Special Projects Manager

Law For Black Lives Call for Applications

Position Description: Special Projects Manager

Deadline: Please submit resume, cover letter, writing sample and at least three references by Jan. 13, 2025_for priority review. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Law for Black Lives (L4BL) is seeking an exceptionally organized and detail-oriented problem-solver to join the organization as the Special Projects Manager. This is a unique opportunity to support the building of a strong organization as we build an emerging radical national network of lawyers, legal workers, and law students, and support our movement and legal field partners across the country, all working towards Black liberation. This position is JD or advanced degree preferred.

About Law for Black Lives

Law For Black Lives (L4BL) is dedicated to transforming the legal field by promoting movement lawyering and cultivating a national community of radical law students, lawyers, and legal workers, building the power of local organizing to defend, protect, and advance Black Liberation, and transforming the law to change the conditions of the struggle and defend Black Lives. L4BL is a fiscally sponsored project at NEO Philanthropy.

Through the coordination and provision of legal support, training, mentorship, research, political education, policy and popular education tools, we are building a legal infrastructure that is responsive, action-oriented and collaborative.

Role Description & Key Responsibilities

The Special Projects Manager is a new and unique opportunity for a detailed-oriented and strategic problem-solver who enjoys a variety of projects in their portfolio and thrives when building plans, collaborating with others, addressing kinks in processes. This role is perfect for someone typically drawn to Chief of Staff positions. The Special Projects Manager will provide administrative, organizational, and programmatic support to the Executive Director including identifying and addressing roadblocks to project progression across the organization and leading a docket of special projects such as the establishment of movement lawyering community hubs or the coordination of a regional movement strategy lab.

The Special Projects Manager will work under the direction of the Executive Director to guide the organization in meeting its goals of transforming the law, transforming the legal field, and supporting Black-led base building. Specifically, the Special Projects Manager will be responsible for the following key pieces of work:

LEADERSHIP:

• Support L4BL leadership in the implementation of organizational strategy
• Represent the organization to key stakeholders
• Represent the organization at key conferences and retreats
• Coordinate with our advisory board and when appropriate support the Executive Director in coordinating our governing board
• Support the leadership team in managing staff workflow and procedures
• Strive to bring the values of Law for Black Lives into practice.

EXECUTIVE:

• Track the Executive Director’s projects, commitments, and priorities.
• Support the Executive Director in identifying and addressing problems and opportunities for the organization’s growth.
• Provide the Executive Director with regular snapshots of progress, delays, tensions, and bottlenecks within the organization by coordinating and summarizing department reports.
• Provide background research and reports on emergent projects and strategic issues including research on the legal field.
• Conduct legal research and provide memos to the Executive Director upon request.
• Coordinate meeting preparation materials, meeting supplemental materials, agendas, and notes for the Executive Director.
• Working with the Development Manager to coordinate executive external events and appearances
• Coordinate the Executive Director’s calendar and inbox.
• Correspond on behalf of the Executive Director.

PROGRAMMING:

• Attend meetings and produce notes and summaries on emergent legal, policy, research and technical assistance projects for movement and movement lawyers.
• Draft concept notes and project management plans based on notes from planning meetings.
• Manage special projects and coordinate project committees.
• Support programming across the organization on an ad hoc basis.

MANAGEMENT:

• Manage the Project Coordinator as they provide project management and logistical support for the departments on a consistent basis.

