Associate Director, Program Planning, Services, Support

Acacia Center for Justice

Associate Director supporting program planning and services for immigrant legal assistance. Leading project management initiatives and proposal development to ensure effective program implementation.

Posted 5/29/2026full-timeRemote • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $126,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Project leadership and management.
As needed, support the early implementation of new programs by translating established program designs into concrete, time-bound practicable steps, and coordinating day-to-day launch activities.
Engage in thought partnership with Director of PPSS and other leadership as appropriate to support implementation decision making, surface operation risks or gaps and inform refinements to program designs to promote sustainability, scalability, and responsiveness to legal needs of immigrants.
During project incubation phase, design and oversee systems for day-to-day operations and scalable program management, ensuring alignment with organizational and strategic goals and the project’s scope, until permanent staffing is in place.
Collaborate in the development of secure information-sharing systems and protocols in coordination with Legal, IT, and Compliance teams, ensuring alignment with organizational data security standards and best practices.
Support for proposal development for government procurements.
In close collaboration with Program Directors and other subject matter experts, lead and coordinate drafting of technical responses and narrative sections of proposals responsive to government solicitations, including renewal bids.
Maintain familiarity with Acacia’s established procurement practices, proposal voice, and positioning across bids, and support high-quality, consistent proposal development efforts as procurement opportunities arise.
Develop and maintain sufficient familiarity with Acacia’s programs and operations to contribute effectively with minimal ramp-up, and demonstrate comfort with frequent change, shifting priorities, and evolving day-to-day responsibilities.
Provide short-term, flexible staffing support across programs and initiatives by stepping in as needed to address capacity gaps, transitions, launches, or periods of increased demand.

Requirements

What you’ll need

9+ years of relevant work experience in immigration legal services (including legal access or representation services).
Experience in immigration policy, government contracting or contract/grant administration, or comparable work and educational experience will also be considered, particularly where the candidate has direct experience with the immigration legal system and has been personally impacted by it.
Uncompromising commitment to immigrants’ rights, racial equity, and person-centered approaches, with a demonstrated understanding of how systemic inequities shape access to legal information and representation.
Exceptional project management, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to support the implementation of new or unestablished programs by making informed, practical judgments about staffing, resources, and operational needs, anticipating risks or downstream impacts, and proactively coordinating with units such as Finance, IT, Legal, and Compliance to address issues early.
Demonstrated high-level adaptability, willingness to take initiative, and ability to problem-solve in a fast-paced environment.
Solid organization skills; attention to detail with the ability to work quickly and manage multiple projects simultaneously, effectively, and efficiently; and strong writing and research skills.
Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with people of diverse experiences and backgrounds from government funder to legal service provider to impacted community member.
Experience supervising and supporting staff of different experience levels and navigating peer-level relationships across teams to advance shared work.
Ability to successfully balance travel responsibilities with office-based responsibilities when necessary.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical/Dental/Vision- Some plans at $0 cost to the employee
Employee Assistance Program
20 days per year of vacation time
12 days per year of sick time
5 personal days
4 organization-wide Wellness Days
11 observed holidays, including the last week of December
First time home office set-up stipend
Internet Stipend
401k with 5% employer contribution, no employee participation required.

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Hard Skills & Tools

project managementstakeholder managementproposal developmentcontract administrationgrant administrationprogram designdata security standardsinformation-sharing systemsrisk assessmentlegal access services

Soft Skills

communication skillsadaptabilityinitiativeproblem-solvingorganization skillsattention to detailinterpersonal skillscollaborationflexibilityability to manage multiple projects