Director, Illinois Innocence Project

Posting Category: E

About UIS: Located in the state capital, the University of Illinois Springfield is one of three members of the University of Illinois system. The University serves more than 4,000 students in 44 graduate and 56 undergraduate programs. You are encouraged to visit the university web page at http://www.uis.edu.

Application deadline: 5/27/2024

Minimum starting salary: $125,000 annually

Summary:
This position is responsible for carrying out the mission of the Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) and overseeing the administration, programs, and day-to-day operations of IIP.
Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provide organizational leadership and management. Maintain a professional and student staff. Develop strategic and organizational goals and monitor to completion.

• Direct fiscal management and ensure financial sustainability of IIP. Actively engage in fundraising by cultivating relationships with individual donors, foundations and other external funding sources.

• Engage in community outreach. Develop and maintain relationships with peer organizations, policymakers, donors and other key constituents and external stakeholders. Collaborate with UIS, CSPL and IIP leadership staff for branding and messaging.

• Develop and coordinate an advocacy agenda with the IIP Legal Director for legislative initiatives to support the mission of IIP and its clients.

• Represent and maintain advocacy for a small number (1-3) of IIP clients and their cases.

• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications: 1. Juris Doctor (JD)
2. Membership in the Illinois State Bar
3. Minimum of two (2) years of prior experience in the wrongful conviction field
4. Minimum of two (2) years of management experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Ability to hire and lead a multi-disciplinary staff
Ability to develop staff and students
Ability to work effectively and collaborate with others, including Advisory Task Force members, volunteers, donors, lawyers, and university leaders and faculty.
Aptitude to utilize cloud-based file storage and sharing services such as Google Drive, Drop Box and Box and cloud-based case management software such as Clio.
Competency with Microsoft Office 365 suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Travel Requirements:
40% Travel to court, clients, training, conferences and other as necessary to fulfill the role of the Director.

Employment Policies and other information:

UIS is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer with a strong institutional commitment to recruitment and retention of a diverse and inclusive campus community. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility.

The University of Illinois may conduct background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer of employment. Background checks will be performed in compliance with state and federal law.

UIS employees are strongly encouraged to stay up to date with the most recent COVID-19 vaccination available as a barrier to serious illness.

The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current or former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment.

UIS employment in this role is not covered by Social Security, and instead, is covered by the State University Retirement System.

• You will not pay Social Security taxes and your earning will not be on your Social Security Record. (Your record will, however, show your Medicare wages.
• Your pension from the State Universities Retirement System may affect the amount of your:

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted by contacting UIS HR at hremployment@uis.edu or call 217-206-6652.