJP operations, programming, and nonprofit compliance. Consult with outside counsel as appropriate.
• Prepare and file registrations, disclosures, and reports to state agencies as required under state laws, including state charitable solicitation laws and lobbying laws. Consult with outside counsel as needed.
• Review and/or draft all contracts, vendor agreements, and leases to ensure compliance with existing laws, regulations, and LJP policies, and ensure that such agreements are in the interest of LJP.
• Review Requests for Proposals to be released by LJP to assure compliance with existing laws, regulations, and LJP policies.
• Serve as a member of LJP’s management team in negotiations of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with representatives of the staff association (union), including drafting proposed provisions to the CBA and drafting responses to staff association proposals.
• Act as an ambassador to staff regarding LJP’s policies and procedures.

Direct Support to the PGC

• Serve as a thought partner to the PGC, helping her resolve key challenges, offering perspectives, and identifying risks and tradeoffs.
• Serve as a liaison between staff, department Directors, the Senior Leadership Team, and the PGC.
• Support staff in presenting information to the PGC concisely, promptly, and with the right level of detail so that the PGC can efficiently make informed decisions.
• In consultation with the Senior Leadership Team and department directors, draft agendas for various meetings and retreats, including identifying needed pre-meeting preparation and materials and providing such to participants in advance to ensure robust, productive meetings.
• In collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team, manage the PGC’s communications to staff, including drafting internal messages and memos.
• Keep the PGC abreast of LJP’s real-time organizational culture dynamics, including employee well-being, project statuses, new proposals, and planning.
• Act as an “early warning system” and identify, stay abreast of, and brief the PGC on high-level emerging or urgent issues and ensure a timely response.

Administrative Liaison to Board of Directors

• In collaboration with the PGC, develop and refine Board meeting agendas.
• In collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team, PGC’s Executive Assistant and committee chairs, schedule meetings of various Board committees and develop agendas.
• Serve as a liaison between the PGC and Board officers and members as needed.
• Ensure that LJP complies with applicable rules and regulations set in bylaws regarding Board and Board committee matters. Suggest and draft updates to Board bylaws and other governance documents as required by changes in applicable laws and regulations.
• Maintain discretion and confidentiality in relationships with all Board members regarding all Board and Board committee matters.

Project Management

The DGC-A provides oversight for large cross-functional, organization-wide projects and initiatives. A key aspect of the DGC-A’s role is to identify and bring together the internal stakeholders necessary to help drive the projects and to ensure broad buy-in and adoption. Specific responsibilities include the following:

• Work closely with the PGC and Senior Leadership Team, in particular the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to identify areas requiring planning and attention and to ensure alignment of strategic priorities and projects across LJP’s program areas and operating departments.
• As needed, lead and manage projects across LJP’s functional areas that require interdepartmental collaboration.
• Serve as a key organizational problem solver and innovator, collaborating on creative and effective solutions.
• Convene and facilitate key meetings and conversations with internal and external stakeholders on behalf of the PGC to execute above-described plans.
• Bridge intradepartmental gaps and maintain continuity during leadership and structural change.

Strategic Planning

The DGC-A works closely with the PGC and Senior Leadership Team to develop LJP’s strategic plan and plays an active role in moving the organization’s strategic plan forward. Specific responsibilities include the following:

• Manage the design and execution of LJP’s strategic planning process—including the processes for setting priority objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs), monitoring plan implementation and KPIs, and making necessary adjustments to the plan in response to changes in the environment—to ensure rich participation and ownership by LJP staff in both the process and the plan.
• Manage the design and execution of LJP’s annual work plan process, to ensure that plans clearly set forth the strategies and activities that LJP will undertake to achieve priority objectives in the organization’s strategic plan, and that there is sufficient capacity to execute the work plans.
• Work to inspire input, ownership, and accountability for the strategic and work planning processes throughout the organization by identifying stakeholders, setting clear milestones, and developing mechanisms to track progress.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A J.D. degree.

Admission to the Bar of New York, Texas, or Florida preferred.

• A minimum of 10 years of directly relevant professional experience in a non-profit organization or government agency required; at least 5 years of experience in an administrative, strategy, or senior-level executive role strongly preferred.
• Excellent legal writing and research skills.
• Experience in project/program management, change management, strategic planning and implementation, management of business processes, and executive office operations.
• Deep experience in implementing institutional policies, programs, and activities and facilitating collaboration across functions, departments, and teams.
• Demonstrated track record of success in driving organizational change and results, facilitating strategic decision making, and developing and managing complex projects.
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to set and juggle multiple priorities, manage cross-functional organization-wide projects or initiatives, support team members, and track complex tasks across multiple stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills, high emotional intelligence, and a savvy manager of relationships.
• Proven problem solver who can make clear-headed decisions while under pressure.
• Flexible, adaptable, and ability to prioritize and multi-task when necessary.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong and engaging interpersonal skills with the capacity to lead via influence with an approach that attracts and inspires others.
• Unfaltering commitment to discretion and confidentiality.
• Comfortable and effective at managing challenging conversations and situations.
• Commitment to values of transparency, respect, integrity, accountability, equity, and inclusion, in their management and leadership style.
• Demonstrated commitment to civil rights issues and commitment to advancing social justice and human rights for Latinos and other communities of color.

COMPENSATION

Salary is commensurate with experience, with a start point of $160,000 for candidates who meet the minimum requirements.

LJP comprehensive benefits include fully paid health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability. Generous paid time off, voluntary retirement plan with employer match, and professional development. Employees can also take advantage of various pre-tax offerings such as commuter, parking, health savings accounts, and dependent care accounts.

PLEASE NOTE:

LJP staff is currently working in hybrid mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of this posting, this job is designed as hybrid. Workplace attendance criteria is being determined as conditions and public health guidance evolve.

LatinoJustice PRLDEF is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or any other legally protected status.

By submitting an application for employment you attest that all the information provided is true, accurate and complete. You acknowledge and are aware that the falsification, misrepresentation or omission of any requested information on your application and any accompanying documents will be grounds for denial of employment. In the event such falsification, misrepresentation or omission is discovered subsequent to an offer and acceptance of employment, you acknowledge that any such false or misleading information in your application or provided during interview(s) will constitute grounds for discipline including termination of employment and discharge, regardless of when or how such false or misleading information was discovered.