Program Director (Law Project)

Description

Organization Overview: The Goddard Riverside Community Center (Goddard Riverside) and the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center (Isaacs Center) are well-established Manhattan community-based agencies that support services to approximately 30,000 New Yorkers. We are two of New York City’s leading human services organizations meeting the needs of children, youth and families, homeless individuals, and older adults through-out Manhattan and New York City. We work every day for a fair and just society where all people have the opportunity to make choices that lead to better lives for themselves and their families.

Program Description: Goddard Riverside’s Law Project provides free legal services and organizing support to low-income individuals, families, and groups of tenants living in Single Room Occupancy and apartment buildings to preserve affordable housing and better living conditions. The Law Project staff consists of attorneys, tenant organizers, and paralegals who work together with individuals and groups of tenants who live on the west side of Manhattan, educate tenants about their rights, and work in coalition with other community groups on citywide campaigns. The Law Project assists tenants with solving a wide array of problems, including eviction, rent overcharge, harassment, illegal lockouts, lack of heat and hot water, and other poor building conditions.

Schedule: Monday – Friday, 10am to 6pm (some flexibility required)

Salary Range: $135,000 - $145,000

Candidates must have the required qualifications to be considered for the position. The salary offer will be based on the candidate’s number of years experience in the exact or comparable position and additional preferred qualifications will be taken into account.

Roles, Responsibilities, and Essential Duties

Roles, Responsibilities, and Essential Duties

• Manage legal services program with $2M budget and staff of 16, including attorneys, organizers, paralegals and administrative staff;
• Maximize delivery of high quality legal services and organizing support to low-income individuals and families;
• Work closely with supervising attorneys and supervising organizer in the supervision of attorneys and organizers, respectively;
• Oversee the representation of low-income individuals and groups in housing cases, including eviction-related and affirmative litigation, appellate practice, and administrative hearings.
• Participate in developing organizing and legal strategies and priorities in furtherance of the Law Project’s mission and effort to protect and preserve permanent affordable housing;
• Participate in meetings, research and discussions, including internal agency meetings, community and citywide campaigns;
• Oversee and report on government and private funding contracts and other grants; manage organizational budget;
• Assist with agency wide policy issues and help coordinate work with Goddard Riverside lobbyist;
• Recruit, hire and retain high quality and diverse staff;
• Work collaboratively through coalitions with other community based organizations and legal services providers;
• Review all bills, invoices and petty cash receipts for program expenses.
• Develop program budget and monitor program expenses against budget in partnership with fiscal department
• Coordinate internship program for law school students and organizer internship, including Columbia University Law School student-led project & participating law school students in fall and spring semester and summer internship

Qualifications:

• Admitted to the New York State Bar;
• 2-3 years’ experience supervising legal service staff
• Demonstrated expertise and supervision in NYC landlord-tenant law;
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice work;
• Fluency in Spanish language and knowledge about Single Room Occupancy housing a plus.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
• Willingness to be flexible and think creatively in the provision of services to low-income clients;
• Excellent writing, public speaking and advocacy skills;
• Excellent organization and time management skills;
• Experience in fundraising and grant writing;

Physical Requirements:

• Frequent travel back and forth between office and court/other meetings.

Work Environment:

• Office and court settings

Compensation: Salary is commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits package.

Contact Information: Applicants are required to submit an online application, along with a cover letter and resume, at

https://www.goddard.org/grcc/jobs/. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

We are committed to building an inclusive workplace community grounded in respect for differences. We support hiring a broadly diverse team of qualified individuals who will contribute to our organizations.

Goddard Riverside and Isaacs Center provide equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of duties and responsibilities that will be required of this position and title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Salary : $135,000 - $145,000