Job Description

Overview:

The Southern Environmental Law Center is seeking an attorney with 10 or more years of experience to serve as the Director of our Alabama Office in Birmingham, Alabama. This individual will lead a team of highly qualified attorneys and legal support and administrative staff, and will be responsible for steering our work internally, building positive relationships with key community, state, and regional leaders in Alabama, and for all aspects of the office and its overall success. The Office Director will report directly to SELC’s Deputy Director. This is an excellent opportunity to join a highly successful, nationally recognized organization that is effectively addressing some of the most pressing and challenging environmental issues throughout the South and the nation.

We are seeking a talented, multifaceted lawyer who is a dynamic leader and capable manager. The ideal candidate will be an excellent lawyer with strong interpersonal, communication, and mentoring skills, and a deep commitment to collaboration, partnership, and SELC’s mission.

Primary Responsibilities:

The Alabama Office Director’s core responsibilities include:

• Serving as SELC’s leader and principal spokesperson in Alabama.
• Directing and leading the overall legal advocacy program in the Alabama office, including litigation, policy advocacy, and public outreach and education, working closely with attorneys and communications staff to ensure strategic, effective, well-coordinated, high-quality work that gets results.
• Leading responsibility for select case and program work.
• Responsibility for overall office operations including office budget, administrative staffing, staff meetings, social activities, and weather closures, in partnership with the Assistant Director of Administration.
• Meeting regularly with the Alabama Communications Manager and confer as needed with the Director of Communications to ensure the Alabama legal team works in effective partnership with the communications team, particularly on SELC’s identified communications priorities.
• Working with the Deputy Director and Director of Programs to develop and implement goals and priorities for SELC’s program work in Alabama that reflect the organization’s regional and institutional priorities and focus on the greatest needs and opportunities in Alabama.
• Serving as an active partner with the development team on development work in Alabama, working to cultivate, maintain, and expand major donor and foundation support focused on Alabama.
• Overseeing the hiring, supervising, and mentoring of attorneys and policy staff in the Alabama office to ensure they meet or exceed job expectations and have the training, resources, feedback, and support to maximize their performance and development.
• Pursuing strategies to enhance staff diversity in the Alabama office and fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
• Working with Alabama office attorneys to expand and maintain effective relationships with a broad and diverse set of partner groups and community partners in Alabama so that we will be better informed advocates who more deeply understand the needs and environmental concerns of all communities.
• Serving on SELC’s Management Committee on a rotating basis and help set organizational policies, staffing, priorities, and direction in that capacity.

Qualifications:

We are seeking an attorney with 10 or more years of legal experience. Required qualifications include:

• Significant litigation, policy advocacy, or environmental practice experience.
• Excellent management skills, including the ability to manage and lead a diverse team and to foster and strengthen the collegiality, trust, compassion, passion for our shared mission, integrity, and excellence that define SELC’s culture.
• The ability to design and implement goal-oriented strategies and tactical approaches to consistently obtain high-quality results on the most important environmental issues in the state, region, and nation.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to build and maintain effective relationships with a diverse set of clients and partners.
• Outstanding written and oral communications skills, and an ability to write and speak clearly and persuasively.
• Experience and interest in coaching, mentoring, and developing staff at different stages of their career.
• The ability to manage operations, budgets, personnel, and administrative matters.
• An interest and ability to participate effectively in fundraising efforts and to develop and maintain strong and enduring relationships with donors.
• A strong personal commitment to SELC’s mission, including SELC’s commitment to become more open, welcoming, diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
• An understanding of the environmental challenges facing the state and region.

About SELC: The Southern Environmental Law Center is one of the nation’s most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region’s air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of over 200, including more than 100 attorneys, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, VA., with offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, DC.

At our core, we are place-based, rooted in our region, and connected with the communities and clients we serve. We believe in an equitable and inclusive workplace that reflects the rich racial and cultural diversity of our region and allows diverse perspectives to come to the forefront. We approach our work with the highest level of integrity, holding ourselves to high standards with an emphasis on honesty, accountability, and thoughtfulness. We value collaboration and camaraderie, realizing we are strongest when we work together and knowing that everyone has a critical role to play. We strive for impact through a strategic, bold, pragmatic, and ambitious outlook that is dedicated to achieving powerful results. We believe in these values and in the power of SELC. We hope you consider joining us. Learn more at https://www.southernenvironment.org/.

Compensation:

SELC offers salaries competitive with other leading environmental nonprofits nationally and provides an excellent benefits package. The starting salary range for this position is $143,000 to $172,000, commensurate with experience. For more details about our benefits package, please visit our Careers page.

How to Apply

• To apply, click here to be directed to an online application where you may upload your application materials. Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and one writing sample. Interested persons should apply immediately.
• SELC is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering an inclusive workplace environment. We are eager to welcome new team members who share this belief. We still have much progress to make, but our goal is to create and maintain a staff that, at every level, reflects the rich racial and culture diversity of the communities where we work and the clients that we serve. Persons of all backgrounds—including people of color, women, people with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQ candidates—are strongly encouraged to apply.

Job Categories: Environmental. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: Director, green jobs, Legal, and Litigation. Salaries: 100,000 and above.

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