WILD Program Manager

Wanton Injustice Legal Detail

The Wanton Injustice Legal Detail (WILD), an affiliate 501(c)(3) of Twin Cities Diversity in Practice (TCDIP), was created after the murder of George Floyd to activate the Minnesota legal community to combat anti-Black racism and all forms of racism through direct partnerships with community organizations. WILD is designed to leverage the collective power of TCDIP’s membership to take direct, concrete steps to eliminate systemic racism in Minnesota. WILD’s work is organized around several focus areas, including economic justice, voting rights, education equity, and community safety, healing, and justice.

TCDIP is a professional association of over 70 law firms and corporate legal departments with a mission to attract, recruit, advance, and retain attorneys of color in the Twin Cities through education and collaboration with member organizations. TCDIP’s vision is to create an exceptionally diverse and inclusive legal community, free of systemic barriers, where attorneys of color have abundant opportunities to succeed and belong.

Position Overview

WILD’s next Program Manager is someone who can think about the big picture, create engaging programs, and activate people.

The ideal candidate will be a dynamic and proactive leader with a strong commitment to racial justice and equity, and a proven ability to manage programs. The Program Manager will bring a balance of operational expertise, strong relationship-building skills, and an understanding of how to motivate volunteers. The candidate will be responsible for managing relationships between community organizations, law firms, and corporate legal departments. With a deep understanding of the legal needs surrounding racial equity issues, they will work closely with community partners to ensure resources are directed where they are most needed.

Above all, the ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with strong interpersonal skills, capable of driving both operational success and lasting impact in the pursuit of racial justice.

Responsibilities include:

• Collaborating with community partners to identify legal needs, ensuring that resources are aligned with the most pressing racial equity issues, such as education equity, voting rights, and public safety
• Building and managing relationships between community organizations, law firms, and corporate legal departments, ensuring seamless communication and collaboration to address racial justice and equity issues
• Maintaining systems for volunteer attorney recruitment, onboarding, support, and retention
• Organizing training for legal professionals, ensuring sensitivity and understanding of racial justice issues when offering pro bono legal services
• Supervising and mentoring a team of at least two staff members, providing clear direction, setting expectations, and fostering professional growth in alignment with program goals
• Managing annual program budgets and expenditures, ensuring compliance and alignment with organizational goals and guidelines, and optimizing resource allocation
• Identifying and applying for grant opportunities from foundations, government agencies, and corporate sponsors aligned with WILD’s mission and goals
• Coordinating committee and board meetings, preparing agendas, presentations, and reports, ensuring all stakeholders are informed and aligned on key decisions and initiatives

Qualifications

We are seeking a candidate with at least 3-5 years of experience creating and managing racial justice-focused projects and systems. The Program Manager should have prior experience working within the legal industry and/or within the racial justice space. They should also bring an entrepreneurial and creative approach to their work.

A successful candidate will bring many of the following qualifications and personal attributes:

• Authentic passion for WILD’s mission, including a deep understanding of racial equity and social justice issues, and a demonstrated commitment to addressing those issues.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the systematic barriers that impact Black, Indigenous, and other people of color in Minnesota.
• Experience in taking ideas to execution with strong project management skills, while building a coalition of supporters. 
• Experience working with legal professionals, attorneys, or other professionals.
• Experience with developing and or existing connections to community-based organizations throughout the Twin Cities.
• Experience with volunteer recruitment and retention, including proficiency in database management.
• Experience in evaluating service-oriented programming to guide decision-making.
• A talent for organizing work and developing workflow systems, tolerant of some uncertainty, with high standards for quality and productivity in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to solve problems and make decisions, apply close attention to detail; coordinate, synthesize, and track large amounts of information.
• Strong familiarity with computer systems, including high-level proficiency in MS Office suite, and a willingness and ability to use new systems and technology.
• Skilled at establishing and maintaining effective working relationships, including the ability to communicate effectively, lead influence, and collaborate with colleagues in a diverse work environment.
• Excited to help lead a dynamic, fast-moving organization with humor, humility, and a commitment to collaboration and shared successes.

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that members of under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

TCDIP is an equal opportunity employer committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive work environment for our employees and contractors. Women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and veterans are encouraged to apply.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range is $80,000 to $95,00 per year. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, generous paid time off, retirement benefits, and a cell phone stipend. This position has the flexibility of a hybrid work environment (working from home and the office in Minneapolis, MN) as projects allow.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter to [email protected]. In your cover letter, please answer the following questions:

• What excites you about this position and WILD?
• What skills do you bring to one or more of the areas of focus listed above?
• When are you available to start?