Executive Director

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Executive Director is a passionate advocate for immigrant communities and a visionary leader who works with the Board of Directors to carry out the organization’s mission and goals. The Executive Director provides organizational leadership and is responsible for the strategic planning, implementation, and ultimately the results of the organization. The Executive Director has the primary responsibility for obtaining funding and financial support, for assuring the highest quality of client services, for managing financial budgets and operational results, and for representing ILCM in the communities it serves.

Leadership

• Provide visionary and inspirational leadership to the staff and volunteers of ILCM.

• Create and maintain a shared culture of teamwork and shared commitment by ensuring professionalism, transparency, integrity, inclusiveness, equity, openness, self-care, and support for clients, fellow staff, board members, volunteers and supporters.

• Hire, supervise, and evaluate the management team to provide direction, advice and oversight as appropriate—ensuring quality and sustainability of services including:

• Ensure high-quality, responsive legal representation for clients and communities.

• Review requests to participate in appeals, to file complex litigation, or to engage in legislative or administrative advocacy.

• Ensure sustainable and responsive pro bono programming and most efficient and effective use of pro bono attorney resources.

• Ensure timely financial reporting in accordance with GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles); strong internal controls to mitigate the risk of fraud; and compliance with funder expectations and contractual and grant requirements.

• Co-create the annual budget with the DFA and Finance committee to submit for Board approval at year-end Board meeting.

• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws; the Minnesota Code of Professional Responsibility; the MN Campaign Finance Board; the Legal Services Advisory Committee, policies, regulations, and instructions; and other risk management areas.

• Coach, develop, and grow staff and teams in support of the organizational mission.

• Strengthen the organization’s role in facilitating and leading sustainable strategic partnerships

to improve immigration legal services delivery, impact, and outcomes.

Resource Development

• Together with the development team, maintain, create, cultivate and grow the stewardship of multiple sources of revenue to ensure the long-term sustainability of the ILCM budget; including active leadership with individuals, law firms, foundations, and government grants and contracts.

• Work closely with the development team in ongoing individual donor solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship efforts with a focus on deepening donor commitment by engaging donors in the mission.

• Oversee fundraising initiatives including the development of effective strategies for identifying, pursuing, and maintaining good relations with funders, such as foundations, corporations, and government agencies.

• Strategically pursue funding consistent with ILCM’s mission and priorities.

External Relations Communication

• Serve as the public face and ambassador for ILCM, carrying out a leadership role in local, state, and national legal networks, client community organizations, and other legal services and program-related organizations.

• Oversee public relations activities for the organization, e.g., communicate and establish contacts and maintain positive relationships with the courts, bar associations, the private bar, governmental agencies, community organizations, immigrant communities, and law makers among other groups.

• Contribute to an effective communications strategy with the ILCM communications team to continually enhance ILCM’s profile in immigrant communities, philanthropic and legal communities, and with local, state, and national policymakers.

Advocacy

• Together with the Public Policy Director, maintain and expand ILCM’s leadership role among municipal, state, and national advocacy organizations, coalitions, and stakeholders and strategically prioritize and coordinate to achieve progress towards advocacy goals.

• Ensure the organization is maintaining a strategic and thoughtful balance of programmatic work between individual client assistance and systemic advocacy to address systemic problems related to immigration.

• Work with the Public Policy Director to develop and maintain effective networks and coalitions of support for humane and fair policies that affect immigrants including immigrants, policymakers, and community leaders.

Strategy and Board Relations

• Engage and inspire staff members, board members, clients, and other stakeholders in development and implementation of the organizational mission.

• Work with the Board of Directors to carry out ILCM’s mission and goals, including:

• Lead ongoing planning efforts and implementation of an articulated and cohesive strategic vision across each of the six ILCM locations in support of the mission and goals.

• Creatively work with the Board of Directors so its members actively contribute to the success of ILCM.

• Advise the Board of Directors on policy matters, implement Board policies, and attend Board meetings.

• Perform other duties as the Board may from time-to-time assign.

• Participate as an ex-officio member of all Board committees.

• Implement policies, directives, priorities, and budgets established by the Board of Directors.

Management Responsibilities

The Executive Director reports to the ILCM Board of Directors and directly supervises the following positions: Legal Director, Director of Finance and Administration, Development Director, and Public Policy Director. The Executive Director provides executive leadership and strategic direction to all ILCM staff.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Legal or related educational background, preferably a Juris Doctorate degree and already admitted to (or with the ability to be admitted to) the State Bar of Minnesota.

• Demonstrated interest and passion for working with, and providing services to, low-income immigrant and refugee communities.

• Demonstrated experience working with people of diverse economic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.

• Demonstrated background and commitment to anticipating and responding to rapidly changing environment, particularly in legal services, nonprofit funding, and public policy.

• Significant experience in a senior management position in a related type of organization, preferably a legal services or legal advocacy program within the nonprofit sector.

• Management experience including leadership of a multi-departmental organization made up of skilled professionals.

• Exhibiting leadership traits including, but not limited to, the following:

o Conveying a visionary style that brings people together to support the mission.

o Displaying the characteristics of integrity, courage, intelligence, creativity, energy, and humor equal to the challenges of this position.

o Encouraging professional development of staff and supporting staff in obtaining and

enhancing their skills to perform the organization’s work.

• Knowledge of organizational structure, workflow, and operating procedures, and an ability to endorse and manage organizational change.

• Skill in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures.

• Financial oversight, reporting, and budget development.

• A successful track record in fundraising, resource development, and grant writing.

• Experience and skill communicating with a Board of Directors.

• Experience working with external stakeholders including elected officials, community members, partner organizations, and media contacts.

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to inspire the trust and confidence of the organization, public, and client communities.

• Bilingual English and Spanish, Hmong, or Somali preferred.

In addition to the rate described above, ILCM offers a comprehensive benefits package including: 

• Paid-time-off (PTO) that increases based on tenure but starts off with 20 days per year. 

• Holiday leave, including 11 holidays & the week between Christmas Eve & New Years Day. 

• Health benefits including:  

o Medical insurance through Medica: ILCM currently pays 90% of the employee & dependent portion of premiums and 80% for spouses/domestic partners.  

o Dental insurance through Delta Dental: ILCM currently pays 65% of the employee and dependent premiums. 

o Vision insurance through Avesis: 100% employee paid.  

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA): ILCM currently contributes $500 per year regardless of whether the employee is enrolled in ILCM’s health plan.  

• Life, Short/Long-term Disability Insurance through Reliance with the option to buy up voluntary life insurance.  

• SIMPLE IRA Retirement Plan w/employer match of up to 3% of the employee’s compensation. 

• A remote connectivity stipend of $50/month.