Manager, Criminal Immigration & Appeals, Term

Legal Aid BC; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 126,000 - 169,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Four weeks paid vacation

Comprehensive benefits package

Training and development support

Employee and Family Assistance

Flexible hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Legal Aid BC seeks a Manager, Criminal Immigration & Appeals to lead the programs across criminal law, immigration and judicial appeals. You will oversee policy development, budgeting, and a process for exceptional cases, while guiding lawyers, staff, and external providers.

You will determine eligibility for appeals, ensure meritorious referrals, and provide Duty Counsel services. This is a senior leadership role within a values-driven, equity-focused organization.

Qualifications

• Completion of a law degree and eligibility for BC Law Society.
• Minimum six years of related experience in BC or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of administrative principles and budgeting.
• Experience managing contracts with external law service providers.
• Ability to lead teams and work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Lead Criminal Law, Immigration and Judicial Appeal programs.
• Develop policy and standards and oversee exceptional-case processes.
• Budget planning, resource management and monitoring expenditures.
• Determine eligibility for judicial appeals and refer meritorious cases.
• Provide Duty Counsel services in criminal law and immigration.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Policy development

Contract management

Stakeholder engagement

Decision making

Team supervision

Judicial process knowledge

Education

Law degree from a recognized law school

Job description

Status: Full-Time Term – until March 31, 2028

Affiliation: Excluded-Management

Salary range: $126,003 to $168,995 (As per the Excluded Management Salary Scale)

Competition #: M037-26

Application Deadline: August 21, 2026

VALUES STATEMENT:

Our commitment to the principles of fundamental justice embedded in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and to Truth and Reconciliation, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is ambitious and foundational. It informs everything we do, as we defend liberty, equality, autonomy, and dignity; as we dismantle colonization, racism, sexism, ableism, transphobia and homophobia, and all discrimination. These are our values, and they inform our hiring practices too. Our business is aiding people in severe legal distress and necessitates internal and external alignment of practicing these values. Integrating Truth and Reconciliation, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion throughout every aspect of Legal Aid BC is critical to building that culture, and we prioritize ongoing resources to achieve that goal.

We are seeking a Manager, Criminal Immigration & Appeals to join our team.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Vice-President, Legal Strategy, this position manages and coordinates the provision of Legal Aid BC’s Criminal Law, Immigration and Judicial Appeal programs and services, including policy and standards development and oversight, the establishment and maintenance of a process for dealing with exceptional cases, and determining eligibility of cases for judicial appeal. The Manager provides leadership to lawyers and other departmental staff as well as external law service providers and manages contracts with same.

Key accountabilities include, but aren't limited to:

• Serves as a member of the Managers’ Forum.
• Participates in the development of Legal Aid BC’s budget, business plan and administrative policies; coordinates inter-divisional communications and initiatives; represents the Department on internal committees including Tariff Budget Management.
• Determines departmental program, resource and operational priorities and requirements; develops comprehensive plans and strategies to meet identified program and service needs.
• Develops and manages the Department’s annual budget and is accountable for monitoring, controlling and authorizing expenditures.
• Establishes and maintains a process for exceptional cases including the budgeting and monitoring of Large Criminal Cases
• Determines eligibility of cases for judicial appeal; ensures that only those cases with merit are referred to service providers for representation.
• Provides Duty Counsel services in criminal law and immigration.

Who We Are

Legal Aid BC (LABC) is a non-profit organization established by the Legal Services Society Act in 1979. Our mission is to provide legal information, advice, and representation services to BC's most vulnerable and marginalized citizens who lack the necessary resources to effectively access the justice system when their families, freedom, or safety are at risk. Our vision is to see BC’s legal system transformed, by the way LABC represents our clients, into one more equitable and inclusive with a mission to strengthen client-centred legal help for British Columbians experiencing barriers accessing the legal system.

At LABC, we know that our continued ability to help the people who need us is due to the hardworking individuals who make up our team, dedicated to making a difference in the lives of people in need. We foster a positive culture of open communication for our team to thrive within, underpinned by our values of client focus, advancing Truth and Reconciliation, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and change through leadership.

Legal Aid BC is in the early stages of, and committed to a transformative journey of embedding Truth and Reconciliation, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in all aspects of our work. We seek talent from equity-seeking groups, including but not limited to individuals who self-identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Metis descent, persons with diverse abilities, gender diverse, racialized, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, be a part of this exciting stage of Legal Aid BC’s growth. We care deeply about the culture we are building and are looking for staff members who not only excel in their respective areas but are also passionate about supporting the people we serve and each other. If this resonates with you, we encourage you to apply. All interested and eligible applicants will be considered with due consideration to all protected grounds under the BC Human Rights Code. If we can do anything to make your application experience a positive and equitable one, we want to hear from you on what we can do better.

To understand why legal aid matters, and our commitments to Truth and Reconciliation, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, please explore our website, planning and guiding documents at https://legalaid.bc.ca/.

The Ideal Candidate

You have:

• Completion of a law degree from a law school of recognized standing or eligibility for membership in the Law Society of British Columbia, and a minimum of six years’ related experience, as well as legal practice experience in B.C., or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Considerable knowledge of administrative principles, practices and techniques, and of policies, legislation and organizational issues relevant to departmental programs, services and activities.
• Considerable knowledge of financial and resource management principles and processes related to the work.
• Considerable knowledge of current developments and best practices pertaining to departmental activities.
• Considerable knowledge of judicial processes.
• Excellent skill in planning, organizing, coordinating and administering departmental programs, services and initiatives and in analyzing related information.
• Excellent skill in communication, facilitation, change management and negotiation.
• Excellent skill in managing contracts with external law service providers.
• Excellent skill in case management.
• Ability to make sound decisions considering both departmental and broader organizational implications, and to solve problems in a timely and unemotional manner.
• Ability to exercise effective leadership, sound judgement and tact.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external contacts and to work within a multi-disciplinary team environment.
• Ability to function effectively and under pressure.
• Ability to participate in program planning, implementation and evaluation.
• Ability to interpret, apply, communicate, develop and implement organizational policies and procedures.

We Offer

A competitive annual salary, as well as a comprehensive benefits package (based on your employment status and affiliation including:

• Four weeks paid vacation to start that grows the longer you are with LABC
• An excellent employee benefits package, where premiums are 100% paid by LABC
• Support for training and development
• An Employee and Family Assistance program
• The opportunity to participate in various Employee programs (Employee Wellness, etc.)
• Support for a healthy work/life balance
• Generous leave provisions (sick time, special leaves)
• 13 paid statutory holidays
• An opportunity for a flexible hybrid work arrangement for some positions (LABC reserves the right to change this policy at any time)
• Transit friendly employer for eligible staff to have their commute subsidized
• Dog-friendly offices
• Dedicated Cultural Leave provisions for Indigenous employees
• An Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council, and Indigenous employees Council and Accessibility Committee of employees from equity-seeking groups that advises on ongoing improvements and investments in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at our workplace

For additional information regarding our extensive benefits package, please explore our careers page at: https://legalaid.bc.ca/about/careers/why-work-here.

Legal Aid BC is recognized as one of BC’s Top 100 Employers

We would like to thank all external applicants for their interest but regret that only those shortlisted will be contacted.