Deputy Law & Policy Director

About the Role

The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice is in a season that demands both courage and discipline. As the racial justice sector contracts nationally, the conditions that gave rise to our work—structural inequality, attacks on democracy, barriers to wealth, justice, and opportunity—have only deepened. This role is for a senior leader who will oversee the coordination, execution, and day-to-day management of the Institute’s legal and policy agenda, reporting to the Law and Policy Director.

The Deputy Law and Policy Director provides operational and strategic leadership across the Institute’s programmatic pillars, advancing advocacy campaigns, supervising staff, and strengthening cross-functional collaboration. This position requires a proactive and solutions-oriented leader capable of managing complex projects, mentoring staff, and driving initiatives forward in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Program Execution
  • Help lead the implementation of the Institute’s strategic vision for legal and policy programs, including legislative advocacy, public education initiatives, strategic campaigns, and litigation support.
  • Drive day-to-day execution and coordination across programmatic pillars to ensure alignment with organizational priorities and goals.
  • Lead internal Programs Team meetings, planning discussions, cross-functional initiatives, and regular programmatic check-ins.
  • Identify ownership and accountability for shared responsibilities and cross-departmental initiatives.
  • Monitor progress on strategic priorities and proactively address operational or programmatic challenges.
  • Support the development and execution of advocacy campaigns and grassroots engagement strategies.
  • Ensure strong coordination and communication across legal, policy, communications, development, and operations teams.
• Staff Management & Team Leadership
  • Recruit, supervise, mentor, and support policy and legal staff, including attorneys, policy analysts, fellows, interns, and other junior team members.
  • Conduct regular staff check-ins and provide clear, timely, and constructive feedback.
  • Lead Programs Team evaluation processes and support staff growth through coaching and professional development opportunities.
  • Foster a collaborative, respectful, and high-performing workplace culture rooted in teamwork, accountability, and shared purpose.
  • Identify and coordinate training and leadership development opportunities for staff.
  • Support the professional development and advancement of junior staff members.
• Advocacy, Communications & External Engagement
  • In partnership with the Communications Team, help lead the development, review, and dissemination of advocacy and public education materials, including reports, talking points, op-eds, press materials, public education resources, campaign messaging, and communications strategies.
  • Review and edit research reports, policy briefs, flyers, presentations, and public-facing materials to ensure consistency, quality, and strategic alignment.
  • Coordinate closely with the Development Team on grant proposals, reports, funder communications, and program updates.
  • Represent the Institute in coalition meetings, advocacy spaces, public forums, and strategic partnerships as appropriate.
• Operations & Internal Coordination
  • Strengthen internal communication systems and improve coordination across teams and initiatives.
  • Ensure smooth execution of programmatic operations, timelines, and deliverables.
  • Help establish systems and processes that improve collaboration, accountability, and organizational effectiveness.
  • Support internal planning, priority-setting, and organizational alignment efforts.