About Acacia Center for Justice:

The Acacia Center for Justice (“Acacia”) provides legal support and representation to immigrants facing deportation through the development, coordination, and management of national networks of legal services providers serving immigrants across the country. Acacia’s goals are twofold: to support immigrant legal services and defense networks to provide exceptional legal services to immigrants; and to advocate for the expansion of these programs and the infrastructure critical to guaranteeing immigrants access to justice, fairness, and freedom. Acacia ensures accountable, independent, zealous, and person-centered legal services and representation to protect the rights of all immigrants.Job Summary:

Acacia and its partners operate and manage multiple nationwide legal access and representation programs. These programs provide critical services to immigrant adults, children and families in immigration detention and/or in removal proceedings. With federal immigration policy and priorities constantly changing, these programs are regularly called upon to pivot and shift with little to no notice. The Program Planning, Services and Support unit is an agile team created to allow for greater flexibility and nimble responsiveness to shifting requirements.

The Senior Program Associate will work closely with the Director and Program Manager to coordinate planning, workflow and process management across the Program and Research units; provide staffing support on new and urgent issues where necessary; and support effective program execution and implementation across Acacia’s programs in the face of evolving demands. The Senior Program Associate will be adaptable and collaborative in their approach to work, confident and competent in moving projects and achieving deliverables in a timely manner, and resilient in the face of change.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities:

Closely collaborate with the Program Planning, Services and Support team and with programs teams with the aim of facilitating efficient and effective workflows and tasks implementation.

• Support in the collection and documentation of internal and external programmatic workflows, as well as the review and updating of program guidance documents and materials, to develop process-mapping across units and to create or refine centralized information for each program’s provider network
• Upon request, and based on capacity and expertise, work with various units and programs to support in the improvement of processes, including soliciting and synthesizing feedback from Acacians, subcontractors and other stakeholders, and closing feedback loops. In coordination with relevant units/teams, support with problem-solving areas of need for increased efficiency or effectiveness
• Through regular engagement, develop and maintain positive relationships with the staff on programmatic units, as well as a working knowledge of the contracted programs and needs, so that when support is necessary, transition can be done as seamlessly as possible
• As assigned by the Director, provide support to programs teams in response to shifting program demands and priorities. This may include situations such as: new and/or urgent program requests from the government for new initiatives or expansion; new and/or urgent developments in the field that have significant impact on program operations; limited staffing capacity in other programmatic units as a result of unfilled positions and/or extended leave. The Senior Program Associate will need to be able to adapt and shift focus for limited time periods as called by the situation. At various times, responsibilities here may include, but are not limited to:
• Serve as first point of contact for legal service providers (LSPs) providing legal access, orientation, or representation services as subcontracted by Acacia. This may include participating in conference calls; conducting site visits of program sites across the country; and engaging in ad hoc communications to ensure contract compliance.
• In support of programmatic work, collaborate with Technical Compliance, Research Evaluation & Data Analytics, and Budgets & Resource Management teams as needed to analyze and contextualize LSP budgets and data and assist with preparing reports to government partners.
• Collaborate with Learning & Development team as needed to support in the delivery of resources that address the technical assistance needs of LSPs. Assist in the editing and review of program materials, such as handouts, flyers, guides, and videos distributed by LSPs; this requires familiarity with forms of immigration relief, immigration court procedures, and other Know Your Rights content.
• Support in the planning, logistics, stakeholder management and drafting of proposals for new work.
• Complete discrete assignments and projects in collaboration with programs staff and as assigned by supervisor.

 Required Skills, Knowledge, Abilities:

• Uncompromising commitment to immigrants’ rights, legal access, and due process for people in removal proceedings and detention; 
• Strong attention to detail;
• Solid organization skills with the ability to manage work on multiple projects simultaneously, efficiently, and effectively;
• Ability to work collaboratively on a team as well as to manage projects independently; 
• Ability to problem-solve under challenging circumstances, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and pivot and exhibit resilience in the face of constant change;
• Strong written and interpersonal communication skills;
• Strong writing and research skills;
• Demonstrated knowledge of immigration law;
• Interest in effectuating change in partnership with the government;
• Deep commitment to race equity and inclusion, and to treating others, regardless of background, experience, and organizational hierarchy, with empathy, patience, and person-centeredness;
• Ability to successfully balance travel responsibilities with office-based responsibilities when necessary, and willingness to travel; 
• Spanish language fluency.

Additional eligibility requirements:

• Valid driver’s license to travel and conduct in-person site visits
• In accordance with federal contracts, a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) check may be required for this position. 

Preferred Skills, Knowledge, Abilities:

• Knowledge of the immigrants’ rights field, including previous experience working with key field stakeholders;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and connect with all stakeholders, from government funder to legal service provider to impacted community member; 
• Demonstrated knowledge of child welfare, criminal or juvenile justice, or other justice areas;
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with others towards short- and longer-term goals;
• Demonstrated interest in program administration and public policy.

Education and Experience:

• Law degree;
• At least four years of immigration representation experience, with work experience at immigration legal services provider organization (including internships) strongly preferred;
• Experience providing legal orientations, Know Your Rights presentations, legal screenings, or other community education initiatives preferred;
• Experience representing immigrants, including children and families, in removal proceedings, criminal defense experience, or comparable adversarial litigation setting preferred;
• Experience representing immigrants in detention and negotiating obstacles to access to justice for people in carceral, detention, or institutional settings preferred;
• Experience providing technical assistance to legal service providers is a plus;
• Experience with government contracting or contract/grant administration is a plus

Compensation and Benefits:Acacia has established an internal compensation philosophy that centers equity and pay transparency. The salary for this position is set at $96,000. The salary listed is just one component of Acacia’s total compensation package for employees. Supporting Acacia staff—both personally and professionally—is our priority.

• Medical/Dental/Vision- Some plans at $0 cost to the employee
• Employee Assistance Program
• 20 days per year of vacation time
• 12 days per year of sick time
• 5 personal days
• 4 organization-wide Wellness Days
• 11 observed holidays, including the last week of December.
• $2000 Professional Development Stipend
• Home office set-up stipend
• Internet Stipend
• 401k with 5% employer contribution, no employee participation required.
• Student loan repayment assistance.
• Gym Reimbursement

People of color and those who have been impacted by the criminal system and immigration system are strongly urged to apply. Acacia is deeply committed to race equality, inclusion and belonging and strives to create a work culture that recognizes everyone's unique lived experience.

To Apply:Submit your resume and cover letter through the Acacia Careers site. If you encounter technical issues or have accessibility needs, email your resume and cover letter to hiring@acaciajustice.org with Subject: ATTN: Human Resources / [Job Title], Acacia Center for Justice

PLEASE ONLY SUBMIT THROUGH ONE METHOD.Equal Opportunity Employment:Acacia is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to recruit persons of diverse backgrounds and support their retention and advancement within the organization. We are committed to fostering a workplace culture inclusive of people with respect to their race, ethnicity, national origin, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, marital status, age, disabilities, political affiliation, religious beliefs, or any other characteristic. Our commitment to justice and diversity also means providing a work environment that is welcoming, respectful, and engaging.This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties, responsibilities and requirements but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function within our organization.

Acacia Center for Justice is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.