Workers’ Rights Program Director

Job title: Workers’ Rights Program Director

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, Nov 4.

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 annual retreats, an anniversary celebration dinner, and meetings as needed in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Opportunity

The Asian Law Caucus is increasing its capacity to deepen its impact and reach at this critical moment and is seeking 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. Our team works to strengthen worker power and protect Asian and Pacific Islander and other immigrant communities from wage theft, discrimination, unsafe work environments, and employer retaliation. Immigrant workers in low-wage industries ranging from restaurants to care work to transportation are facing old tactics and new technologies in the workplace. Current and recent matters have garnered up to seven-figure wage-theft recoveries across low-wage industries; sought to hold companies accountable for their app-based workers; combated efforts to strip immigrants of commercial drivers licenses; and protected immigrant workers from federal information-sharing.

The selected candidate will spearhead our efforts to protect and empower workers through a combination of strategic litigation, community-centered policy advocacy, and direct legal services. 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 consisting of a Managing Attorney, a staff attorney, a paralegal, and a community advocate, with direct supervision over the attorneys in the program. The ideal candidate will possess significant legal expertise in workers’ rights, demonstrate an essential understanding of the nuanced challenges our clients face, and some management, supervisory, and/or leadership experience. 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. 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

Strategic Advocacy and Collaboration

• Advance a workers’ rights agenda on the local, state, and federal levels, using integrated advocacy strategies
• Develop and lead impact litigation to expand workers’ rights, with guidance and support from the Legal Director, Litigation Director, and Senior Counsel
• Provide legal support for worker-led and/or worker-center-supported campaigns
• 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 issues 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

• 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

Leadership & Team Management

• 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 and hire Workers’ Rights Program team members, and directly supervise the attorneys
• Provide mentorship and guidance to attorneys and support staff, with a focus on successful strategic litigation 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
• 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 or relevant legal practice
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience supervising staff, managing a team, or equivalent demonstrated supervisory or leadership experience on cases
• Experience in civil litigation (including law and motion work, discovery, and/or taking and defending depositions), direct legal services, or policy
• 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
• 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
• Familiarity with the intersection of workers’ rights and other issues, such as immigration, national security and civil rights, and housing, a plus
• Familiarity in practicing in a nonprofit organization, a plus

Application Process

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