SVP, AARP Foundation Litigation

Overview

AARP Foundation is the nation's leading organization serving the 39 million older adults living in poverty or one life event away from slipping into it. Our mission is to strengthen financial resilience for and with older adults by empowering individuals and improving systems. We do this by creating pathways to quality employment, removing barriers to benefits, and promoting equitable access to essential goods and services. To learn more, visit aarpfoundation.org or follow @AARPFoundation on social media.

The Senior Vice President, Litigation provides strategic leadership and direction for AARP Foundation Litigation (AFL). In this role, you will collaborate with stakeholders across the Foundation, the broader AARP enterprise, and external partners to advance impactful legal initiatives. This leader ensures the development of high-quality amicus briefs and impact litigation that align with the Foundation’s strategic priorities, with a strong focus on improving outcomes for low-income individuals aged 50 . In addition to driving litigation strategy, the SVP oversees the day-to-day administrative and operational activities of the function, ensuring excellence and alignment with organizational goals. This position serves as a key member of both the AARP Foundation Executive Team and the AARP Leadership Team, contributing to enterprise-wide strategy and decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Directs and manages complex litigation on behalf of the Foundation, the organization, or individual older persons. Publicizes and promotes cases to achieve high visibility for the work of the organization.
• Identifies methods to measure the impact of legal advocacy and uses those methodologies to choose cases that will have the greatest impact on the 50 population and low-income 50 in particular.
• Provides strategic direction to the planning and implementation of the Foundation’s strategic plan by developing and recommending precedent-setting cases for litigation or amicus participation. Develops and manages operating budget for AFL to achieve goals within budget.
• Works with groups organization-wide to ensure that the goals of the Foundation and the organization are accomplished by setting and meeting desired outcomes.
• Initiates, builds, and maintains internal and external relationships, partnerships, and coalitions on strategic issues. Communicates the Foundation and organization’s positions and strategic priorities to the media, business, and other external groups.
• Coaches and supervises professional staff, and ensures that the Foundation’s policies and procedures are followed. Demonstrates leadership behaviors and adheres to the Foundation’s core values in all interactions.
• Works closely with other Foundation program areas to ensure that AFL expertise informs the work across strategic objectives. Builds relationships with the Foundation program and other teams to facilitate integration.
• Works to continuously improve AFL operations for maximum efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency. Uses technology to track AFL work.
  
  

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school; active membership in good standing with a state bar required.
• Minimum of 10 years of proven legal experience, including significant leadership of complex and high-impact litigation teams to drive systemic or societal change.
• Demonstrated ability to set and execute a forward-looking litigation strategy that advances organizational priorities, particularly for underserved or vulnerable populations.
• Deep experience directing complex, precedent-setting litigation and developing amicus strategies that influence policy and public outcomes.
• Strong leadership capabilities with a track record of building inclusive teams, fostering culture, and coaching senior legal professionals.
• Ability to collaborate across a matrixed environment and influence stakeholders internally and externally, including senior leadership, partners, and coalitions.
• Experience managing budgets and operations, driving organizational effectiveness, and leveraging data, technology, and process improvements to maximize impact.
• Highly skilled communicator with the ability to represent organizational positions with credibility to media, external partners, and public audiences.
  
  

AARP will not sponsor an employment visa for this position at this time.

Additional Requirements

• Regular and reliable job attendance
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Exhibit respect and understanding of others to maintain professional relationships
• Independent judgement in evaluation options to make sound decisions
• In office/open office environment with the ability to work effectively surrounded by moderate noise
  
  

Hybrid Work Environment

AARP observes Mondays and Fridays as remote workdays, except for essential functions. Remote work can only be done within the United States and its territories.

Compensation And Benefits

AARP offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including a 401(k); 100% company-funded pension plan; health, dental, and vision plans; life insurance; paid time off to include company and individual holidays, vacation, sick, caregiving, and parental leave; performance-based and peer-based recognition and tuition reimbursement.

Equal Employment Opportunity

AARP is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture. AARP does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, color, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, mental or physical disability, genetic information, veteran status, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.