Strategic Initiatives Program Associate

The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the country’s first and foremost civil and human rights law organization. Founded in 1940 under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall, who subsequently became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice, LDF was launched at a time when the nation’s aspirations for equality and due process of law were stifled by widespread state-sponsored racial inequality. From that era to the present, LDF’s mission has been transformative — to achieve racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society.

LDF’s litigation, public policy advocacy and public education programs in the substantive areas of criminal justice, economic justice, education and political participation seek to ensure the fundamental and basic human rights of all people to quality education, economic opportunity, the right to vote and fully participate in democracy, and the right to a fair and just judicial system.

The Strategic Initiatives Department is a new, dynamic department with LDF that intentionally and strategically advances an integrated advocacy strategy that utilizes the multiple advocacy tools available to the organization, including litigation, policy, communications, organizing, and research.  Reporting directly to the Manager for Justice in Public Safety, the Program Associate will support the administrative and programming functions within the department.

Responsibilities:

• Provide administrative support to Strategic Initiatives Department leadership to advance the work of the entire department.
• Assist planning of Strategic Initiatives Department events and activities, including retreats, town halls, community meetings, internal LDF meetings, convenings, and conferences.
• Conduct factual research and development on specific advocacy issues as directed under the supervision of Strategic Initiatives Department staff.
• Maintain files, other documents, and other information for future use and retrieval.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree, required.
• Preferred field of Study: Government, Ethnic Studies, African American Studies, Political Science, Humanities
• 1-2 years of experience
• Commitment to the racial justice mission of LDF.

This is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts or requirements or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. This description does not constitute a contract of employment and LDF may exercise its employment-at-will rights at any time.

LDF offers a rich platform of benefits including medical (Empire), dental (Cigna), vision (NVA), flexible spending accounts (Flex Facts), transit/commuter plan, life insurance, AD&D, voluntary life & AD&D (UNUM), AFLAC, Employee Assistance Plan, and Health Advocate.  As well as the many healthcare benefits, LDF offers a 403b plan with employer match, and a robust vacation, sick, and personal time program to ensure employees have a health work-life balance.

Please note that LDF requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Accordingly, successful candidates must be fully vaccinated and submit proof of vaccination prior to the commencement of employment unless they qualify for a reasonable accommodation for bona fide medical or religious reasons.

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