Managing Director, Programs & Chief Legal Officer

Impactforequity; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Impact for Equity seeks a Managing Director, Programs & Chief Legal Officer to lead program teams and serve as the organization’s chief legal voice in guiding litigation, policy advocacy, and organizational strategy.

The role combines executive leadership with rigorous legal counsel, ensuring compliance, risk management, and strategic alignment across criminal justice reform and affordable housing initiatives in the Chicago region.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and admission to the Illinois Bar required (or obtained within 2 years of employment).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including the ability to translate complex legal issues for non-legal audiences.
• Demonstrated experience advising organizational leadership on legal matters.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, and developing diverse teams.
• Knowledge of lobbying rules and restrictions applicable to nonprofit organizations engaging in state and local legislative advocacy.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Impact for Equity’s in-house general counsel, providing legal guidance to the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and senior leadership.
• Advise on and ensure compliance with lobbying laws and regulations at the state and local levels.
• Conduct a wide variety of legal advocacy, including counseling advocates and policymakers, drafting and reviewing legislation; and where appropriate, litigation in federal and state courts.
• Engage in and provide guidance on public policy advocacy and legislative engagement.
• Counsel leadership on employment law matters, including issues related to hiring, discipline, termination, and workplace investigations; assist Managing Director of Finance and Operations in developing and updating employee-facing policies.
• Review, draft, and negotiate contracts, MOUs, and other organizational documents in coordination with Senior Leadership Team.
• Oversee risk management including management of insurance, internal policies, and organizational liability.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable nonprofit laws and regulations, state charity registration, and corporate governance obligations.
• Manage relationships with outside and pro bono counsel as needed.
• Champion Impact for Equity’s values in all organizational practices.
• Contribute to recruitment and hiring across the organization.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Public interest law

Policy advocacy

Communication skills

Team mentoring

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Job description

Managing Director, Programs & Chief Legal Officer

Location: Chicago, IL

Impact for Equity, formerly known as Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI), has been at the front lines of the fight for social justice in the Chicago region for over fifty years. Founded in 1969, the organization built its reputation through landmark legal and policy work — including decades of advocacy on affordable housing, school reform, and environmental justice — that has shaped Illinois law and policy in lasting ways.

Organization Description

Today, Impact for Equity’s work is concentrated in two areas: criminal legal system reform and affordable housing. Its criminal legal work challenges systemic inequities in policing, prosecution, and incarceration, with a focus on policy change and community impact. Its housing work advances equitable development and tenant protections across the Chicago region. In both areas, the organization combines impact litigation, policy advocacy, and direct coalition-building to drive systemic change.

Known for its innovative and effective advocacy for racial and economic equity, Impact for Equity is deeply engaged in advancing systemic change in the criminal legal system and affordable housing realms. With collaboration as a core value, Impact for Equity partners with people directly impacted by racial and economic injustice and the community-based organizations that serve them.

Impact for Equity (IFE) is under new leadership. Carter Stewart joined as Executive Director in early 2026, bringing a background as a former United States Attorney and senior leader in philanthropy. His arrival marks a new chapter for the organization, one focused on deepening its legal and policy impact, expanding its external presence, and building the senior leadership to sustain long-term growth. To advance the organization’s growth in 2026 and beyond, the organization seeks a Managing Director, Programs & Chief Legal Officer.

Position Overview

The Managing Director, Programs & Chief Legal Officer (MD) is a core member of Impact for Equity’s Senior Leadership Team and a strategic partner to the Executive Director in shaping the organization’s advocacy agenda and long-term direction. The MD leads Impact for Equity’s program teams and serves as its chief legal voice, guiding the litigation, policy, and advocacy work through which the organization advances criminal legal system reform and affordable housing. This role combines organizational leadership, including oversight of IFE program teams, with legal counsel responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership & Program Management:

