Grassroots Leadership seeks a Criminal Justice Programs Director, based in our Austin office (located at 2301 E. Cesar Chavez).  The Criminal Justice Programs Director will be responsible for overseeing our national, state, and local criminal justice programs; supervising criminal justice program staff; developing and implementing strategic campaigns for the organization; managing the organization’s research and media on criminal justice projects; sustaining the criminal justice program areas through supporting grant-writing and report-writing; supervising communications for criminal justice program areas; and other tasks as assigned by the Executive Director.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated knowledge of the criminal justice system, prison privatization, and related injustices
• Demonstrated knowledge of disproportionate impact of mass incarceration on communities of color and commitment to ending mass incarceration
• Strong background as a successful community organizer and campaigner
• Knowledge of government processes and experience running successful campaigns at city, county, and state levels
• Experience working with non-profit organizations
• Program management experience
• Experience supervising others
• Strong facilitation skills
• Strong administrative skills
• Strong public speaker
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to collaboratively and strategically develop work plans, projects and campaigns
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and act decisively
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Experience and comfort working with diverse communities with range of political views, including communities of color and those impacted by the criminal justice system
• Experience and comfort with advanced technology including Google applications (docs, spreadsheets, forms), database management, web development platforms, as well as social media skills
• Team Player; ability to work effectively with diverse grassroots constituencies and policy-makers
• Ability to adapt to rapidly changing situations in politically challenging environment
• Ability to work in close proximity to others
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Strong work ethic and willingness to go the extra mile
• Extremely well organized
• Sense of humility and humor

Strong applicants may also have:

• Personal experience with incarceration, or the incarceration or detention of a loved one
• Bi-lingual proficiency in written and spoken English & Spanish

Duties

• Lead Grassroots Leadership’s Criminal Justice Program areas, campaigns, and organizing projects
• Supervise Grassroots Leadership criminal justice staff
• Develop and maintain national, state, and local contacts related to Grassroots Leadership’s campaigns
• Direct Grassroots Leadership’s communications related to criminal justice programs
• Develop strategic direction of the program areas, in conjunction with Grassroots Leadership’s Executive Director and staff
• Fundraise for program areas, in collaboration with Grassroots Leadership Executive Director and staff
• Other duties as laid out by Grassroots Leadership’s Executive Director

More about the job

This full-time salaried position will be located in our Austin, TX office. Occasional travel in Texas and outside of the state will be required. Depending on qualifications, the salary ranges between $40,000-46,000 per year with excellent benefits.

It is the policy of Grassroots Leadership not to discriminate in the employment of staff, or in the selection of volunteers, on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, financial status or HIV status. Grassroots Leadership works affirmatively to build a staff and board that includes people of many different races, classes, genders, physical and mental abilities, ages and sexual orientations, including people who have been previously incarcerated and family members of those who are and have been in prison or immigrant detention.

Grassroots Leadership is committed to investing in the leadership of people of color and formerly incarcerated people. People of color, formerly incarcerated people, people who have family in prisons or detention centers, women, queer, and trans people are encouraged to apply. We do not discourage or discriminate against people with convictions, and you will not be asked if you have ever been convicted of a crime on the application or interview.

Please send letter of introduction, resume/vitae and three employment-related references to HR@grassrootsleadership.org with “CJ Programs Director” in the subject line. Please tell us why this position is of interest to you. Questions about the position should be directed to the same email address.