Director of Strategic Initiatives

 

About Us

Civil Rights Corps (CRC) is a non-profit civil rights organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 2016, CRC challenges wealth-based and race-based systems of oppression. We work to shift power to community-led movements, particularly those led by Black, Brown, and poor people who are most affected by the criminal legal system, so they can build sufficient power to create structural change. We work with individuals accused and convicted of crimes, their families and communities, people currently or formerly incarcerated, activists, organizers, judges, and government officials to challenge mass human caging, to create a legal system that promotes equality and human freedom, and to dismantle white supremacy. Civil Rights Corps engages in advocacy and public education and specializes in innovative, systemic civil rights litigation with the goal of re-sensitizing the legal system and our culture to the injustice and brutality that characterize the contemporary U.S. legal system.

CRC has won groundbreaking litigation challenging the rise of modern debtors’ prisons, abusive private probation schemes, wealth-based pre-trial detention, and prosecutor and police abuse. CRC works closely with community partners and is committed to fundamentally transforming the criminal system. CRC’s staff is comprised of passionate and dedicated advocates with a profound commitment to social justice and fighting inequality in all its forms.   Learn more about our work at civilrightscorps.org.

 

About the Role 

Civil Rights Corps seeks an experienced and passionate Director of Strategic Initiatives to help our entire staff develop and implement new initiatives and strategies in close collaboration with CRC’s staff and leadership team.  The Director of Strategic Initiatives will support teams and staff throughout the organization working across departments, including litigation, police, and narrative building. The Director of Strategic Initiatives reports to the Executive Director, but will not manage any staff from other existing departments.

 

The Director will:

  • Support CRC’s development of new projects, strategies, and initiatives across the organization.
  • Identify and investigate new issue areas of systemic injustice, new approaches to existing issues, new jurisdictions, and new partners.
  • Manage CRC’s development and implementation of certain new projects in collaboration with department leaders and staff. This includes helping to build the capacity for other CRC employees to develop their own new projects.
  • Increase CRC’s capacity to innovate by facilitating and supporting experimentation with new ideas and conceptualizing new projects or new initiatives.
  • In concert with CRC department leads, develop a process based on CRC’s strategic plan to assess the viability of new projects.
  • Represent CRC at conferences, in the media, in coalitions, and at other public events.
  • With CRC colleagues, cultivate new partnerships to advance the work, and where possible, bring existing relationships to CRC, including with community-based organizations and organizations led by individuals directly impacted by the criminal system.

 

Qualifications

The ideal applicant is a team leader, proactive, humble, thoughtful, able to juggle multiple tasks, and able to work well in a collaborative environment. Specific qualifications we are looking for include:

  • Minimum of 7 years of experience working in the criminal legal system or a related field.
  • Innovative thinking, an unwillingness to accept things as they are, and a smart work ethic are essential.
  • Demonstrated commitment to the mission, purpose, and values of CRC.
  • Experience working with diverse populations, with those directly impacted by the criminal legal system, and on behalf of low-income clients.
  • Race and identity competency, ability to understand, appreciate and navigate issues of identity power and privilege with clients, partners, and colleagues.
  • Experience developing, creating, and successfully implementing new projects that utilize multiple tools such as litigation, policy advocacy, communications, and partnerships with community-based organizations.
  • The ideal candidate has prior experience related to money bail, criminalization of poverty, or police and prosecutorial accountability.
  • Excellent writing, communication, presentation, and public speaking skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to direct and mentor, coordinate cross-department and multi-organization teams, and manage relationships with senior leadership.
  • Proven ability to take initiative, establish priorities, work independently, self-motivate, and proceed with objectives with minimal supervision.

Civil Rights Corps is an equal opportunity employer.  We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture.  Civil Rights Corps is committed to promoting an environment free of barriers and discriminatory practices for its clients, partners, and staff.

 

Salary, Benefits, and Logistics

The salary range is between $121,000-$154,000, commensurate with prior experience. Civil Rights Corps offers an outstanding and generous benefits package, including employer-paid health, vision, and dental benefits; transit benefits; an annual wellness benefit; retirement matching; and paid sick, family, and unlimited vacation leave. This is a full-time exempt position; preference will be given to candidates based in or willing to relocate to Washington, D.C., but remote candidates will be considered.  Remote working arrangements are available while CRC’s physical office is closed or partially closed because of COVID-19.

 

Application Requirements

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample of no more than 10 pages (excerpts from longer pieces are allowed) related to a plan for an initiative or project building on CRC’s work to date and a list of four references to Civil Rights Corps, including at least one reference from a peer or person who reported to you. Interviews will be conducted via a video teleconferencing platform and a reference check will be completed before an offer is made.

Applications will be accepted until a candidate is identified.  Applications submitted by August 25, 2021 are guaranteed consideration.  Materials should be addressed to jobs@civilrightscorps.org. Please include your name and “Director of Strategic Initiatives Application” in the subject line.