Chief Innovation Officer
Position Title: Chief Innovation Officer
Position Location: This position is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Only candidates who live in or are willing to move to the Triangle or an adjacent city will be considered for this position. Candidates currently working within Legal Aid of North Carolina are preferred.
Mission and Vision: Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Legal Aid of North Carolina is an innovative, creative, progressive, and efficient civil legal service provider to the poor, working towards an inclusive justice system of equal access. All voices are valued, heard, and respected.
Position Summary: The Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) is an organizational leader who oversees innovation projects at Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC). The CIO will guide the organization through an already rapidly changing environment, where the COVID-19 pandemic and technology disruptions have changed the way we work and live. The CIO will help LANC evolve internally to improve efficiency and performance and externally to improve client service delivery. The CIO will lead the Legal Aid of North Carolina Innovation Lab, a dedicated hub for identifying and implementing new solutions for bridging the justice gap.
Job Description: The Chief Innovation Officer:
- Reports to the CEO;
- Serves on LANC’s management committee;
- Leads the Legal Aid of North Carolina Innovation Lab;
- Organizes and leads the Innovation Lab advisory committee;
- Oversees innovations projects at LANC;
- Develops a comprehensive innovation plan for LANC;
- Identifies and implements innovation projects that will improve client service delivery;
- Identifies and implements innovation projects that will improve internal LANC processes;
- Identifies and seeks funding for the Innovation Lab;
- Nurtures a culture of innovation that encourages idea sharing and collaboration;
- Motivates and inspires others to participate in transformative work;
- Connects with the client community in meaningful ways to ensure that client voices are valued, heard and elevated in the innovation process;
- Identifies opportunities to serve client communities in innovative ways;
- Ensures that Legal Aid’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is apparent in the innovation plan and strategy;
- Partners and collaborates with legal services providers throughout the state;
- Take calculated risks and has the resiliency to overcome setbacks;
- Creates a highly engaged innovation process that allows for participation and feedback from interested staff and stakeholders; and
- Is deeply respected and able to lead others through a change management process.
Salary and Employee Benefits: The salary range for this leadership role is competitive ($75,000 to $95,000) and will be commensurate with the candidate’s years of service, competencies and experience. Legal Aid of North Carolina provides excellent health, retirement, disability, and leave benefits. Employee medical, vision, dental, and life insurance premiums are covered at 100% by the employer. Discretionary 401(k) contributions with no match required. Paid leave includes 1.75 days per month (21 leave days in the first two years; 30 days in subsequent years), 12 paid holidays, 2 floating holidays, and other paid leave.
Legal Aid of North Carolina is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All are welcome to apply. Selection will be based on relevant qualifications and will be made without discrimination because of race, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, creed, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, genetic information, disability, marital status, familial status, service in the military or any other legally protected category. We thrive when we are diverse and inclusive therefore, we prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organizational culture and hiring. We highly encourage candidates with lived experience, in the communities that we serve, to apply.
Candidates applying for this position should have the following qualifications:
- A deep commitment to the mission and values of Legal Aid of North Carolina.
- A commitment to, appreciation for and understanding of organizational values around diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Significant understanding of how civil legal services are delivered to low-income people in the United States.
- An understanding of how technology can be used to improve and increase legal service delivery to low-income people in North Carolina.
- An innovative outlook and approach to the future of legal services.
- A creative thinker who has experience creating inclusive processes where original ideas are shared and encouraged.
- A process driven person who can move from ideation to implementation.
- Proven track record of successfully developing and executing large complex projects.
- Experience developing, managing and leading high level teams.
- Excellent project management skills.
- Strong business sense.
- Strong network of contacts in the legal and technology community.
- A high performer who works collaboratively with others.
- Strong analytical and problem solving skills.
- Knowledge of Legal Services Corporation regulatory compliance requirements.
- Be exceptionally well-organized.
- A commitment to teamwork and relationship building.
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills, including but not limited to a commitment to fostering respectful, diplomatic and positive interactions with others.
- Self-motivated, with the proven ability to set goals, build a plan to achieve goals, and meet self-imposed and external deadlines.
- Has the courage to try new things.
- Works well in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience with organizational management.
- Experience with financial development (fundraising and grant management).
- Enjoys fundraising and will lead the fundraising process for the innovation lab.
- Be honest, trustworthy, reliable and open to feedback.
- Ability and willingness to travel.
- Juris doctorate preferred but not required.
Are you the next Chief Innovation Officer for Legal Aid of North Carolina?
To apply for this position, submit a cover letter, resume, references and any other materials that you wish to be considered to Arlene Glasco, Chief Human Resources Officer at jobs@legalaidnc.org. The application deadline is March 20, 2023.