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Ms. JD has EXTENDED the deadline for our Executive Director search to Friday, September 9th! The job description and application details are included below. We look forward to receiving your applications!

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Ms. JD seeks a leader with a proven record of program administration and organizational development to implement its ambitious growth and impact objectives.

ABOUT MS. JD

As the premier organization for early career lawyers and aspiring female lawyers in the United States, Ms. JD brings legal practitioners, law students, and aspiring lawyers together to drive the critical national conversation about gender issues in the legal profession.

To fulfill this mission, Ms. JD hosts and facilitates a number of programs throughout the year, including:

The Fellowship program, which promotes mentoring and professional development for future female attorneys;
The Writers in Residence guest blogger opportunity;
The Reference Library on Women in Law;
Annual Conferences—the most recent of which was the highly-regarded Eighth Annual Conference, Superwomen JDs, held February 19, 2016 in New York City, New York;
Public Interest Scholarships;
The Global Education Fund;
The National Women Law Students Organization (NWLSO); and
National and local events.

With campus chapters throughout the nation, Ms. JD is also home to the National Women Law Students’ Organization, which represents the specific interests and needs of women law students. In partnership with its sponsors, Ms. JD also organizes national and local NWLSO events throughout the year.

Founded in 2006 by a group of female law students, Ms. JD is a 501(c)(3) based in California that represents members from all over the country. Ms. JD operates without a central location; instead, its members connect through Ms. JD’s website (ms-jd.org) and social media (Twitter and Facebook and Instagram). Serving as a unique nexus between the profession and the pipeline of diverse attorneys, Ms. JD’s online community provides a forum for dialogue and networking among women lawyers, law students, and those interested in the legal profession.

Ms. JD’s online and social media presence has garnered consistent praise, including being inducted into the ABA Blawg Hall of Fame during the first year it was created, and being recognized as one of Technologist’s 50 Twitter Accounts Lawyers Should Follow Religiously, and both individual Ms. JD leaders and Ms. JD’s organizational Twitter are regularly named to LawStreet’s Twitter Accounts to Watch in diversity and young lawyers.

Ms. JD relies on the generous support of its sponsors, individual donors, and volunteers to make its work possible. More information about Ms. JD and its extensive programs and events is available at www.ms-jd.org.

More information about Ms. JD’s programming can be found in our annual report, available here.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

As Ms. JD continues to strengthen its support of aspiring and early career women lawyers, it also seeks to expand its reach across the industry and work with a more diverse audience. The Full-Time Executive Director will be responsible for program implementation, operational management, fundraising, and marketing/development.  We anticipate that approximately 60% of the Executive Director’s time will be spent on fundraising.  The remaining 40% will be spent on operational management and program implementation including the management of Ms. JD’s pool of independent contractor staff.

Key duties include, but are not limited to:

Expanding revenue-generating and fundraising activities to support program expansion;
Cultivating and developing Ms. JD’s sponsorship relationships, securing financial support from individuals, foundations, and corporations, etc., and evaluating fundraising activities to ensure Ms. JD’s efforts are effective;
Working with the Board of Directors to develop and execute Ms. JD’s Strategic Plan, supporting Ms. JD’s goals, and advising the Board of any risks and issues;
Advocating Ms. JD’s mission to relevant stakeholders;
Overseeing Ms. JD’s growing programming;
Collaborating with partners and establishing new partnerships;
Representing Ms. JD at various events, via quotes to the press, and on social media channels;
Sustaining and growing the membership base;
Supervising Ms. JD’s staff/independent contractors, interns, and volunteers and ensuring their continued growth/professional development;
Attending Ms. JD Board of Directors meetings bi-weekly and providing status updates to the Board on organizational metrics regularly; and
Working with outside counsel, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Officers to ensure the organization’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

The Executive Director will report directly to the Board of Directors. The location of the position is negotiable, and some travel will be required.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will have all of the qualifications listed below. However, Ms. JD encourages applications from interested candidates with most of the qualifications and/or with experiences that will translate into some of these qualifications.

Entrepreneurial drive and demonstrated ability to grow a marketing/development program through prospecting, soliciting, and fostering current and new sponsors.
Commitment to and demonstrated interest in Ms. JD’s mission, including addressing gender issues in the legal profession and supporting student and professional development.  
JD and legal experience (preferred, but exceptions will be made for outstanding candidates with demonstrated non-profit experience).
Experience developing and implementing innovative ideas and strategic plans to achieve the organization’s short- and long-term vision.
History of successful collaboration with membership base, sponsors, volunteers, Board of Directors, and staff/independent contractors.
Ability to work independently and remotely.
Strong interpersonal and communication (oral and written) skills.
Strong technology skills (e.g. demonstrated success over social media channels, webinar experience, etc.)
Knowledge of grant writing process.

SALARY

Salary is commensurate with experience and competitive with other comparable non-profits.  Please state your salary requirements in your application. Ms. JD will use these values in determining your candidacy.

APPLICATION

In order to be considered, the Application Package must be received by September 9, 2016 at 11:59 p.m.  A completed Application Package must include:

A cover letter explaining (a) why you want to work for Ms. JD (b) why your previous work experience makes you a good fit to help Ms. JD achieve its mission; and (c) your salary requirements;  
A detailed resume;
A non-legal writing sample (no more than three pages);
Note: We encourage you to submit a sample that would be relevant to your duties as Ms. JD’s Executive Director (for example, an executive summary for a grant proposal, letter to sponsors, fundraising appeal, blog post, etc.); and
Sample program or event idea (1 page only)

Please submit the completed Application Package as a single PDF file to Shannon McNeal, Ms. JD Board Member, at mcneal@ms-JD.org, with “[Applicant’s Full Name] Ms. JD Executive Director Application 2016” in the subject line. While you must submit the cover letter electronically, you may address the letter to: Ms. JD Board of Directors, Governance Committee, P.O. Box 77546, San Francisco, CA 94107.

No late submissions or incomplete applications will be considered. Ms. JD will conduct interviews throughout early Fall; therefore, early applications are encouraged. Offers will be made in September/October 2016.

Should you have any questions, please send an email to Shannon McNeal, Ms. JD Board Member, at mcneal@ms-JD.org referencing “Executive Director Search” in the subject line.

Ms. JD is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability or medical condition, political affiliation, sexual orientation, ancestry, marital or domestic partner status, gender identity, parental status, veteran status, height, weight, or any other basis protected by law. Ms. JD is unable to sponsor work permits.