Advocacy Director (two vacancies), Denver, Colorado Springs, or other southern Colorado CLS office

Job Title: Advocacy Director (two vacancies) Location: Denver; Colorado Springs or other southern Colorado CLS office Classification: Exempt Reports To: Executive Director Salary Range: $139,200 – $144,200 (this amount represents salary plus $4,200 yearly stipend).
Salary commensurate with experience.
Application Deadline: Rolling review, application window closes January 14, 2024 Organization Overview: Colorado Legal Services (CLS) is Colorado’s statewide nonprofit legal aid program, with thirteen offices providing civil legal assistance to low-income Coloradans throughout the state.
CLS provides free legal assistance in a broad variety of legal areas, including family law, public benefits, eviction defense, consumer protection, services to survivors of serious crime and human trafficking, and many others.
CLS has strengthened lives, assisted families, and supported communities–one person at a time for over 90 years.
We are committed to providing high-quality, free legal advice and representation to eligible individuals throughout Colorado.
We have a long history of successful impact and advocacy.
CLS strives to bring about substantive, transformational change in the lives of those we serve.
Position Summary: Colorado Legal Services seeks to fill two Advocacy Director roles.
One position will focus on and oversee our core substantive legal work in the Denver Metro Area (consumer rights, family and children’s, housing, public benefits) and the five statewide specialty advocacy units based in Denver (ID Project, Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, Migrant Farm Worker Division, Survivor Services Unit); the second position will oversee our legal work in southern Colorado and in a portion of the Western Slope.
Each position will also lead a separate portfolio of statewide priority advocacy support projects—to be determined through the hiring and onboarding process—and will serve on the senior leadership team of Colorado Legal Services, working on organizational priority projects, culture, and planning.
The statewide priority portfolio may include: language access, strategic litigation, statewide intake, strategic planning, external relations, community partnerships, union relations, LSC compliance, pro bono and private attorney involvement, volunteer and intern support, and other projects identified over time.
In partnership with the members of the Colorado Legal Services senior leadership team, managing and supervising attorneys, and all Colorado Legal Services staff, the Advocacy Directors will be catalysts for mission-driven growth at Colorado’s statewide legal aid nonprofit, for the offices/units they oversee and within their statewide portfolios.
The Advocacy Directors will be partners in change with the Executive Director, working in tandem and in coordination with Colorado Legal Services staff to write the next chapter to the organization’s nearly 100- year story of life-changing impact for low-income and vulnerable Coloradans.
Essential Duties: • Program delivery oversight (50%) o Directly lead, motivate, and supervise a team of managing and supervising attorneys and their respective offices/units, supporting the managing and supervising attorneys in the legal work, personnel management, and strategy of these teams.
o Working with other Colorado Legal Services senior leadership, find and develop methods to eliminate administrative burden for our legal and other teams through efficiencies, innovation, and a focus on iteration and constant improvement.
o In partnership with the Director of People and Culture, Deputy Director, Senior Director of Advocacy and Professional Development, and Senior Director of Operations and Administration, lead the implementation of performance management, coaching, and training for direct reports and their teams.
o Nurture an organizational climate that attracts, retains, values and motivates a talented, committed, and diverse staff.
o In partnership with other senior leadership, ensure the accurate, timely, and strategic work of grant applications and management.
o Ensure compliance with CLS policies and LSC regulations.
o Travel to each office the Advocacy Director supervises at least twice yearly and other Colorado Legal Services offices at least every other year.
o Encourage and drive participation of Colorado Legal Services attorneys in external stakeholder engagement.
• Statewide portfolio projects (35%) o Through the hiring and onboarding process, each Advocacy Director will be assigned 1-4 statewide portfolio projects, which may include language access, strategic litigation, intake, strategic planning, external relations, union relations, community partnerships, LSC compliance, volunteer and intern support, and private attorney involvement.
o The Advocacy Director will lead and guide the excellence of their statewide portfolio projects, in partnership with Colorado Legal Services teams and staff and, as appropriate, external partners and stakeholders.
• Other organizational leadership (15%) o As a member of Colorado Legal Services senior leadership, the Advocacy Director will participate in organizational decision-making and will take on other ad hoc special projects to advance the mission and goals of Colorado Legal Services as assigned.
December 2023 o Working with the Executive Director and other Colorado Legal Services staff, maintain and grow Colorado Legal Services’ visibility and leadership role among city, state, community partners and national anti-poverty advocacy organizations, and coordinate our work with those groups.
o With the Executive Director and other senior leadership, lead an effort of statewide cohesion, partnership, DEI, and impact for all program delivery teams through meetings, emails, retreats, and other culture-first engagements.
Required Qualifications: • Demonstrated commitment to equal justice, poverty law, and individuals and families in poverty.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Possess strategic vision and agility, including the ability to think strategically, foresee trends, and adapt a portion of an organizational plan in response to changing internal and/or external realities.
• Demonstrated commitment to the wellbeing and growth of teammates, including a successful track record of working with diverse teams.
• Demonstrated organizational leadership ability.
• License to practice law in the state of Colorado or ability to obtain a Colorado license as soon as practicable.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Detail-oriented with strong critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Ability to set clear priorities and delegate, as appropriate.
• Keen analytic, organizational, relationship management, and problem-solving skills, and professional judgment that supports and enables sound decision making.
• Excellent human resource skills, including coalition building, supervision, mentoring, training, and professional development.
Preferred Qualifications: • Experience in change management and project management.
• Experience in any of the following: language access, strategic/impact litigation, intake, strategic planning, and pro bono and private attorney involvement.
Compensation and Benefits: We offer a generous plan that includes 100% employer paid premiums for employee health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance as well as partial employer paid premiums for spouses/dependents, based on a sliding scale.
We also offer Dependent Care and Medical Flexible spending accounts, a 403(b) retirement account, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Additionally, CLS offers a $350.
00 monthly stipend (to be used as you choose), generous paid time-off and 12.
5 paid holidays per year.
CLS values its employees’ commitment to working hard for the population it serves and recognizes the importance of work/life balance; December 2023 therefore, we offer flexible work schedules and hybrid work arrangements as appropriate.
We promote and foster a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and psychologically safe work environment, striving to be a “Best Place to Work” in Colorado.
How to Apply: Please email a single combined PDF containing your cover letter and resume to hiring@colegalserv.
org.
Please include “Advocacy Director” in the subject line and indicate whether you are interested in the Denver position, southern Colorado position, or both.
Please also indicate any specific interest and experience in the identified statewide portfolio areas; if you are interested in a focus on strategic litigation, please include a persuasive legal writing sample and, in your cover letter, a description of your litigation experience.
We will begin reviewing applications as they are received and anticipate closing the application period on January 14, 2024.
Note: Please mention how you heard about the job announcement in your email.
Please no solicitations from recruitment firms.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: CLS embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as an Equal Opportunity Employer.
We are committed to building and retaining a workforce that respects and empowers each individual and represents a variety of diverse cultures, perspectives, skills, and experiences.
We encourage all qualified candidates to apply for this position.
December 2023