OPERATIONS:

• Support the Operations department with managing the fiscal sponsor relationship.
• Collaborate with the Operations department on internal staff retreats and events.
• Collaborate with the Operations department on special project events, convenings, and conferences.
• Collaborate with the Operations department on special operations projects.
• Collaborate with the Research, Education, and Training Department on staff training and professional development opportunities

FINANCE:

• Work with the Operations & Admin Manager to manage the organization’s budget, forecasts, and reporting process including department budgets
• Coordinate internal financial reporting
• Review staff and program expense reporting and provide snapshots for the Executive Director

STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES:

• Assess resource opportunities as they arise, and identify points of leverage, opportunity and alignment.
• Other relevant duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Skills & Experiences

• Deep commitment to and enthusiasm for L4BL.
• JD or advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Familiarity and comfort with L4BL’s values and those of fellow abolitionist movement partners with a strong understanding of Black organizing, Black liberation, intersectionality, and anti-oppression principles and practices.
• Proven track record of utilizing personal and professional engagements to successfully engage with Law for Black Lives politics (including Black Queer Feminism, Abolition, and movement lawyering)
• At least 3-4 years of project management experience required.
• At least 2-3 years of experience working with or studying law in some capacity is required.
• At least 2-3 years of experience with coalition building and/or working in established coalitions and/or growing new collaborations is preferred.
• At least 3-4 years of experience providing logistical and administrative support is required.
• At least 1 -2 years of experience with nonprofit HR is preferred.
• At least 2-3 years of experience with nonprofit governance and compliance is preferred.
• At least 3-4 years of experience with nonprofit finance is preferred.
• Experience engaging community and movement organizations, preferably with strong relationships with organizations doing Black liberation work.
• Strong relationship-building skills.
• Ability to effectively facilitate and lead meetings.
• Ability to effectively facilitate workshops and/or present to groups with varied levels of prior knowledge and experience
• Able to effectively represent L4BL to a variety of audiences and communities.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to provide leadership within a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work well with a team.
• Exceptional note-taking skills.
• Proven track record of exceptional project management.
• Exceptional organizational skills for effective project management.
• Previous experience working remotely preferred.

Position: Full-time salaried employee. Overtime exempt.

Compensation: $85,000 - $93,000 commensurate with experience. Through NEO Philanthropy, this position is offered a full benefits package, including 100% medical coverage for the employee and 90% medical coverage for dependents; 100% coverage for vision, dental, life/AD&D, long-term disability. NEO also offers a 401K retirement savings plan, Healthcare Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), Medical FSA, Dependent Care FSA, commuter benefits, Employee Assistance Program, other supplemental benefits and paid time off.

Location: This is a remote position, however, at least quarterly travel will be required

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to lift 25 lbs
• Ability to sit or stand for prolonged periods in meetings or while working on a computer
• Frequently required to sit, stand, walk and reach
• Required to push, pull, lift and carry

Start Date: Feb 2025

Reports To: Executive Director

Vaccination Requirement: L4BL at NEO staff are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Requests for medical and/or religious exemptions from the vaccination requirement will be considered on an individual basis.

TO APPLY: Submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three (3)references at bit.ly/L4BLWork.

L4BL at NEO Philanthropy is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other legally protected status. We strongly encourage black people, people of color, women, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and people who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system to apply

Law for Black Lives Guiding Values

• We believe in using the law for the people and that legal tools should be used to build the power of movements.
• We are committed to the liberation and self-determination of all Black people -- including Black women and LGBTQIA folks.
• We hold ourselves accountable to support movements for Black liberation including organic uprisings. This means following the leadership of movement organizers and taking direction and feedback from our partners.
• We are political. We understand that this work requires political lawyering and explicit partnership with movement activists/organizers.
• We strive to think creatively and collectively about how the law can be used to support movements while respecting activists’ and organizers’ political choices.
• We are unapologetically committed to developing and following the leadership of Black people within the law.
• We believe in the importance and necessity of an agile and radical legal infrastructure that supports liberation movements.
• We believe in actively combatting the elitism, hierarchies, and lawyer-centric tendencies within the legal world.
• We believe in an internationalist approach that draws connections between the struggle for human rights and dignity in Black communities in the United States and across the globe.
• We are committed to continued growth and in the words of Mary Hooks, we are willing and ready to be transformed in service of the work.
• We believe in creating a space that is affirming, healing, transparent, and respectful. We work to ensure that those spaces don’t replicate the kinds of oppression, harm, and trauma that we are working against.