Learning & Development Director

Partners for Justice (PFJ) was founded to transform public defense locally and across the United States, diminishing the effect of race and wealth on legal outcomes. We are seeking a Learning & Development Director to lead our efforts to equip public defenders and Client Advocates with the skills to better assist low-income people facing criminal charges.

PFJ works to ensure that public defenders are equipped to assist clients with the underlying drivers of legal system involvement, to secure better legal outcomes both inside and outside the courtroom, and to help more clients emerge from prosecution with their rights, life, and future protected. Since our launch in 2018, PFJ has grown rapidly and we now support nearly 25 public defender agencies across the country through embedded collaborative defense teams of Client Advocates and capacity-building support.

PFJ is seeking a Learning & Development Manager / Director to advance PFJ’s learning and development initiatives for all audiences, including Client Advocates, public defender supervisors, and the PFJ national team. PFJ’s ability to train and develop Client Advocates is a core part of our value proposition for public defenders, as is our ability to educate attorneys on the benefits and best practices in collaborative representation. The Learning & Development Manager will serve as the primary organizer for PFJ’s week-long annual conference that convenes Client Advocates and public defenders from across the country for training and community-building. They will also ensure PFJ offers a standardized, high-quality curriculum for Advocates and public defender supervisors, as well as structure learning opportunities for the PFJ team. The Learning & Development Manager / Director will report to PFJ’s Co-Executive Director, Rebecca Solow.

Responsibilities

1. Lead PFJ’s annual conference: Serve as point person for PFJ’s flagship annual collaborative defense conference, bringing together Client Advocates, public defender partners, and PFJ staff from across the country. Design the overall conference agenda, manage logistics, and enlist a cross-functional staff working group to deliver high-quality programming.
2. Develop curricula for Client Advocates & Public Defenders: Refine competencies for Client Advocates and public defenders working in collaborative defense practice. In partnership with PFJ’s program staff, design curricula that help establish and develop these competencies. Also with program staff, coordinate onboarding for new Client Advocates and public defender staff to ensure consistent orientation and training.
3. Organize ongoing education for Client Advocates: Manage an ongoing calendar of monthly continuing education events for all Client Advocates nationally. Recruit trainers and speakers, promote attendance at education events, and gather feedback to continuously improve continuing education.
4. Design development opportunities for PFJ national team: Support development of organizational and role-specific competencies for PFJ staff. Curate a menu of training and other professional development opportunities to support PFJ staff in enhancing core competencies.
5. Provide expertise and coaching to PFJ national team: Act as an expert resource on curriculum and training development, and training delivery to PFJ national team members. Deliver “train-the-trainer” content on instructional best practices to colleagues.
6. LMS management: Provide online Learning Management System (LMS) support to the organization by building e-learning modules, testing, reporting, and administration of our LMS for new and existing staff and Client Advocates
7. Other duties as assigned.

Desired qualifications

We are deeply committed to justice, equity, and inclusion in hiring. People with lived experience or identities that overlap with PFJ’s clients are strongly encouraged to apply for this role.

• Commitment to PFJ’s mission and to our vision of collaborative, client-centered representation for low-income people involved in the criminal legal system
• Minimum of five years’ (Manager) or 10 years’ (Director) experience designing and implementing employee learning and development programs
• Work experience within a non-profit organization is preferred; experience with an organization that delivers legal services or social services is a plus
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; the ability to communicate complex technical topics or sensitive information to a lay audience
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail; the ability to manage logistics for large learning events from start to finish, on time, and on budget
• Experience designing curricula and developing training content that can be delivered through a variety of multimedia training platforms and methods
• Experience working remotely and/or in a start-up environment

Compensation & benefits

This is a full-time, salaried position with a salary range from $60,000 - $70,000 (Manager) or $80,000 - $90,000 (Director), commensurate with skills and experience. PFJ’s benefits package includes employer-paid medical, vision, and dental coverage, and a 401k program. PFJ employees work remotely with the benefit of flexible hours. We also encourage our team to take care of themselves, which we support with unlimited sick leave and vacation, as well as 12 office holidays and a year-end rest period.

Please send a cover letter, resume, and two references to hiring@partnersforjustice.org with “Learning & Development” in the subject line. Be advised that if you do not include this subject line, we may not receive your application.