Operations Manager- UCP

Who we are

Acacia Center for Justice (“Acacia”) is a new non-profit created through a collaboration between the Vera Institute of Justice (“Vera”) and the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (“CAIR”) Coalition. The objective of Acacia is to provide legal support and representation to immigrants facing deportation through the development and management of national networks of legal services providers serving immigrants across the country. Acacia’s goals are two-fold: to help non-profit service providers provide exceptional legal services to immigrants and to advocate for the expansion of these programs and the infrastructure critical to guaranteeing immigrants access to justice, fairness and freedom. Acacia will focus the collective power of both Vera and CAIR on delivering accountable, independent, zealous and person-centered legal services and representation to protect the rights of all immigrants at risk of deportation.

Who you are

The Operations Manager for the Unaccompanied Children Program will support the Program Manager and Associate Program Director in monitoring subcontractors' contractual compliance on a range of fronts and will play a leading role in many of the behind-the-scenes processes that are critical to our program's success (e.g., contracting, monitoring national detention capacity for unaccompanied children, etc.). They will work collaboratively with the Operations and Quality Assurance team to think through how program management processes can be streamlined and made more efficient, and provide the leadership and guidance needed to enact new protocols. They may be expected to respond to time-sensitive government inquiries in partnership with program and/or research colleagues. They will join a functional team with immigration advocacy, child welfare, finance, and research backgrounds

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with Program Director and Operations & Quality Assurance team to determine areas where processes can be improved, including soliciting and synthesizing feedback from Verans/Acacians, subcontractors and other stakeholders, proposing solutions, and closing feedback loops. Based on capacity and expertise, may manage process improvements and solutions.

• May collaborate with other Vera/Acacia staff to implement new body of work (“Case Continuity”) that ensures that children for whom legal representation is initiated while in government custody have access to continued high quality, zealous legal representation after their release from custody.

• Strategically and creatively brainstorms solutions for operations-related challenges experienced by network of subcontractor staff.

• Assist in programmatic and operational responsibilities relating to strategic goals.

• Provide support, supervision, and mentorship to early career staff on the Operations & Quality Assurance team or Case Continuity team.

• Supervise and support early career staff in ensuring legal service provider contract compliance.

• Mentor early career staff on the team and support their professional development, including by connecting them to existing Vera/Acacia resources.

• Oversee the recruitment and training of new program staff, including by creating new onboarding materials and updating existing materials.

• Support the Program Manager and Associate Program Director by serving as a reference point for operational and program-related concerns and respond, as needed, to requests relating to program management/operations from subcontractor staff.

• May serve as point of contact for questions about UCP’s Smartsheet onboarding/offboarding system; liaise with Vera’s/Acacia’s IT team as needed to introduce new Smartsheet functionality; lead trainings/presentation for subcontractor staff as needed.

• Administrative duties may include: updating internal processes in program guide(s); monitoring national detention capacity for unaccompanied children; tracking the status of new ORR programs through a variety of mechanisms; ensuring various program resources/policies are up to date; tasks related to the transition from Vera to Acacia; small business subcontracting reporting in conjunction with Budgets & Resource Management team; etc.

• Play lead role in drafting/issuing various agreements that arise from internal/external contracts, in close partnership with Legal team.

• May plan/carry out competitive solicitation process for any new vendors and/or subcontractors that Vera/Acacia will subcontract with.

• May lead annual subcontractor agreement issuing process, as well as assist with drafting, issuing, and tracking contract amendments, in partnership with Budgets & Resource Management team.

• May be responsible for drafting various agreements that arise from internal/external contracts: grants, government contracts, licenses, independent contractor agreements, master service agreements, memoranda of understanding, etc.

What qualifications do you have

Required:

• Demonstrated ability to manage a project, including assigned staff, from start to finish

• Experience or internships in any of the following areas: legal, government, or policy work experience

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, social work, political science, criminal justice, or related field + 6-9 years of relevant experience. In lieu of a Bachelors degree, applicable work or life experience may be considered.

• Experience overseeing a network of service providers

• Prior experience with government grants and contracts

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• A demonstrated knowledge of immigration, child welfare, criminal or juvenile justice, or other justice areas 

• Ability to anticipate and identify various problems that arise and apply creative solutions

• Comprehensive attention to detail and commitment to accuracy

• Strong organizational skills

• Strong oral and written communication skills

• Ability to build and maintain constructive working and communications relationships with government partners, program partners, and a diverse team, as well as to take the initiative and manage projects independently

• Ability to work collaboratively on a team, as well as to take the initiative and manage projects independently

• An uncompromising commitment to immigrants' rights and race equity

• Will have to pass a background check as per insurance requirements

Compensation and Benefits

The compensation for this position is $96,000. The salary listed is just one component of Acacia’s total compensation package for employees. Supporting Acacia staff—both personally and professionally—is our priority. To do this, we invest in the well-being of our staff through other rewards including generous paid time off, a comprehensive health insurance plan, student loan repayment benefits, professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Acacia work, employer-funded retirement plan, and flexible time and remote work schedules.

To Apply

Please upload a resume and cover letter at the link provided or email admin@acaciajustice.org with Subject: ATTN: Human Resources / [Job Title], Acacia Center for Justice

No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

As a federal contractor, and in order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Acacia Center for Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.

Acacia is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Acacia works to advance meaningful and effective access to justice and freedom for immigrants and challenge racial bias in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with respect to educational background and legal system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Acacia, please visit https://www.acaciajustice.org/

Acacia Center for Justice is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

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