Program Manager, Legal Advocacy (Gender Based Violence Specialized Services - GBVSS)

YWCA Seattle King Snohomish; Washington; On-site; USD 47,000 - 67,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Retirement plan

Generous paid leave

Job summary

YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish is seeking a Program Manager for GBVSS Legal Advocacy to lead legal advocacy services for survivors across Seattle, King, and Snohomish Counties. The role directly manages six Legal Advocates and oversees budgets, funder compliance, reporting, and audit preparation.

The position requires survivor-centered, trauma-informed practice and strong leadership across programs, with local travel and in-person work at YWCA sites. Hybrid and remote work are not available.

Qualifications

• Four years of relevant social service experience supporting survivors of gender-based violence.
• At least two years of legal advocacy experience.
• Two+ years of leadership, supervision, or program management responsibilities.
• Experience managing program budgets or client expenditures and tracking spending against budgets.
• Familiarity with funder requirements, contract compliance, and program reporting.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily operations of legal advocacy services across Seattle, King, and Snohomish Counties.
• Oversee protection orders, parenting plans, dissolutions, civil standbys, and court accompaniment.
• Ensure consistent service practices across locations and compliance with funding requirements.
• Support staff with complex cases, safety planning, and navigating legal systems.
• Provide consultation on complex cases while maintaining boundaries between advocacy and legal advice.
• Coordinate with GBVSS and YWCA programs to expand survivor access to services.
• Provide direct advocacy coverage as needed.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Legal advocacy

Trauma-informed practice

Communication

Education

Social service degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

ABOUT YWCA SEATTLE | KING | SNOHOMISH

YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Through housing, health and safety, and economic advancement services, YWCA works alongside individuals and families to build lasting stability.

YWCA’s Gender Based Violence Specialized Services (GBVSS) provides culturally responsive, trauma informed advocacy that centers survivors’ safety, choices, and goals. Legal Advocacy helps survivors understand their options, navigate legal systems, and access support related to protection orders, family law, and other legal needs. These services recognize the barriers experienced by Black and African American women and other survivors of color and support equitable access to safety and justice.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Program Manager, GBVSS Legal Advocacy manages legal advocacy services for survivors of gender-based violence across Seattle, King, and Snohomish Counties. This position directly leads six Legal Advocates, including one based in Snohomish County and one assigned to the Survivors First program.

The manager provides daily operational leadership, staff supervision, and direct management of program budgets, funder compliance, reporting, and audit preparation. This position ensures consistent, survivor centered services across locations, supports staff with complex cases, and may provide direct advocacy during staffing transitions or periods of increased need.

LOCATION AND WORK EXPECTATION

The designated home office may be any relevant YWCA site in King or Snohomish County. This position works in person at YWCA sites and in the community, with regular local travel and a consistent presence across relevant staff locations, including Seattle, Renton, Kent, Everett, and Lynnwood. Hybrid and remote work are not available for this position.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

Program Management and Service Delivery

• Manage daily operations of legal advocacy services, including Survivors First, ensuring services reflect survivor goals, community needs, and funding requirements.
• Oversee advocacy related to protection orders, parenting plans, dissolution of marriage, civil standbys, identity changes, court accompaniment, and hearing preparation.
• Establish consistent service practices across locations while addressing differences in local court systems, resources, and contract requirements.
• Support staff in providing safety planning, referrals, and assistance navigating legal systems.
• Provide consultation on complex cases and participant concerns, maintaining appropriate boundaries between legal advocacy and legal advice.
• Coordinate with other GBVSS and YWCA programs to support survivors’ access to additional services.
• Provide direct advocacy and service coverage as needed.

Staff Leadership and Support

• Directly supervise six Legal Advocates, including the Snohomish County and Survivors First positions.
• Set clear expectations, hold regular individual and team meetings, and provide timely coaching and performance feedback.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and performance management in partnership with Human Resources and the Director.
• Support staff in applying survivor centered practices, confidentiality requirements, professional boundaries, and culturally responsive advocacy.
• Coordinate workloads, schedules, service coverage, and time and attendance approvals.
• Build a respectful team environment that supports accountability, collaboration, professional growth, and staff well-being.

