National Legal Director
African Communities Together (ACT), an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for our families here in the U.S. and worldwide, is seeking applications and nominations for the position of National Legal Director. With current chapters in New York City and Washington, DC, ACT works to support and empower African immigrants to integrate socially, advance economically, and engage civically. It connects African immigrants to services, develops members into grassroot leaders, and drives action to make social change.
ACT’s legal department plays a critical role fighting for justice and dignity for low-income African immigrants. ACT is at an exciting inflection point of growth and expansion and seeking its first-ever National Legal Director to advance ACT’s strategic framework, support and manage a high impact, dedicated staff of attorneys and legal professionals, build strong local, regional, and national partnerships, and work with the Executive Director to scale ACT’s program model in other cities with substantial communities of African immigrants. This role will report directly to the Executive Director.
Location: New York City, Atlanta, Philadelphia or Washington, DC (currently remote/hybrid)
For the full position description and to apply, please visit: https://recruitcrm.io/apply/25088016
More information about African Communities Together may be found at: https://africans.us
While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:
- A passion for ACT’s mission and demonstrated commitment to community-centered immigrant justice;
- Licensed attorney in good standing and eligible to practice immigration law; some litigation experience preferred but not required;
- At least 4 years of experience with immigration legal practice, preferably with immigrants from African countries;
- Proven people management skills to lead a motivated, engaged, and geographically dispersed team; an inclusive management style that places deep value on diverse perspectives and emphasizes the development and growth of team members and encourages learning and continued improvement;
- Experience building partnerships and coalitions with diverse groups, including legal service providers, organizers, community leaders, and other legal advocacy organizations; experience engaging with African immigrant communities and centering their experience and voices;
- A deep personal commitment to diversity and inclusion; lived experience that informs an authentic understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable African immigrants;
- A natural orientation towards collaboration and a commitment to personal and professional continuous improvement;
- Effective and experienced communicator who conveys ideas clearly to a wide audience;
- A leader who is disciplined, focused, and detail-oriented, and who has experience with creating and putting in place systems for organizing and managing legal casework, while also being agile and adaptive;
- Fluency in a widely spoken African language such as Mandingo, Yoruba, Amharic, Swahili, or Hausa, or in French or Arabic, strongly preferred; and
- The ability to succeed in a “startup” entrepreneurial environment with accountability to goals, the ability to work independently, take on multiple roles, and prioritize. Ability to work evenings, weekends, and irregular hours when the work requires it.
This search is being led by Callie Carroll, Julian Jackson, and Yuniya Khan of NPAG. Due to the pace of this search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Candidates may submit their cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume via NPAG’s candidate portal.
African Communities Together is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.