Defense Program Director - Pacific Northwest

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Job location
United States
Organization information
Organization name: 
Partners for Justice
Organization URL: 
http://www.partnersforjustice.org
Job type: 
Legal - Defender
Position Description: 

Partners for Justice (PFJ) was founded to transform public defense locally and across the United States, diminishing the effect of race and wealth on legal outcomes. Our flagship program embeds trained Client Advocates in a host public defender, immediately expanding their ability to provide clients with wraparound support. The Regional Program Director will have responsibility for overseeing Client Advocate programs within the Northwest region.

The Regional Program Director will help recruit and train Client Advocates, build relationships within leadership at their partner public defender offices, provide resources and support to the Advocates’ on-site supervisors, build a network of local partner organizations, and provide coaching and support to Advocates. This work is critical to ensure that each partner office is equipped with the knowledge, capacity, and resources to implement holistic, collaborative practices.

The Regional Program Director will report to PFJ’s West Coast Director.

Responsibilities include:

  1. Program management:
    2. The Regional Program Director will have primary responsibility for the success of PFJ’s programs in Multnomah County, Oregon and with the Tribal Defender's Office for the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes in Montana. This includes ensuring that PFJ meets all programmatic objectives, including recruitment, training delivery, and service provision. PFJ will be actively seeking to grow this Director's portfolio by at least one office in 2024-2025.

  2. Technical assistance:
    3. Serve as primary point of contact with designated public defender leadership and build meaningful, credible relationships with Advocate supervisors. Offer advice and best practices on integrating collaborative defense generally and the PFJ program specifically into office practice.

  3. Supervise, coach & empower:
    4. Provide one-on-one support to Advocates on personal and professional development. Ensure PFJ’s Advocate performance expectations are consistently met. Organize regular trainings or workshops to deliver local learning experiences that meet Advocate needs.

  4. Partnership development:
    5. Working with Advocates and office supervisors, identify and build relationships with community-based organizations and government agencies providing services that benefit clients.

  5. National resources:
    6. 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.

  6. Coordination:
    7. Facilitate communication between the national PFJ team, Advocates based in the Northwest region, and partner office leadership, ensuring visibility on PFJ national initiatives and local dynamics.

Requirements: 
  1. Commitment to PFJ’s mission and to our vision of collaborative, client-centered representation for low-income people involved in the criminal legal system
  2. Dedication to serving racially or socioeconomically marginalized communities
  3. JD or MSW, and minimum of five years’ experience providing legal services on relevant criminal or civil matters or social services within a legal environment
  4. Prior experience supervising or coaching others; while direct line supervision experience is preferred, this could also include serving as a teaching assistant or faculty member, a resident assistant, or overseeing interns
  5. Prior work within a public defender’s office is strongly desirable, especially an office with holistic or client-centered practices or one within the Pacific Northwest

    6. Experience working remotely and/or in a start-up environment is preferred

    Ability to travel up to 25% of the time

To apply: 

Please send a cover letter, resume, and two references to [email protected] with “Northwest Program Director” in the subject line. Be advised that if you do not include this subject line, we may not receive your application.

Notes: 
PFJ is an equal opportunity employer. We are deeply committed to justice, equity, and inclusion in hiring. People with lived experience or identities that overlap with PFJ’s clients are strongly encouraged to apply for this role. Benefits include employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401k program, commuter benefits, and reimbursement for Bar or other professional dues. PFJ employees work remotely with the benefit of flexible hours. We also encourage our team to rest and take care of themselves, which we support with unlimited sick leave and vacation, as well as 12 office holidays and a year-end rest period. PFJ also provides generous parental leave.
Salary range: 
80,000 - 90,000

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