Come join our growing team working for justice and equity for all Alabamians!

About Alabama Appleseed: Alabama Appleseed is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1999 whose mission is to achieve justice and equity for all Alabamians. Alabama Appleseed conducts integrated culture and policy change campaigns to confront laws and policies that harm the poor and to remedy the root causes of poverty and injustice. Its campaigns use policy analysis, research and documentation, legislative action, public education, community organizing, pro bono engagement, coalition building, and litigation. Alabama Appleseed is a vibrant, growing organization that prides itself on creating strategic, evidence-based solutions to some of the most pressing problems in Alabama, and allowing the ingenuity of our staff to lead the way. Our work sits at the intersection of poverty and the justice system.

Alabama Appleseed is a member of the national Appleseed Network, which includes 17 Appleseed centers across the U.S. and in Mexico City.

Position Summary:  Alabama Appleseed seeks a Project Manager and Liaison for Jefferson County to grow our efforts to confront the harm imposed on low-wealth residents through traffic fines and fees, criminal court debt, and other costs imposed on justice-involved individuals. For the past several years, Alabama Appleseed has been studying the extensive collateral consequences that these types of debt have on the lives of Alabamians (see: the Under Pressure report on our website). This position will focus on how local jurisdictions can work differently to remedy some of the harms that we have identified.

This team member would manage our innovative Project JEFF (Jefferson County Equitable Fines and Fees Project) a 3-year data-driven project aimed at identifying trends, geographies, and harms associated with court debt and creating remedies to remove the collateral consequences of unpaid debt in Alabama’s largest county. Using the data and strategies developed during the Project JEFF implementation, this team member would conduct additional outreach to stakeholders from local government and courts, industry, direct services, education, and workforce development in order to broaden the impact of this project and Appleseed’s advocacy to additional jurisdictions.

The Project Manager reports directly to Appleseed Research Director, Leah Nelson, who oversees Project JEFF. This is a 2-year grant-funded position based in Appleseed’s Birmingham office, and will require occasional travel to Montgomery. This position also offers flexibility as to full time work or 30 hours per week. 

Qualifications:

  • Demonstrated commitment to Alabama Appleseed’s mission, vision, and approach to advocacy;
  • Three or more years of experience highly preferred in nonprofit or governmental project or program management;
  • Bachelor’s degree preferred;
  • Strong initiative and ability to manage and complete projects with minimal supervision;
  • Strong research and writing skills;
  • Track record in relationship-building and working well with diverse stakeholders;
  • Familiarity with public records requests and working with court records;
  • Valid automobile driver’s license;
  • Ability to get along and work collaboratively with diverse personalities;
  • Ability to multi-task effectively and occasionally embrace administrative duties;
  • Skilled in Excel, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and Google Docs.

An Ideal Candidate Brings:

  • Authentic connection to Alabama, especially central Alabama;
  • Familiarity with local government and courts in municipal, county, and state systems;
  • Ability to navigate ambiguous situations with no clear right or wrong answer;
  • Experience with public records requests;
  • Ability to manage large amounts of data;
  • Enthusiasm about promoting evidence-based solutions to entrenched systemic problems.

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Assist Appleseed Research Director in all aspects of Project JEFF implementation including:
    • Coordinating the exchange of information among Project JEFF’s many stakeholders;
    • Keeping partners informed on progress and developments;
    • Keeping funders informed on progress;
    • Tracking concerns and issues that could slow progress.
  • Outreach to multi-sector stakeholders across the county in order to:
    • Educate stakeholders as to implications and harm to economy, employment, and growth of region because of burdensome court debt;
    • Grow network of collaborators interested in addressing collateral consequences of court debt;
    • Identify new jurisdictions for our work;
    • Identify new strategies for addressing the harm of heavy court debt. 
  • Produce report on practices of selected municipal courts in the Jefferson County area
  • Organize occasional outreach events to promote the project 

Salary and Benefits: This position offers a competitive non-profit salary range of $40,000 – $48,000 depending on experience, along with a benefits package including health insurance, generous paid leave, and reimbursement of travel-related expenses. The position is grant funded for 2 years with the possibility of extended employment.

To Apply:  Send a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three references to Alabama Appleseed’s Executive Director, Carla Crowder, at carla.crowder@alabamaappleseed.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and accepted until the position is filled. Please write “Jefferson County Project Manager” in the subject line.

The injustices that we are fighting in Alabama today are directly connected to long histories of inequality and oppression in this state. As we build our team to fight for a better Alabama, we know that people who have historically been overlooked need to lead. For this reason, we welcome and strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, people with criminal histories, people from working class backgrounds, veterans and LGBTQ people.

Alabama Appleseed values an inclusive culture and diverse workforce. Alabama Appleseed encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, and record of arrest or conviction.

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