Workers' Rights Program Director

Asian Law Caucus; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 161,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation & holidays

Health insurance

FSA

Commuter benefits

401(k) with employer match

Job summary

Asian Law Caucus seeks an experienced attorney to serve as Program Director of the Workers’ Rights Program in San Francisco. The role leads a dynamic team dedicated to immigrant and low-wage worker rights, guiding strategic litigation, policy advocacy, and direct legal services.

The Program Director will build partnerships with worker centers and community partners, supervise two staff attorneys, a paralegal, and a community advocate, and report to the Legal Director.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree and California bar membership required.
• 8+ years in employment/workers' rights law with policy advocacy or litigation approach.
• 3–5 years of staff management experience.
• Excellent legal, deposition, and discovery skills.
• Strong research, analytical, written, and oral communication.
• Experience working with coalitions/co-counsel
• Familiarity with immigration, national security or housing is a plus
• Ability to lead long-term visioning and strategic planning
• Demonstrated leadership and independence in collaboration with attorneys and community organizations
• Commitment to building power with grassroots communities
• Non-English AMEMSA/API language skills are a plus

Responsibilities

• Serve on leadership/management team and contribute to organizational strategy.
• Mentor and supervise the Workers’ Rights Program staff.
• Recruit, hire, and supervise program team members.
• Develop and manage program budget with the Finance Director.
• Lead development of integrated advocacy strategies across levels.
• Engage with partners, coalitions, and funders to advance the program.

Skills

Leadership

Legal expertise

Strategic planning

Team management

Policy advocacy

Coalition building

Education

J.D. degree and California bar

Job description

Type: Regular, Full-time, Exempt, Management.

Location: San Francisco, CA. This is a hybrid role that is required to work in the office 2 days a week.

Deadline: Applications are due by Wednesday, Sept. 16.

Reports to: Legal Director

Compensation and Benefits:

The annual compensation depends on years of relevant experience and ranges from $161,197 to $176,144.

ALC’s comprehensive benefits package includes the following: generous vacation and paid holidays; medical, dental, disability, and life insurance coverage (ALC pays 100% of premiums for employees and 75% for qualified dependents); a flexible spending account (FSA); commuter benefits; and 401(k) retirement plan with employer non-elective contribution and match.

Travel & Meetings: All ALC staff are expected to participate in regular check-in meetings with their supervisor/supervisees, staff meetings, team meetings, and other organization meetings, as required. This includes two (2) annual retreats, an anniversary celebration dinner, and meetings as needed in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Opportunity

ALC currently seeks an experienced attorney to assume the pivotal role of Program Director of

our esteemed Workers’ Rights Program. This position offers a unique opportunity to lead a

dynamic team dedicated to advocating for the rights of immigrant and low-wage workers at a crucial time. Immigrant workers face governmental attacks and employer retaliation and intimidation. Employers use new technologies and old tactics to exploit workers, in low-wage industries ranging from restaurants to care work to transportation. Amid these challenges, our team works to strengthen worker power and protect Asian and Pacific Islander and other immigrant communities from wage theft, discrimination, and unsafe work environments. Current and recent matters have sought to hold companies accountable for their app-based workers; garnered up to seven-figure wage-theft recoveries; combated efforts to strip immigrants of commercial drivers licenses; and protected immigrant workers from information-sharing with ICE.

The selected candidate will spearhead our efforts to address a broad spectrum of workplace and immigrant worker Issues through a combination of strategic litigation, community-centered policy advocacy, direct legal services, and support for worker organizing. Integral to this role is the cultivation and maintenance of strategic partnerships with worker centers and community partners to support workplace organizing, foster worker-led campaigns, and build power for low-income, immigrant workers. The position reflects our commitment to integrating legal advocacy with movement building to create systemic change.

The Program Director will lead a team comprising two staff attorneys, a paralegal, and a community advocate. The ideal candidate will possess management experience, significant legal expertise in immigrant workers’ rights, and demonstrate an essential understanding of the nuanced challenges our clients face. The Program Director will work within a supportive environment that values innovation, collaboration, and community partnership, under the guidance of ALC’s Legal Director.

