About KIND
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a global leader in the protection of unaccompanied and separated children who are forcibly displaced from their countries of origin. Launched in 2008, KIND champions a world in which every child’s rights and well-being are protected throughout their journey to safety.
Building on its extensive programming and successful model in the United States, KIND is expanding in the Americas and Europe to bring its experience to bear in working with unaccompanied and separated children. Our work focuses on addressing the legal and mental health needs of this population; building strong partnerships and engaging in training and capacity strengthening with governments, NGOs, and the private sector; and advocating for systemic and pragmatic reforms to advance the rights of unaccompanied and separated children.
Position Summary
KIND seeks a Director, Legal Training and Technical Assistance within its Global Partnerships, Capacity Strengthening and Training department to provide expertise and program oversight of KIND’s legal training legal and technical assistance functions as part of a multidisciplinary team supporting the provision of high quality legal and psychosocial services that are trauma-informed and culturally responsive to the needs of migrant children who are unaccompanied, separated, refugees and/or displaced at various stages in their journey to safety. The Director will lead, develop and support the use of technology and other tools to maximize the impact and reach of KIND’s global legal training and technical assistance programming.
This position reports to the Senior Director, Legal Training and Technical Assistance.
This is a remote position based from any location in the U.S.
This position is contingent upon continued funding.
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Essential Functions- In collaboration with the Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships, Capacity Strengthening, and Training Senior Director, Legal Training, and other KIND experts, explores, informs and leads the program design and execution of training, technical assistance, preparation of legal technical guidance and legal filing samples and templates with a focus on issues facing unaccompanied and separated children in the U.S.
- Engages with other KIND departments to enhance and support policy, advocacy, litigation, and communications efforts across the organization.
- Contribute to developing and implementing a global capacity strengthening approach, working with training, technical assistance, and capacity strengthening colleagues across jurisdictions.
- Training and Technical Assistance
- Training
- Provides expert legal consultation, guidance and training to unaccompanied children’s advocates to support and enhance provision of free high quality legal services to immigrant and refugee children.
- Identifies and researches training needs, monitor developments and innovative practices in effective adult and professional education theory.
- Develops effective training modes consistent with research and innovative practices and including the use of interactive online self-paced learning tools and other technology tools to reach the target audience of practitioners and augment the efficiency and quality of legal training and technical assistance.
- Develops and iterates curriculum content appropriate to chosen technology solutions and diverse audiences, including KIND staff, pro bono attorneys and other partners – such as government officials, civil society organizations, and UN agencies.
- Oversees the provision of live training through webinars, in-person, and large training events, as well as asynchronous training.
- Oversees the development and review of core training content to be localized and delivered by KIND field offices to ensure quality control.
- Technical Assistance
- Develops systems to triage and provides expert legal technical assistance to KIND legal staff and partners by:
- Responding directly to questions, connecting staff members to other sources of expertise, and facilitating contact with outside experts as needed.
- Being available by phone/email/Teams and during “office hours” for case questions posed individually by staff.
- Provides legal technical support to law firms and corporate partners on an as needed basis.
- Researches and identifies platforms or technical tools to facilitate and streamline the provision of legal technical assistance.
- Leads, guides, or participates in periodic group calls on thematic legal issues and monitor trends and new developments with respect to issues involving unaccompanied and separated children and ORR custody.
- Informs maintenance and design of web-based portal to implement knowledge management best practices and user-centered design for access to legal technical materials and training.
- Assists in the development of legal manuals and other guidance materials (model filing samples, checklists, guidance memos for practitioners, etc.).
- Oversees development of legal content such as legal guidance and advisories, sample briefs and filings, and other relevant materials.
- Provides legal technical expertise to policy and litigation teams to support policy, advocacy, and litigation development.
- Team Leadership
- In coordination and collaboration with the Senior Director, Legal Training and Technical Assistance and the Director, Psychosocial Training and Technical Assistance, establishes goals and priorities for KIND’s technical assistance and legal training programs.
- Plays a leadership role in working collaboratively and effectively within the Partnerships, Capacity Strengthening and Training team, and with other teams, including Global Legal, Advocacy, Operations, Finance, Development, and Communications.
