Director of Legal Services

Ascendo Resources is currently seeking a Director of Legal Services for a full-time, hybrid role. Salary range is up to $120,000 with fully paid benefits and a generous PTO schedule that covers over a month off in your first year.

Our client is a well-established nonprofit organization (30+ years serving NYC communities). We're seeking a Director of Legal Services to lead and grow their immigration legal services program. The organization's legal services program currently focuses on immigration consultations, USCIS applications, referrals, and Know Your Rights trainings. This role will build on that foundation while helping assess opportunities to expand services, strengthen representation, and respond to emerging community needs.

Job Summary

The Director will provide strategic leadership and day-to-day oversight of the immigration legal services program, supervising a small but growing team (currently one part-time attorney and one Legal Services Manager), providing direct legal services to clients, overseeing program operations, strengthening partnerships across NYC's immigration legal services landscape, and helping shape the program's direction. The ideal candidate is an immigration law generalist, comfortable advising clients across a wide range of matters and leveraging referral networks when specialized expertise is needed.

This role reports to the CEO and works closely with program leaders across the organization, including the Assistant Executive Director who oversees community engagement.

Primary Responsibilities

Program Leadership and Management

• Provide leadership, management, and strategic direction for the Legal Services Program
• Supervise and support legal services staff
• Oversee legal intake, case management, client service workflows, and data/reporting systems
• Ensure effective stewardship of programmatic grants, including funder compliance, deliverables, and collaboration with development staff on proposals and reporting
• Serve as a thought partner to leadership on the future direction of the legal services program
• Contribute to organizational planning and cross-department initiatives

Legal Representation and Community Education

• Conduct immigration legal consultations, assess eligibility for benefits and relief, and provide client-centered advice, guidance, pro se assistance, referrals, or representation
• Manage an independent caseload of immigration matters, including affirmative benefits and deportation defense, which may include:
• Filing applications and petitions for naturalization, family-based petitions, adjustment of status, humanitarian relief, work authorization, TPS, DACA, SIJS, asylum, and consular processing
• Filing applications for asylum, withholding of removal, CAT protection, U and T visas, VAWA petitions, SIJS, cancellation of removal, waivers of inadmissibility, motions to reopen, and appeals
• Representing clients in bond hearings, parole proceedings, and removal defense cases
• Provide immigration-related training to staff across programs

Partnerships and Community Engagement

• Conduct community outreach, legal clinics, Know Your Rights trainings, forums, workshops, and town halls
• Cultivate relationships with legal service providers, advocacy organizations, bar associations, law firms, pro bono partners, and community-based organizations
• Represent the organization in coalitions and working groups on immigrant rights
• Strengthen referral pathways for specialized legal representation and complementary services
• Partner with communications staff on educational materials and public information campaigns

Other Duties

• Participate in organizational meetings and internal/external trainings
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Required:

• J.D. degree and admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
• Minimum 3 years of relevant immigration law experience, including direct client work
• Broad knowledge of the U.S. immigration legal system and experience advising clients across a range of matters
• Experience supervising staff, managing projects, or leading legal initiatives
• Excellent written, verbal, and public presentation skills
• Ability to balance direct client service with program management and strategic planning
• Commitment to serving immigrant, refugee, and historically marginalized communities

Preferred:

• Experience managing or building a legal services program
• Experience handling or supervising complex immigration matters (humanitarian relief, waivers, appeals, removal-related matters)
• Familiarity with New York City's immigration legal services landscape
• Strong understanding of nonprofit program operations, including data tracking, compliance, and grant-funded services
• Experience developing community education initiatives and Know Your Rights programming
• Fluency in Arabic preferred; additional community languages a plus

Additional Requirements

• Employment contingent upon successful completion of a pre-employment background check
• U.S. work authorization required

Equal opportunity employer — all individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.