• Serve as a strategic thought-partner to the Executive Director in partnership with the Managing Directors; maintain continuous lines of communication and keep the ED informed of critical issues.
• In partnership with the ED, set strategic priorities and build plans to operationalize them.
• Provide leadership and oversight of Impact for Equity’s program teams and internship/fellowship programs.
• Represent Impact for Equity in meetings with government officials, partner organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Participate in messaging and communications strategy to advance Impact for Equity’s mission and public profile.
• Partner with development staff on fundraising and donor engagement — participating in donor conversations, supporting grant proposals, and translating programmatic impact for funders.
• Work collaboratively with Program Directors to develop and execute a comprehensive strategy that integrates policy, advocacy, and community-centered organizing with legal strategy to pursue transformational change and racial, economic, and social justice in Chicago and Illinois.
• Partner with program teams to develop and strengthen measurement frameworks and tools that assess whether Impact for Equity’s work is achieving the intended impact goals and values.
• Ensures program staff have the tools and resources they need to advocate effectively for systems change.
• Mentor and support program staff and supervisors, with an eye toward their professional development.
• Foster a trusting, rigorous, collaborative, and accountable environment across teams.
• Contribute to organization-wide strategic planning, priority-setting, and resource allocation.
• Lead special projects as assigned by the ED, such as updating Impact for Equity’s fellowship program and impact measurement tools.

Legal Counsel & Compliance:

• Serve as Impact for Equity’s in-house general counsel, providing legal guidance to the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and senior leadership.
• Advise on and ensure compliance with lobbying laws and regulations at the state and local levels, including rules applicable to 501(c)(3) organizations engaging in legislative and policy advocacy.
• Conduct a wide variety of legal advocacy, including counseling advocates and policymakers, drafting and reviewing legislation; and where appropriate, litigation in federal and state courts.
• Engage in and provide guidance on public policy advocacy and legislative engagement.
• Counsel leadership on employment law matters, including issues related to hiring, discipline, termination, and workplace investigations; assist Managing Director of Finance and Operations in developing and updating employee-facing policies.
• Review, draft, and negotiate contracts, MOUs, and other organizational documents in coordination with Senior Leadership Team.
• Oversee risk management including management of insurance, internal policies, and organizational liability.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable nonprofit laws and regulations, state charity registration, and corporate governance obligations.
• Manage relationships with outside and pro bono counsel as needed.

Community Building:

• Champion Impact for Equity’s values in all organizational practices.
• Contribute to recruitment and hiring across the organization.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate is a mission-driven attorney with deep experience in public interest law and policy advocacy who is equally at home managing teams, driving organizational projects, and providing practical legal guidance to nonprofit leadership and staff.

Required

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and admission to the Illinois Bar required (or obtained within 2 years of employment).
• Seven or more years of team leadership experience within organizations of comparable scope and complexity.
• Ten or more years of experience in public interest law, nonprofit law, policy advocacy, or a closely related field.
• Strong strategic leadership skills, with proven experience in organizational management and priority-setting.
• Demonstrated experience advising organizational leadership on legal matters.
• Knowledge of lobbying rules and restrictions applicable to nonprofit organizations engaging in state and local legislative advocacy.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including the ability to translate complex legal issues for non-legal audiences.
• A steady and unifying approach to team leadership.
• Keen analytic, organizational, and problem-solving skills that support sound and timely decision-making.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, and developing diverse teams.
• Curiosity, humility, emotional intelligence, and a learning mindset.
• Demonstrated commitment to Impact for Equity’s values of equity and inclusion.

Preferred

• Experience in a senior leadership role within a nonprofit, legal aid organization, or advocacy-focused NGO.
• Familiarity with criminal legal system reform, affordable housing policy, or racial and economic equity advocacy.
• Experience designing or implementing program evaluation and impact measurement frameworks.
• Experience partnering with development colleagues and comfort engaging donors and funders.
• Experience managing complex, cross-functional organizational projects from inception to completion.
• Proficiency in a second language is a plus.
• Established connections across the Chicago advocacy landscape, with knowledge of local systems, government, and community organizations.
• Familiarity with Airtable is a plus.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $145,000 to $165,000. Impact for Equity offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision plans; a 403(b) retirement plan; generous paid time off and holidays; and a monthly cell phone stipend.

Work Hours and Environment

The Managing Director position is a full-time, 40-hour per week role in a hybrid work schedule. Employees will work three days in-office and two days remotely, with Tuesdays designated as mandatory in-office days. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required. The office environment is workstation-style with moderate noise levels. Travel within the Chicago region and occasionally across Illinois is required.

Impact for Equity is an at-will, equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. Impact for Equity prohibits discrimination or harassment against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), national origin, citizenship, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants whose backgrounds reflect the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.

Stay Connected

Impact for Equity
141 W. Jackson Blvd.
Suite 1260
Chicago, IL 60604