- Informs the program design and use of technology solutions for the provision of KIND’s legal training and technical assistance to build the capacity of those working with unaccompanied children.
- Works with KIND’s Monitoring & Evaluations (M&E) team to research and identifies and applies potential technical tools and/or platforms and tools for M&E to measure impact of training and legal.
- Models informed and constructive communication, effective and honest partnership wherein feedback is valued and constructively and regularly given and received.
- Actively contributes to a safe environment where ideas, innovation, and dissent are respected and consistently shared.
- Other Responsibilities
- Supervises attorney and non-attorney staff as needed.
- Assists with writing grant applications, reports, and supports other development and funding initiatives.
- Coordinates and oversees work of consultants supporting training and technical assistance functions.
- Works closely with KIND’s program experts on program design, strategic planning, and resource development.
- Collaborates to support the development of organization wide and jurisdiction specific legal training and technical assistance strategy.
- Actively assists with thought leadership and innovative strategic planning in expansion and other service delivery efforts, including piloting technology-based solutions as well as crisis response and remote mentoring and technical assistance initiatives.
- Contributes to developing and implementing a global capacity strengthening approach, working with training, technical assistance, and capacity strengthening colleagues across jurisdictions.
Qualifications and Requirements- Licensed attorney in good standing.
- Minimum of 8 years of experience in the immigration field, preferably including representing immigrant children.
- Expertise in humanitarian immigration legal claims on behalf of children, including Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, asylum, U visa, and T visa claims.
- Experience in:
- Designing and managing training programs.
- Designing online training and/or other technology-supported self-paced learning.
- Coordinating content experts across an organization to deliver coherent and cohesive training and technical assistance program to multiple audiences.
- The delivery of training and technical assistance to adult audiences.
- Knowledge of, and ability to use, learning management software technology and willingness to learn new technology.
- Experience with program design and building.
- Experience working with a range of legal practitioners, including law firm or in-house corporate practitioners.
- Experience supervising legal and/or non-legal staff.
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills, including in both formal (litigation, regulatory) and more directly interpersonal (training, mentoring) formats.
- Experience formulating and presenting trainings and legal guidance and providing technical assistance on immigration law, policy, and procedure to lawyers, paralegals and others.
- Excellent organizational skills, with ability to work on multiple projects in a deadline-oriented environment.
- Ability to work collaboratively with and advise attorneys with varying levels of immigration and legal experience.
- Interest and ability to work in multi-disciplinary team and harness expertise of psychosocial and legal staff.
- Willing and able to travel occasionally to field offices or other locations within the United States.
- Highly adept with Microsoft Office Suite (such as Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) or contemporary suite of skills, and willingness to learn new technology and case management tools such as Legal Server.
- Ability to work collaboratively and multi-task in our KIND environment, managing numerous priorities and emerging opportunities.
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to work on multiple projects in a deadline-oriented environment; ability to prioritize tasks and delegate as appropriate.
- Ability to multitask and work with a sense of urgency in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
- Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance.
- Experience working and communicating in a remote environment preferred but not required.
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$119,235 - $149,044 a year
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Our Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance with KIND paying 100% of the employee only portion of the premium for one of the three medical plan options, dental, and vision.
- Pre-tax flexible spending account (FSA) for both medical and dependent care.
- Pre-tax transit and parking spending account.
- Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
- Employer-paid short and long-term disability insurance.
For a complete list of benefits, please click here.
Our Focus on Wellness
KIND recognizes that our ability to help our clients starts with helping our team members. KIND has prioritized wellness for employees through Mindfulness and Wellness Trainings, Wellness Platforms, Employee Assistance and Resilience Programs, Time Away and Office Wellness Activities.
For more information regarding our Wellness initiatives please visit this link.
Application Instructions
To be considered for this role, please submit an employment application at supportkind.org/join-the-team, along with your resume and cover letter.
Disclaimer: KIND is committed to an ethical recruitment and hiring process and maintains a firm “no fees” recruitment policy. We will never charge a fee or ask for money as part of the application process. KIND also conducts all interviews via telephone or video conference, and at no time will KIND engage in a text or mobile app-based application or interview process. For more information, please visit the following website: https://supportkind.org/join-the-team/kind-employment-practices/.
