Executive Director

ABOUT TAHIRIH JUSTICE CENTER

The Tahirih Justice Center is a national, non-profit organization that supports immigrant survivors, with a focus on women and girls, seeking safety and justice. Our holistic, interdisciplinary, trauma-informed model for service combines free legal and social services with bridge-building policy advocacy, and research-based training and education. We amplify the voices of survivors in communities, courts, and Congress to create a world where women and girls enjoy equality and live in safety and with dignity. Tahirih’s 100+ employees work from offices in the DC Metro Area, Baltimore, Houston, Atlanta, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Atlanta Office opened in 2018 to serve immigrant women and girls fleeing violence in the Greater Atlanta metropolitan area. The team of 5 provides legal and social services; conducts local advocacy and community engagement; and provides training, education, and technical assistance on both the regional and national levels. To learn more about Tahirih and its work, please visit: https://www.tahirih.org/.

Tahirih’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Vision and Practice

The Tahirih Justice Center centers our work in the communities with whom we advocate, we challenge ongoing oppression, and we work to create an inclusive environment that is free of violence, hate, and harassment. We acknowledge historic marginalization of multiple systems of oppression which impact individuals at various ways and oftentimes result in compounding levels of harm. We practice inclusiveness in decision making through consultation with employees throughout the organization. Our core values speak to the world we are creating in which women and girls can enjoy equality and live in safety and with dignity. Because we honor the dignity and right to self-determination of the whole person, we are charged with reevaluating how we are best positioned to serve our clients and how we realize this driving principle among our workforce. A culture that recognizes and appreciates diversity, equity, and inclusion principles can facilitate effective collaboration, create viable alternatives that lead to greater efficiencies, allow for the emergence of effective solutions, and prevent groupthink through encouraging different viewpoints.

We uphold a multi-directional approach within the organization which recognizes that those who hold positional leadership, and all employees, are critical partners in developing an inclusive culture. Management must possess diversity, equity, and inclusion competencies to lead an engaged workforce. All team members must treat their colleagues with respect by listening to different viewpoints, opinions, thoughts and ideas, and embrace a culture of inclusion. We seek leadership that is committed to further develop and expand cultural competencies, dispel stereotypes, and build a work environment that is inclusive and based on mutual respect, tolerance, and understanding.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Tahirih is seeking a new Executive Director for the Atlanta Office to lead in the management, growth and financial sustainability of the program office, and represent the organization externally. Based in the Atlanta office, the Executive Director will join an exceptional national leadership team and lead and nurture a highly talented regional team in: providing critical legal and social services to immigrant women and girls fleeing violence; developing and executing a regional advocacy strategy for policies supporting the community Tahirih serves; collaboratively raising approximately $1 million annually and managing a $1 million regional budget; and actively representing Tahirih in the communities it serves. This is a highly visible, public-facing role.

The ideal candidate will have experience leading teams, be a proven senior manager, have public communication skills to nurture and build external coalitions, a track-record of fundraising success, and a deep understanding of the communities we serve. The preferred candidate will be skilled in translating the vision of the national organization to the unique context of Georgia and empowering the Atlanta team to execute programs that create lasting impact for women and girls in the region. The ideal candidate has a nuanced equity lens that informs strategy, funding relationships, programming and management.

THE ROLE

The Executive Director of a Tahirih office works towards a culture of lived values in supporting the strategy – setting, management, growth, and financial sustainability of the office and represents the organization externally. The Executive Director ensures the cohesion of a local team that executes the core programming – trauma-informed, interdisciplinary direct immigration legal and social services client services. The Executive Director works closely with national and local staff to embed efficient, effective processes that allow the office to meet national and local organizational strategic goals and support programmatic staff. The Executive Director leads in the efforts to cultivate and maintain a diverse, engaged donor base, and seeks to create and foster diverse revenue streams. Reporting to the Chief of Programs, the Executive Director will:

Manage, nurture, and lead an exceptionally dedicated and talented local program office team. The Executive Director will coordinate a local program office team consisting of attorneys and legal advocates, social service providers, office administrators, and development team members. The Executive Director will keep the values of the organization at the center of its work and promote a collaborative, consultative, inclusive, and equitable environment to motivate and inspire staff to work collaboratively, both internally and across the organization, toward Tahirih’s goals. To do this, the Executive Director will ensure ongoing leadership and team building to support services delivery, fundraising, and ongoing support to staff who are vulnerable to or are experiencing vicarious trauma through their work at Tahirih.

Support vision-setting and strategic leadership of the Atlanta office. The Executive Director will support and coordinate the Atlanta team as it develops and executes strategic goals, objectives, policies, and processes for the provision of client services that align with the national organization; address the unique context of Georgia and the Atlanta area; and empower the Atlanta team to create lasting impact on the communities it serves in the region. The Executive Director will enable and support local staff leadership to accomplish client services goals and provide thought partnership and leadership to enhance Tahirih’s regional pro bono relationships.

Build relationships with existing donors and funders and work with development staff to identify new areas of support. In collaboration with regional and national development team members, the Executive Director will steward the local program office’s annual budget and create a comprehensive strategy for increasing revenue to ensure ongoing strong financial support. The Executive Director will supervise full- cycle fundraising efforts, including: identifying and cultivating new funders; writing case statements, letters of intent and grant proposals; growing and supporting the local Advisory Council; and hosting annual fundraisers. The Executive Director, with the National Grants Manager and the local development team, will engage strategically to seek and retain foundation, federal, and state grants aligned with Tahirih’s work.

Represent Tahirih actively to the communities it serves. The Executive Director will serve as an effective and responsible spokesperson for Tahirih, clearly and accurately speaking for the organization at community and public events and in the media. The Executive Director will increase public awareness of Tahirih’s work and issues it addresses and strengthen the organization’s reputation as an impactful leader and advocate in the field. The Executive Director will engage with and continue to build and strengthen constituent relationships and partnerships in its local network.

Foster a strong inclusive and equitable workplace environment. The Executive Director will cultivate and support a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment in the Atlanta office. The Executive Director will work closely with national leadership and staff stakeholders to execute Tahirih’s DEI vision, strategy, and initiatives that span the programmatic work and internal operations of the organization. The Executive Director will possess a deep understanding of systems of oppression and the ways in which they impact the communities Tahirih serves. In addition, the Executive Director will lead and navigate the adoption of DEI principles and practices among staff and invite an equity lens across all internal and external efforts.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

• Sincere and informed commitment to equity and inclusion, social justice and dismantling individual and systemic violence against women and immigrants.
• At least 10 years of relevant non-profit operations, development, social work and/or immigration law experience, including five+ years in an executive management role in a community nonprofit organization, government agency, or similar organization.
• Proven track record in fundraising across multiple disciplines and varied income streams, with a commitment to incorporating an organizational culture of philanthropy.
• Interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations with both internal and external stakeholders; demonstrated ability to maintain poise, tact, and diplomacy.
• Demonstrated experience building authentic and effective partnerships and coalitions among organizations and activists working at all levels, from the grassroots to the national level, including the ability to work effectively with a broad range of stakeholders by building trust, transparency, and effective, authentic relationships.
• Experience serving as an organizational spokesperson for media, with policymakers, at conferences, and other highly visible opportunities to build education and awareness in our mission.
• Senior level management experience with a demonstrated ability to implement and align diverse programs, and manage and mentor highly intelligent, talented, and dedicated team members, including managing conflict and providing consistent constructive feedback in a timely manner.
• Demonstrated ability to think innovatively and execute creative problem solving, strategic thinking, and analytical skills; an exceptional ability to build open-minded relationships across lines of difference, forge consensus, and resolve conflict.
• Deep trauma-informed understanding of the experiences of immigrant survivors of violence.
• Personal and demonstrated commitment to anti-racist leadership, education, and personal growth.
• Strong project management skills and exemplary time management and prioritization skills.
• Strong financial literacy and experience managing multi-million-dollar program budgets.
• Nimble across disciplines and subjects related to Tahirih’s mission, particularly social justice issues related to migrant, gender, and racial justice.
• Knowledge, appreciation, and commitment to staying abreast of immigration issues on the local, state and national levels.
• Strong emotional intelligence and self-motivation, with the ability to lead with and foster an environment and culture that generates constructive problem-solving, transparent communication, flexibility, and a “can-do” attitude, with candor, respect, and good humor.
• Demonstrated experience leading sustainable processes of growth and expansion and building teams to develop and implement tactical plans to fulfill a broader vision or mission.
• Demonstrated commitment to Tahirih’s values: https://www.tahirih.org/about-us/.
• Bilingual or multi-lingual, a plus.
• Ability to participate in travel as needed and as appropriate.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range for this role is expected to be $120,000-$130,000 per year, with actual salary commensurate with experience. Generous benefits include employee and dependent health, vision, and dental insurance (Tahirih contributes pays 80% of the premium for employees and 60% for dependents); a 401(k) defined contribution retirement plan; flexible work schedules; professional development including in-house training programs, staff enrichment retreats and other growth opportunities. Employees have a generous self-managed leave benefit inclusive of vacation, sick and holidays, including office closure the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

TO APPLY

This search is supported by Linh Nguyen, Sarah Hecklau, and Yuniya Khan of NPAG. Due to the pace of this search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Candidates may submit a thoughtful cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume via NPAG’s website. Please note: candidates must be able to work in the United States.

The Tahirih Justice Center is committed to diversity, equity and unity as core values. We practice inclusiveness in decision making through consultation with employees throughout the organization. Tahirih seeks to hire and retain employees whose diversity reflects the communities we serve. We encourage candidates who are committed to equity and who are from all backgrounds, experiences, abilities and identities to apply.