Program Director

Ms. JD is seeking an experienced  Program Director.  As the organization’s second full time staff member, this position offers a unique opportunity to expand the reach of Ms. JD’s efforts to support women throughout the pipeline who are striving to build successful careers in the legal profession.  The ideal candidate will have a passion for advancing equity for all women in law and enjoy the innovation, creativity, and collaboration required in a small, yet mighty, nonprofit environment.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Program Director will help oversee Ms. JD’s current programmatic portfolio and help to develop additional programs and resources to support members of the Ms. JD community.  The candidate will engage and supervise the Program Assistant, as well as various contractors and volunteers, and ensure proper stewardship of all stakeholders. This role is fully remote, with required travel throughout the year to attend Ms. JD’s scheduled live programs and events.

The Program Director is integral to the success of Ms. JD’s growth. If you enjoy working collaboratively to build community and are excited to develop programming that aims to advance women throughout all facets of the legal profession, we encourage you to apply!

About Ms. JD: Ms. JD is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) that seeks to support and improve the experiences of women law students and lawyers. Obstacles to equal participation hinder not only women in the law but also their colleagues, clients, children, and communities. Ms. JD consequently strives to give voice to why it matters that women continue to overcome barriers to achieve gender parity in the profession. In doing so, Ms. JD spreads the word: Women’s Victories Are Everyone’s Victories!. For more information regarding Ms. JD, please visit www.ms-jd.org. 

Position Description 

The Program Director’s primary duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

The Program Director designs, develops, implements, and secures funding for programs and resources aimed at advancing women lawyers at all stages of their careers across the country. Ms. JD programs are the backbone of the organization and are integral to Ms. JD’s strategic success. Our live events convene aspiring and early career attorneys  to provide mentorship, networking opportunities,, celebrate member achievements, share best practices, and develop the future leaders of the legal profession. The Program Director provides project management support and substantive guidance to ensure the timely delivery of innovative and engaging content and programs.  

To be successful, our ideal candidate has the following project management skills:  

• Communication: The Program Director spends a significant amount of time communicating with staff, committees, sponsors and others, reporting progress or problems, or negotiating with third parties. Verbal and written communication skills are key to success.  The Program Director should communicate information clearly, especially via email, presentations, reports, slide decks, memos, and other strategy-related materials.
• Leadership: The ability to lead and motivate a team is critical to progressing any project. Program Director must occasionally resolve personality and work-style conflicts. 
• Organization: The Program Director juggles many projects simultaneously and must be organized to keep all details top of mind.  
• Problem Solving: Issues that need attention regularly come up and the Program Director must nimbly deal with unexpected problems. The Program Director must also work to predict problems in advance and brainstorm solutions – readily available backup plans can keep work on track.  
• Strategic Thinker: The Program Director ensures the work and projects performed align with the goals of the organization. Strategy skills include the ability to formulate plans to secure sponsorships, stay within budgets and timelines and handle unexpected events. The Program Director must have the professional judgment necessary to discern important details that affect programming from those that do not. 
• Agility: The Program Director must adapt and innovate to deliver program content to members in an ever-changing world. The Program Director must embrace a “test and learn” mindset to creatively maximize value to members.  

The Program Director serves as the primary point of contact for both virtual and in-person programming, both internally and externally. They manage the day-to-day organization and implementation of Ms. JD programs and projects, including: 

• Ensure broad scope of programming to address cutting-edge, innovative topics of interest to aspiring and early career women lawyers. 
• Oversee budgets, managing timelines, and ensuring compliance with Ms. JD policies.  
• Track and report progress of work, goals, problems, and other issues to committee chairs, Executive Director, and/or Board of Directors.  
• Negotiate contracts with outside program vendors, speakers, and restaurants for in-person events, including venue sources. 
• Manage sponsorship solicitation to law firms, legal companies, and other relevant organizations to ensure sponsorship targets are met.
• Coordinate all program logistics; prepare run of show for conferences; and confirm the talking points and logistics for speakers and/or awardees. 
• Work with the CEO to set in-person program budgets and ticket prices. 
• Develop working knowledge of potential program speakers and topics to recommend and vet unsolicited program pitches. 
• Coordinate with other entities on joint projects and seeks out internal and external partners. 
• Execute the CLE accreditation process for programs, including soliciting CLE materials from speakers, coordinating CLE sign-in process, and CLE certificate issuance to attendees. 
• Maintain accurate records of program committee members and speakers. 
• Travel to approximately 6-8 in-person Ms. JD programs per year.

Education & Experience 

Bachelor’s degree required.  Minimum of  five years of program development experience is required and work experience in a non-profit association or in the legal sector is preferred.  

Skills and Abilities Preferred  

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Basic negotiation skills. 
• Outstanding problem solving and social/soft skills.  
• Excellent organizational and project management skills are required.  
• Meeting planning skills and team leadership skills are a must. 
• Self-motivated with a proven track record of working productively with a team and maintaining positive relationships with staff, volunteers, sponsors, and Board of Directors 
• Must have poise and carry self in a professional manner at all times. 
• Aptitude in MS Office applications, website maintenance, and association management or comparable database systems is also required.  

This is a full-time exempt position. The salary range for this position is $70,000-$85,000 and is commensurate with experience. Benefits include paid vacation, paid sick leave, and paid holidays.

How to Apply

Please submit your cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references to executiveassistant@ms-jd.org. Please write “Program Director Position” in the subject line. Applications and interviews will be held on a rolling basis beginning October 28th until the position is filled.

No phone calls or emails, please. We are unable to respond to queries about application status.

Ms. JD is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, genetic characteristics, disability, status as a special disabled veteran or veteran, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual identity, or any other basis prohibited by law. 

Research has shown that traditionally marginalized communities (people of color, people with disabilities, etc.) often do not apply for jobs if they do not meet every single qualification. If you think you can do this job but do not meet every qualification, we encourage you to still apply.

How to Apply

Please submit your cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references to executiveassistant@ms-jd.org. Please write “Program Director Position” in the subject line. Applications and interviews will be held on a rolling basis beginning October 28th until the position is filled.

No phone calls or emails, please. We are unable to respond to queries about application status.

Ms. JD is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, genetic characteristics, disability, status as a special disabled veteran or veteran, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual identity, or any other basis prohibited by law. 

Research has shown that traditionally marginalized communities (people of color, people with disabilities, etc.) often do not apply for jobs if they do not meet every single qualification. If you think you can do this job but do not meet every qualification, we encourage you to still apply.