What are the responsibilities and job description for the Chief Program Officer position at Pisgah Legal Services?

Job Description

Chief Program Officer

Hybrid remote work schedule : 3 days in office / field and 2 days remote

Position Status : Full-Time FLSA Status : Exempt

Salary : $103,400- $170,610 plus great benefits

Reports to : Executive Director

Pisgah Legal Services seeks a passionate, experienced, talented lawyer to help lead our organization in providing high quality legal help to low-income people with urgent needs. This position is an amazing opportunity to join a great team and deliver impact that is meaningful in the lives of many low-income residents of Western North Carolina.

Pisgah Legal Services (PLS) is a community-based non-profit legal aid agency governed by a local Board of Directors. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina (WNC), Pisgah Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to low-income people in WNC. We have offices in Asheville, Brevard, Burnsville, Hendersonville, Highlands-Cashiers, Marshall, Newland, and Rutherfordton. With over 120 dedicated staff, including over 30 attorneys plus program staff, and an active group of 200 volunteer attorneys, we provide free services to over 25,000 people per year to meet their basic (and often urgent) needs, primarily in the poverty law areas of housing, public benefits, domestic violence prevention, health care, immigration, and consumer law.

PLS is seeking a full-time N.C. licensed attorney to serve as the Chief Program Officer. The Chief Program Officer (CPO) has wide-ranging responsibilities in support of organizational success, including responsibility for assuring the highest quality of legal representation, policy advocacy and furthering the high-quality programs and mission of Pisgah Legal Services. The CPO is responsible for the functioning of their assigned programmatic teams, being a contributing member of the Management Team and will have internal and external responsibilities, including directing the work of the firm, grant management, program administration and support for senior and mid-level managers. The CPO will partner closely with the Executive Director (ED) to chart PLS’ future growth and strategic response to demand for client services. In general, the CPO will oversee the operations of PLS programs as directed by the ED.

Responsibilities

Legal Oversight and Support

Assume primary responsibility for all programs and internal operations, including setting the priorities, developing and expanding program areas, grant reporting and program oversight.
Develop effective systems to gather data to increase and track the flow of cases and, and measure program outcomes.
Provide coverage for Managing Attorneys and Program Directors when necessary.
Structure and lead teams to deliver outstanding client work.
Coordinate the development of program activities and deliverables.
Assist with grant proposals and other strategies for program growth and development.
Provide regular reports to the ED and Program Committee of the Board of Directors regarding specific programs, highlighting areas of excellence and concern.
Partner with ED in essential firm leadership.
Represent PLS at conferences, fundraising events, professional associations, and other public venues at various times depending on need and availability of other staff.
Identify best practices and improve internal systems with an eye toward future needs and budget realities.
Supervise Managing Attorneys / Directors, Grants Director and Litigation Director.

Program Management and Implementation

Work with Managing Attorneys and Managing Directors to manage program implementation and data reporting for assigned programs, ensuring that team and program goals are met and that outcomes are tracked appropriately.

Assist Managing Attorneys and Managing Directors in the development and creation of team-specific planning, including annual work plans.

Utilize program data to track the flow of cases with the intent of increasing services commensurate with resources and potential resources.

Monitor data for compliance with funding requirements for each assigned team.

Evaluate and provide feedback on the performance of Managing Attorneys / Directors, Grants Director, and Litigation Director and support them in their successful delivery of their job responsibilities.

Advocacy and Policy Development

Help set the policy advocacy agenda for the organization.

Oversee program sustainability, growth, and development, including collaborating with grant proposals, developing policies and procedures, and volunteer management.

Write and submit grant funding reports and pursue potential funding opportunities in collaboration with PLS’s grants team.

Community Engagement and Representation

Engage community leaders and partners and develop key community relationships and partnerships.

Represent PLS at events, share stories, and establish relations with donors and prospective donors.

Travel within our service area and occasionally to meetings or conferences outside of WNC.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Supervisory responsibilities and duties are to be performed in accordance and as outlined in the PLS Supervision Guidelines.

Direct program capacity to meet changing needs, emergencies, impact litigation, etc.

Supervision of staff. This includes coordinating with HR on personnel issues, providing routine meetings, direct feedback, corrective action, supervisee documentation, coaching and performance development.

Ensure that regular team meetings are conducted; participate as appropriate.

Participate in regional office meetings, operate all staff meetings to ensure regular communications, and respond to needs so that all offices are operating efficiently.

Review cases and conduct regular case reviews and performance evaluations in line with all relevant PLS policies.

Participate in Operations Team Meetings and All Staff Meetings and communicate management decisions to PLS staff in a timely manner.

Participate in grant writing and reporting for grants; seek additional sources of funding for program priorities.

Conducting regular staff training and planning external training opportunities for staff development.

The CPO will have other responsibilities as may be assigned by the Executive Director and will report to the Executive Director. Qualifications

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.

Current North Carolina law license or eligibility to obtain licensure within 6 months of hire.

Six or more years in a management position in legal services program, other nonprofit organization(s), private law firm, or government agency. (Preferred)

Must be able to meet all essential job functions.

Commitment to PLS’ mission, values, and vision.

Success in roles requiring execution of multiple tasks while responding to multiple priorities

Transparent and direct.

Remain focused in the face of pressure, delivers against timelines, not intimidated by tasks / time limitations

Demonstrated management and supervisory capabilities.

Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide array of people – junior and senior, for-profit, and nonprofit, and from diverse backgrounds.

Outstanding emotional intelligence, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Able to work extra hours as work demands may require.

Salary / Benefits

Salary ranges from $103,400- $170,610 depending on experience. Additional bilingual language skills that are applicable to this role may qualify for up to an additional $3k upon completing a language assessment test. Our salary scale is predetermined based on the years of relative professional work experience that qualify for this position to ensure equity in pay.

Employees are eligible for medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage the 1st of the month following the start date. Pisgah Legal Services (PLS) pays 100% of the Employee and 50% of the Dependent Cost for BCBS Medical and Dental coverage. PLS pays 50% of the Employee Coverage Cost for BCBS Vision coverage. PLS pays 100% of Long-Term & Short-Term Disability Coverage, Life Insurance Coverage of 5x base salary an additional $15,000 Life & AD&D Coverage. 401k Retirement Plan after 6 months of employment. Additional Fringe Benefits includes Pet Insurance, Paid Parental Leave, Paid Bereavement Leave, 13.5 Company Holidays, 22 Paid Leave Days, Paid Sabbatical Leave for eligible staff, Employee Assistance Program for entire household and a great working environment with work life balance! View our 2025 Benefits Guide here .

To Apply

Submit your online application with resume and cover letter through our Career Center located at

https : / / www.pisgahlegal.org / jobs

PLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and / or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.

Pisgah Legal Services is committed to creating a diverse , inclusive and welcoming environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with our Human Resources department.

Salary : $103,400 - $170,610

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