Program Financial Management and Funder Compliance

• Manage assigned program budgets, including annual funding allocations, allowable expenses, staffing costs, and established spending plans.
• Review Monthly Operating Reports to assess actual monthly spending against approved budgets, identify variances, and address concerns with Finance and the Director.
• Monitor client assistance expenditures against established spending plans to ensure appropriate use and availability of funds throughout the funding period.
• Lead ongoing compliance with funder contracts, including service requirements, financial obligations, reporting deadlines, and supporting documentation.
• Serve as a primary program contact for funder monitoring and external audits, independently coordinating preparation, responding to requests, and participating in audit meetings.
• Review program records, financial documentation, and service data for accuracy and audit readiness, coordinating with Finance and other departments as needed.
• Prepare and submit required program reports and coordinate financial reporting with Finance to ensure information is accurate, complete, and timely.
• Lead responses to monitoring findings and audit recommendations, implement corrective actions, and track completion with the Director and relevant departments.

Service Coordination and Partnerships

• Maintain working relationships with court personnel, legal assistance providers, and other partners involved in participant services.
• Coordinate referrals and address gaps in access to legal and community resources.
• Represent legal advocacy services in service coordination meetings and case consultations.
• Help staff navigate complex systems while respecting survivor choice, informed consent, and confidentiality.
• Review program outcomes and participant feedback to identify barriers and improve services.

Race and Social Justice

• Apply antiracism principles to program decisions, staff supervision, and service delivery.
• Address barriers created by the intersections of racism, poverty, gender-based violence, and involvement with legal systems.
• Support culturally responsive advocacy for Black and African American survivors and other survivors of color.
• Partner with staff and leadership to advance and evaluate GBVSS race and social justice goals.
• Perform other duties consistent with the position.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CORE COMPETENCIES

• At least four years of relevant social service experience supporting survivors of gender-based violence, including at least two years of legal advocacy experience.
• Demonstrated leadership experience through staff supervision, mentoring, team coordination, or program management.
• At least two years of experience managing program budgets or client assistance expenditures, including tracking spending against established budgets or spending plans.
• Experience with funder requirements, contract compliance, program reporting, and preparation for monitoring reviews or external audits.
• Knowledge of survivor centered, trauma informed advocacy and legal processes commonly encountered by survivors, including protection orders and family law proceedings.
• Understanding of how racism, poverty, gender, and other systemic barriers affect survivors’ access to safety, services, and legal systems.
• Strong knowledge and application of confidentiality standards, informed consent, and professional boundaries.
• Ability to navigate legal and social service systems and maintain effective working relationships with service partners.
• Strong communication, organization, judgment, and conflict resolution skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and electronic systems used for documentation, communication, and reporting.
• Knowledge of legal assistance and community resources across Seattle, King, and Snohomish Counties.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. In performing this position, the employee:

• All positions at YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish are exposed to clients who have experienced or are experiencing trauma in various forms including but not limited to domestic violence, sexual violence, homelessness, unemployment, financial hardship, etc. As a result, staff are at risk of secondary trauma. Employees are encouraged to seek external support and maintain self-care when working indirectly or directly with clients.
• Regularly work in office and community settings, including YWCA service locations, college campuses, hotels, and partner organizations.
• Travel locally between staff and service locations throughout King and Snohomish Counties, sometimes visiting multiple locations within a workday.
• Regularly communicate with advocates, participants, colleagues, and community partners in person, by telephone, and through electronic platforms.
• Frequently use a computer and other office technology to review client files, prepare documentation, approve timesheets, and participate in meetings.
• Perform work involving periods of sitting, standing, or moving within offices and community locations, with flexibility in positioning as duties allow.
• Occasionally transport routine work materials, such as a laptop, files, and outreach supplies.
• Respond to emotionally intense situations and participant crises using sound judgment, de-escalation skills, and established safety procedures.
• This position involves exposure to accounts of domestic violence, sexual assault, commercial sexual exploitation, and other traumatic experiences. Regular supervision, consultation, and available staff support resources are important components of the work environment.

*Continuously = Over 80% of the time | Frequently = 20–80% | Occasionally = Under 20%

$41.50 - $41.50 an hour

BENEFITS, HOURS AND RATE

• Hourly Rate: $41.50 per hour
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Classification: Exempt
• Excellent Benefits package including medical insurance, retirement plan, plus generous vacation, holiday, and sick leave plans.
• At the time of hire, employees may choose to voluntarily enroll in the 403b plan. Typically, after two years of employment, employees are eligible to participate in the YWCA retirement fund with a 14% employer contribution.

www.ywcaworks.org

At YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish, we do not just accept diversity and inclusion — we celebrate it, we support it, we live it, and we flourish in it for the benefit of our employees, the community, and our clientele. Our vision is a healthy community transformed by racial and gender equity, where women and girls of color have equal access to opportunity, and there is social justice for ALL people. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.