Regional Program Director -- California

Partners for Justice works at the intersection of civil legal services, social services, and public defense. Our mission is to break the cycle of poverty and incarceration by helping low-income people stay out of jail and fighting the collateral consequences that disproportionately impact the poor and people of color. PFJ is seeking a Regional Program Director to lead our work in California.

PFJ recruits, trains, and places teams of non-attorney Client Advocates in public defender offices, where they spot civil legal issues, connect clients with supportive services, and provide mitigation support. Since our launch in 2018, PFJ has grown rapidly and we now support five jurisdictions across the country and reach more than 2,500 clients annually.

At a national level, PFJ focuses on recruiting and training Client Advocates, building relationships with Public Defenders and community referral partners, and ongoing coaching and support to Advocate teams and their offices. This work is critical to ensure that PFJ Advocates have the right skills, support, and community to fight on behalf of their clients. With PFJ’s rapid growth, we are expanding our national team and seeking a Regional Program Director to work directly with Advocates and our Public Defender partners in California. This person will be PFJ’s primary point of contact with a portfolio of partner offices and their Advocate teams, playing a crucial role in creating robust holistic services for PFJ clients. The Regional Director will also help drive our growth in California, seeking out and developing new partnerships and resources to support PFJ’s work.

Regional Director Responsibilities

• Coach and empower PFJ Advocates: Provide one-on-one support to Advocates on personal and professional development. Work with teams to identify and integrate best practices for the PFJ program in their office. Organize regular trainings or workshops to deliver local learning experiences that meet Advocate needs (in partnership with office supervisors).
• Technical assistance to offices: Act as primary point of contact with designated public defender partners, building meaningful relationships with Advocate supervisors. Offer advice and best practices on integrating the PFJ program into office practice.
• Partnership development: Working with Advocates and office supervisors, identify and build relationships with community-based organizations and government agencies providing services that benefit clients. Identify public defenders who are a good fit for the PFJ program and work with them to bring Advocates to their office.
• Fundraising: With support and direction from PFJ’s Executive Directors, identify possible California-based grant opportunities to support PFJ’s work and contribute to relationship building and proposal development.
• Community awareness: Maintain knowledge of local dynamics and context that affect clients, including developments in the criminal legal system or related to poverty alleviation. Help Advocates understand the communities in which they are working.
• National resources: Help define the PFJ Advocate role and experience. Gather best practices and contribute to national resources to enhance the Advocate practice and experience. Contribute to PFJ’s annual and ongoing training events.
• Coordination: Facilitate communication between national PFJ team and local Advocate and office teams, ensuring visibility on national initiatives and local dynamics.