Director and Lead Attorney, Upper Midwest Pension and Retirement Rights Program

Metropolitan Area Agency On Aging Inc; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 40,000 - 46,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary of $39,520 - $45,760 per year

Retirement benefits with a 5% salary  

Flexible hybrid work environment

Job summary

Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging (MAAA) seeks an experienced attorney to serve as Director and Lead Attorney for the Upper Midwest Pension and Retirement Rights Program. This part-time role (20 hours/week) combines direct client advocacy, legal strategy, and program management to help older adults secure retirement benefits.

The role includes supervising staff, managing budgets, developing outreach, and building partnerships with legal aid providers and law schools.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree required.
• License to practice law in Minnesota.
• Knowledge of ERISA, the SECURE 2.0 Act, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
• Strong legal research, writing, negotiation, and advocacy skills.
• Ability to analyze, interpret, and explain complex pension and retirement benefit issues.
• Ability to supervise and support staff attorneys, law clerks, interns, and volunteers.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with Legal Aid providers, law schools, social service organizations, affiliated attorneys, and members of the private bar.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to navigate complex matters involving multiple variables.
• Commitment to serving older adults, retirees, and individuals seeking access to justice.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal counsel and advocacy related to pension, retirement, survivor, and former spouse benefits.
• Manage all aspects of the Upper Midwest Pension and Retirement Rights Program, including budget oversight and operational leadership.
• Develop and implement strategic outreach initiatives to increase program visibility and expand services to eligible clients.
• Build and maintain relationships with attorneys, legal aid organizations, law schools, retirement specialists, and other community partners.
• Supervise staff attorneys, interns, and volunteers while fostering a collaborative and client-centered culture.
• Conduct client intake, analyze legal issues, and evaluate cases for merit and program eligibility.
• Prepare administrative claims, appeals, and legal correspondence involving retirement and pension disputes.
• Negotiate settlements and represent client interests in benefit claim and recoupment matters.
• Prepare reports and program updates for funders and key stakeholders.
• Connect clients with appropriate external resources when legal matters fall outside program scope.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Negotiation

Advocacy

Staff supervision

Relationship building

Education

Juris Doctor degree

License to practice law in Minnesota

Job description

Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging (MAAA), a respected nonprofit organization serving older adults throughout the Upper Midwest, is seeking an experienced and mission-driven attorney to serve as the Director and Lead Attorney for the Upper Midwest Pension and Retirement Rights Program. This is a part-time, 20-hour-per-week leadership role that combines direct client advocacy, legal strategy, program management, and community partnership development to help older adults and their families secure critical retirement and pension benefits.

Why work for us?

• Salary of $39,520 - $45,760 per year, depending on qualifications, for a part-time schedule of 20 hours per week.
• Retirement benefits with a 5% salary match, beginning 30 days after employment.
• Opportunity to make a significant impact on the financial security of older adults across six states.
• Meaningful public interest legal practice without the demands of billable hours.
• Flexible hybrid work environment.
• Collaborative and supportive leadership team.
• Opportunities to influence program strategy and growth.

What Will You Be Doing?

As the Director and Lead Attorney, you will:

• Provide legal counsel and advocacy related to pension, retirement, survivor, and former spouse benefits.
• Manage all aspects of the Upper Midwest Pension and Retirement Rights Program, including budget oversight and operational leadership.
• Develop and implement strategic outreach initiatives to increase program visibility and expand services to eligible clients.
• Build and maintain relationships with attorneys, legal aid organizations, law schools, retirement specialists, and other community partners.
• Supervise staff attorneys, interns, and volunteers while fostering a collaborative and client-centered culture.
• Conduct client intake, analyze legal issues, and evaluate cases for merit and program eligibility.
• Prepare administrative claims, appeals, and legal correspondence involving retirement and pension disputes.
• Negotiate settlements and represent client interests in benefit claim and recoupment matters.
• Prepare reports and program updates for funders and key stakeholders.
• Connect clients with appropriate external resources when legal matters fall outside program scope.

Additional Leadership Opportunity (Optional)

Depending on qualifications and interest, candidates may also be considered for an additional part-time role as Chief Compliance and Data Protection Officer, providing oversight of organizational compliance and privacy programs.

This role leads the compliance program at MAAA, including the agency's role as a Medicare supplier and as a provider in Minnesota Health Care Programs (Medicaid). They will oversee MAAA's data protection strategy and its implementation to ensure compliance with federal and state data practices and privacy laws.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Juris Doctor degree required.
• License to practice law in Minnesota.
• Knowledge of ERISA, the SECURE 2.0 Act, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
• Strong legal research, writing, negotiation, and advocacy skills.
• Ability to analyze, interpret, and explain complex pension and retirement benefit issues.
• Ability to supervise and support staff attorneys, law clerks, interns, and volunteers.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with Legal Aid providers, law schools, social service organizations, affiliated attorneys, and members of the private bar.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to navigate complex matters involving multiple variables.
• Commitment to serving older adults, retirees, and individuals seeking access to justice.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in employee benefits, ERISA, elder law, administrative law, public interest law, family law, or related legal practice areas.
• Experience working with older adults, retirees, vulnerable populations, or nonprofit organizations.
• Supervisory, leadership, or program management experience.
• Experience with contract compliance or grant-funded programs.
• Optional: Knowledge and experience managing compliance and data protection in a healthcare setting.

WORK SCHEDULE

This position works Monday through Friday, with flexible hours from 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, with two office days per week and remaining time spent working from home or in the community.

When working offsite, employees must meet specific internet criteria including demonstrated high speed connect ability and the ability to meet privacy and security standards with secure (password protected) internet and demonstrate successful performance.

ABOUT METROPOLITAN AREA AGENCY ON AGING

Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging, a nonprofit organization, advocates for older adults. We provide community organizations with funding, and older adults with information and connections to access the best resources to help them age well. By partnering with community and healthcare organizations, we strive to build age- and dementia-friendly networks that make daily life easier for older adults. We are committed to reducing care disparities in communities and ensuring every person has access to the services they need. We are innovators in the aging field.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disabled/Veterans