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Chief Legal Officer

Justice at Work PA (Formerly Friends of Farmworkers) • Full-time • Philadelphia, PA, US • 18h ago

JOB TITLE: Chief Legal Officer

LOCATION: Pennsylvania (Hybrid)

STATUS: Exempt

EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Full-time

REPORTS TO: Executive Director

Justice at Work seeks a Chief Legal Officer (CLO) to lead our legal programs. A key member of our leadership team, the CLO will inform organizational strategy, advance resource development, and drive programmatic excellence. The CLO partners with the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer to ensure strategic alignment in JaW-PA’s people, programs, policies, and practices. The CLO supervises and develops legal leaders and staff, strengthens JaW-PA's delivery of legal services, optimizes case management, fosters a collaborative culture committed to continuous learning, and cultivates impactful community partnerships. The ideal candidate will bring extensive nonprofit legal practice experience and a proven ability to lead mission-driven teams in delivering high-quality legal services.

About Justice at Work

Justice at Work (JaW-PA) is a Pennsylvania nonprofit organization focused on workplace justice. A partner in the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, we support low-wage workers in pursuing safety and fairness in their workplaces. With offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, we employ a multilingual, client-centered model of service that engages clients, communities, and collaborators in small cities, towns, and agricultural communities across the Commonwealth.

Key Objectives

Strategy: Collaborate with the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer in developing and driving organizational vision, program strategy, and resource development and management
Leadership: Guide legal team supervisors in supporting high-quality legal services, cross-team communication and collaboration, and ongoing professional development
Impact: Provide direction for JaW-PA's legal programs, evaluating program performance and utilizing findings to strengthen service delivery, systems, and organizational impact
Alignment: Oversees strategic allocation of program time and resources to ensure organization-wide communication, coordination, consistency, and clarity in advancing JaW-PA's mission
Organizational Representation: Serves as ambassador for JaW-PA in a wide range of collaborative partnerships, and acts on behalf of Executive Director and/or program team supervisors as needed in their absence

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

o Collaborate with teams to develop and execute strategies that advance program priorities, strengthen legal services, and expand mission impact

o Anticipate and respond to emerging legal, regulatory, and policy developments affecting Pennsylvania's low-wage workers

o Assess organizational and community needs and work with the leadership team to align staffing, resources, and program design to meet evolving demands

Legal Program Leadership & Oversight

o Provide high-level oversight of legal services, community education, partnerships, and related programmatic activities to ensure cross-team coordination and organizational alignment

o Establish and maintain standards for legal quality, supervision, case management, and service delivery, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical obligations, grant requirements, and organizational policies

o Monitor program outcomes, identify trends, and implement continuous improvement initiatives to maximize impact

Team Leadership & Talent Development

o Supervise and support program team supervisors

o Support recruitment, development, and retention of high-performing legal staff

o Partner with leadership team to foster an inclusive, collaborative culture, with a focus on direct communication, accountability, and continuous learning

o Lead a strategic, collaborative process to develop and implement professional development initiatives, including training and conferences, licensing, and accreditation

Internal Partnerships & Cross-Functional Collaboration

o Partner with the operations team to align legal program activities with the organization's compliance, operations, and grant-reporting responsibilities

o Serve as program lead in cross-functional workflows, supplying program activity information for reporting, funding, and compliance processes led by operations team

o Ensure legal staff maintain accurate, complete, and timely case documentation that supports compliance, funding, and reporting requirements

o Collaborate on resolution of compliance matters identified by the operations team

External Partnerships & Relations

o Cultivate and maintain strategic relationships with funders, legal aid organizations, community partners, referral networks, and other stakeholders

o Support fundraising, grant development & management, and funder engagement

o Drive strategic collaboration with partners to address service gaps, strengthen referral processes, and identify opportunities for broader impact in advancing JaW-PA's goals

Required Skills and Qualifications

Licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or the ability to obtain a Pennsylvania law license immediately upon hiring
A minimum of 7 years of legal practice experience, preferably in the nonprofit sector
Excellent leadership skills, with steadfast resolve and personal integrity and a demonstrated ability to manage staff, set priorities, delegate tasks, and follow-up
Exceptional critical thinking and strong judgment
Strong interpersonal skills: able to work well with a wide range of people with different lived and professional education, experience, and ability, including low-wage worker communities, community partners, and funders
A demonstrated commitment to mentorship practices rooted in collaboration
Experience practicing employment law and/or immigration law (strongly preferred)

Nondiscrimination JaW-PA is committed to fostering equal opportunities for all, in compliance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. When applying for a position, please identify any accommodation needed for participation in the hiring process.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by an employee in this position. These statements are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees in this position.