In assuming this leadership role, the Program Director will play a vital role in shaping the strategic direction of the program, leveraging their expertise to propel ALC’s mission forward. This entails formulating and executing strategic goals designed to advance the welfare of

immigrant workers and safeguard their rights within the workplace and against government overreach. We invite qualified candidates who are driven by a commitment to social justice and immigrant workers’ rights to join us in this critical work.

The Organization

ALC is the nation’s first legal organization focusing on advancing and defending the civil rights of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. Since 1972, ALC has fought for access to affordable housing in San Francisco’s Chinatown, litigated high-profile civil rights cases, advocated for the passage of landmark policy changes, and provided an array of services, including community education, advocacy, and direct client representation to further the rights of low-income immigrants and communities of color, across our Housing Rights, Workers’ Rights, Immigrant Justice, and National Democracy Initiative programs, and other emerging areas of law.

Core Responsibilities

• Serve as leadership/management team member, contributing to organizational strategy and decision-making
• Lead, manage, and mentor team members with clear accountability and effective work plan implementation
• Recruit, hire, supervise Workers’ Rights Program team members
• Provide mentorship and guidance to attorneys and support staff, with a focus on successful long-term litigation strategies and creative advocacy
• Develop and manage the program budget and resources in partnership with the Finance Director that align with the program's goals and the organization's mission
• Lead, model, and promote a healthy culture of collaboration and accountability for the organization and for the team

Strategy Development & Implementation

• Develop and oversee the implementation of program goals and integrated advocacy strategies in collaboration with the Executive Team and the Senior Leadership Team, to advance a workers’ rights agenda on the local, state, and federal levels
• Develop and lead impact litigation to expand workers’ rights, with guidance and support from the Legal Director, Litigation Director, and Senior Counsel
• Develop direct service priorities and plans and oversee their implementation, with guidance and support from the Legal Director and Legal Services Director
• Identify intersecting Workers’ rights work with other programs and collaborate on strategy and successful execution with other Program Directors
• Develop community engagement, policy advocacy, and narrative shifting strategies and ensure successful execution with the Community Engagement, Policy, and Communications Departments
• Develop and consistently maintain technical expertise on employment law, workers’ rights and related economic justice issues that impact our clients and communities

Community, Partner, & Funder Engagement

• Provide legal support for worker-led and/or worker-center-supported campaigns
• Establish and deepen relationships with grassroots partners, advocacy and legal organizations, and government officials to address immigrant workers’ rights issues; and oversee the Workers’ Rights program team’s engagement with coalition partners and community engagement strategies
• Be an ambassador for the program and the organization, and effectively communicate ALC’s breadth of work in various fora, including conferences, coalitions, and meetings
• In partnership with the Executive Director,and Chief Development Officer, engage with funders, including providing regular written analyses and identifying new opportunities
• Work closely with the Development and Program staff on grant proposals, reporting, and fundraising events
• Perform other duties as needed

Desired Qualifications

• J.D. degree and California bar membership, required
• Minimum of eight (8) years relevant experience in employment/workers' rights law, with legal services, policy advocacy, or state/federal court litigation approach; ideally with familiarity in practicing in a nonprofit organization
• Three to five (3-5) years of experience managing and supervising staff, and managing a team
• Excellent legal skills, taking and defending depositions, law and motion work, and discovery
• Excellent research, analytical, written, and oral communication skills with the ability to tailor the message to the audience
• Experience working with external co-counsel or in a coalition setting comprised of multiple organizational partners and demonstrated ability to resolve conflicts constructively
• Familiarity with the intersection of workers’ rights and other issues, such as immigration, national security and civil rights, and housing, a plus
• Ability to conduct long-term visioning and strategic planning, both for the program and the organization
• Demonstrated leadership and ability to work independently and in collaboration with other attorneys, community advocates, and community-based organizations
• Demonstrated commitment to building power for and with grassroots communities
• Experience working with AMEMSA and API community members impacted by the immigration system is highly desired
• Problem solver and team player with a sense of humor
• Non-English language skills in AMEMSA and/or Asian languages are a plus, but not required

Asian Law Caucus is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply, regardless of race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including HIV, cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital or domestic partner status, reproductive health decision-making, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions) gender (including gender identity and gender expression), age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim and survivor status, political affiliation, height, weight or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws.