The Urban Justice Center’s unique model supports twelve distinct projects that serve different populations and bring the voices of their clients into broader advocacy efforts. Founded in 2001, the Sex Workers Project (SWP) at the Urban Justice Center is the first and only program in the country to focus on the provision of legal and social services to sex workers, by protecting and promoting the rights of individuals who engage in sex work, regardless of whether they do so by choice, circumstance, or coercion. Our clients are primarily immigrants, current and former sex workers, people profiled as sex workers, and survivors of human trafficking. Many of our clients are Spanish-speaking and members of LGBTQ communities. Using trauma-informed principles and a client-centered approach, SWP offers counseling, case management, and immigration legal services. We work from a human rights, anti-oppression, and harm reduction perspective.
The Project Director will coordinate the work of SWP and ensure that it aligns with the project’s vision and mission. The Project Director will be responsible for structuring and maintaining the day to day operations of the project, including program management and overseeing a budget of over $1M. The Project Director tracks and monitors spending and program deliverables, and participates in program development for the procurement of resources. Responsibilities include participating in the hiring, supervision and training of a staff of approximately ten people.
- Participate in the hiring and supervision of all project staff.
- Help develop and fulfill the goals and mission of the project in collaboration with staff.
- Work with the Director of Development to obtain and retain funding, through government contracts and/or foundation funding and direct contributions, in order to maintain project services.
- Ensure appropriate data collection for grants/contracts reports and management, preparing for and participating in audits of project contracts/grants.
- Review media requests and stay informed about policies and legal developments in the field.
- Build and foster relationships with outside law firms, non-profit organizations, and other community groups to create systemic change.
- Anticipate needs from the SWP team, ensure follow-up on critical issues, and identify opportunities to create processes and systems to streamline office flow.
- Ability to respond rapidly to constantly changing legal and political landscapes.
- Lead and participate in UJC-wide project trainings, dialogues, and events.
- The SWP Project Director is also a managing director on the UJC Executive Management Team. In this capacity, the director represents the interests of SWP at bi-monthly meetings, helps to form policy for the UJC, and takes a role in facilitating union-management relations.
- At least five years of experience in civil legal services, human rights, sex work advocacy or human trafficking field(s) is required. An advanced degree or expertise in relevant fields (e.g. law, policy, and social work) is preferred.
- Preference for working within a consensus style decision-making model.
- Demonstrated track record of leading multi-disciplinary staff, maintaining team morale, as well as fostering professional development and team growth.
- Experience advocating for our client population, with particular sensitivity to people disproportionately impacted by criminalization or stigma.
- Experience in fundraising, contract/grants management, and data reporting.
- Excellent interpersonal, organizational, mediation, and communication skills for a diverse staff.
- Applicants should be familiar with principles of trauma, and have a demonstrated capacity working within a human rights and anti-oppression framework.
- Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, and/or Korean strongly preferred.
Salary is commensurate with education and experience. The Urban Justice Center offers a flexible work environment and a highly competitive benefits package that includes vacation, personal, and sick time; medical and dental coverage; vision and gym reimbursements; and a 401(k) plan.
Please submit a one-page cover letter addressed to SWP Staff, a resume, and a list of three professional references as a single PDF document. Email these materials to the SWP Hiring Committee at [email protected] with “Project Director” in the subject line.
The Sex Workers Project is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and with lived experiences in the communities we serve.