Director of Client Advocacy, Social Services

Description:
Position Summary: Tahirih Justice Center is seeking a Co-Director of Client Advocacy (Social Services). The ideal candidate is an empathetic professional who demonstrates a commitment to cultural humility and equity. A leader for Tahirih’s organizational client services team, this position will work collaboratively with their Co-Director of Client Advocacy (Legal Services) to lead the organizational implementation of interdisciplinary representation teams, oversee social services program standards, monitor, evaluation and learning; facilitate best practices and cross-office ways of working; ensure programmatic consistency and quality; oversee program metrics tracking and reporting; ensure programmatic compliance; ensure effective use of client services case management system; manage the organizational client fund; and contribute to national-scope pro bono programming and related resources and trainings. The ideal candidate will have experience working with female victims and survivors of violence , PTSD, and trauma from multi-cultural backgrounds and be able to meet clients where they are emotionally and mentally. This role requires a high degree of professionalism, self-motivation, and a thriving passion for social justice. The successful candidate must be detail and solution-oriented and be able to effectively multi-task in a high-volume, fast paced office.

In partnership with the Co-Director of Client Advocacy and other relevant staff members, the person in this role will:

• Model and lead successful implementation of Tahirih’s interdisciplinary representation teams
• Ensure the quality, efficiency, consistency, measurement, and reporting of client services throughout the organization, and maintaining a high level of quality and ethics, supporting the mission and values of Tahirih.
• Provide clinical supervision and technical support to client service staff; curate and develop materials and resources related to social service provision, crisis intervention, safety planning, trauma-informed services, and programmatic trouble shooting.
• Provide clinical trauma informed supervision of social services program managers.
• Ensure that all client services staff receive high quality and timely cross training on legal developments, client engagement strategies, and other knowledge and skills to support liberating, survivor-centered interdisciplinary client advocacy.
• Cultivate a culture continuous improvement, strategic thinking, and growth mindset among client services teams and the national legal and social services team.
• Provide crisis intervention support to the client services staff in problem solving complex client safety concerns both physical and psychological.
• Provide overall management of the disbursement of funds from Tahirih’s Client Fund.
• Ensure the quality, efficiency, and consistency of Tahirih’s pro bono program, including national-level training materials, retainer agreements, pro bono professional engagement protocols, and support local directors and client services staff in navigating volunteer and community based partnerships and relationships.
• Build and maintain key strategic national partnerships in collaboration with the Chief of Programs and Co-Director of Client Advocacy (legal services).
• Represent Tahirih externally in coalitions, trainings, conferences, and fundraising events.
• Co-manage Tahirih’s National Legal and Social Services team and ensure integration of team members’ roles and responsibilities as they relate to supporting client advocacy and services.
• Cultivate client services staff culture and skills to center and uplift clients’ leadership and advocacy.
• Ensure client services staff are equipped with knowledge, information, and resources for appropriate trauma-informed work and trauma resilience.
• As needed, support the public policy team in drafting federal and model state legislation and other policy proposals and supporting advocacy materials, including factsheets, talking points, action alerts, sign-on letters, hearing statements, and other resources.
• As needed, support development and fundraising efforts, including contributing to grant proposals and cultivating relationships with current and potential supports.

Requirements:
We know that candidates will be stronger in some areas of this role more than others. Please do not let that stop you from applying. We value the expertise garnered from lived experiences, in addition to formal education and paid work experiences, for this position.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 8 or more years of relevant experience serving the needs of a diverse population;
• 5 or more years of case management experience;
• Experience working within or demonstrated enthusiasm for leadership in an interdisciplinary setting;
• Engaging communication skills that can effectively and independently communicate with diverse audiences and network collaboratively among a variety of stakeholder groups;
• Experience working with survivors of trauma;
• Excellent creative problem solving, strategic thinking, and analytical skills;
• Must be highly self-motivated and driven;
• Must be comfortable in a collaborative, consultative environment;
• Must be committed to nonpartisanship and creating a community respectful of inclusion, equity and diversity.
• Master’s Degree in Social Work from an accredited institution;
• Experience working with survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and human trafficking; and
• Commitment to the advancement of gender, power, race, and cultural competency discourse on an individual and team level.

Annual salary and benefits: Competitive compensation depends on experience. Generous benefits include fully paid employee health, vision and dental insurance; a 401(k) defined contribution retirement plan; flexible work schedules; professional development including in-house training programs, staff enrichment retreats and other growth opportunities. Employees have a very generous self-managed leave benefit inclusive of vacation, sick and holidays, including an office closure from December 25 – January 1.

About the Tahirih Justice Center: The Tahirih Justice Center is a growing national non-profit organization that supports the courage of immigrant women and girls who refuse to be victims of violence by providing holistic legal services and advocacy in courts, Congress, and communities. Through pro bono holistic legal services, community outreach and education, and nonpartisan public policy advocacy, Tahirih protects women and girls seeking protection from gender-based human rights abuses such as domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, female genital mutilation, honor crimes, and forced marriage. Tahirih is a Bahá’í-inspired organization and works to create a world where women and girls can live in safety and with dignity. Tahirih’s employees work from offices in the DC metro area, Baltimore, Houston, Atlanta, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Submissions: Please include a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references.

Please note: (1) Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer. (2) Occasional travel to Tahirih’s five offices nationwide will be required.

Tahirih Justice Center is committed to diversity, equity and unity as core values. We practice inclusiveness in decision making through consultation with employees throughout the organization. Tahirih seeks to hire and retain employees whose diversity and lived experiences reflect the communities we serve. We encourage candidates who are committed to equity and who are from all backgrounds, experiences, abilities and identities, including survivors of gender-based violence, to apply.